Benzoyl Peroxide
Active (acne treatment) · INCI: Benzoyl Peroxide
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Not a pore-clogger. Considered safe for acne-prone skin.
Is Benzoyl Peroxide comedogenic?
No. Benzoyl Peroxide isn't considered pore-clogging, and we read it as safe to use on acne-prone skin. That doesn't make it right for everyone, but congestion isn't the thing to watch for with it.
Why we read it this way
Benzoyl peroxide is an oxidizing active used in acne products to bring down the bacteria involved in breakouts. It is there to treat, not to soften or thicken a formula. We read benzoyl peroxide as not pore-clogging.
The nuance
It is drying, it can leave skin red and flaky, and it bleaches towels and pillowcases. None of that is pore-clogging. The cream or gel that carries it has its own ingredient list, and that base is where a flag would come from.
Where it shows up
It turns up in acne cleansers, leave-on gels and creams, spot treatments and body washes made for breakouts on the back and chest.
Names we read the same way
- BPO
Related ingredients
One ingredient rarely tells the whole story. The acne ingredient checker reads everything in a product at once, and there is more on what comedogenic means. Also in the guides: The types of acne lesions.