What Every Parent NEEDS to Know About Benzoyl Peroxide

The Risks of Choosing to Use Chemicals for Acne Control May Outweigh the Benefits

As the owner of a small natural body care products company, I was doing market research online at ask.yahoo.com. A large number of the people making posts were very excited about the results they were getting from products containing benzoyl peroxide. Although my products are all natural, I decided that since the results were so incredible, I might consider adding benzoyl peroxide to a more powerful acne-control soap and scrub. I started doing research on risks as compared to benefits relating to the use of benzoyl peroxide. What I found was very alarming.

I found that scientists use benzoyl peroxide to promote skin cancer in laboratory animals such as mice, hamsters and rats. The study excerpts are listed below. While I agree that humans are not mice, hamsters or rats, the skin cancer treatments developed from these creatures are used as skin cancer treatments for humans. Would it be logical to assume that since human skin reacts the same to the treatments developed from these creatures, human skin also reacts the same to the cause?

Benzoyl peroxide is a strong chemical which has been used effectively to fight and control acne for over 30 years. Previously sold only under the advice of a medical practitioner, benzoyl peroxide has been available on store shelves for many years.

It works by inducing a chemical burn similar to unprotected sun exposure - the same effects as a sunburn. The entire top layers of skin are chemically stripped away. These are the layers that protect skin from sun exposure, bacteria, moisture loss and dermal chemical absorption.