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Benzac y epiduo. Benzoyl peroxide

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Benzoyl peroxide

1. About benzoyl peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide is used to treat acne. It works as an antiseptic to reduce the number of germs (bacteria) on the surface of your skin.

It comes as a gel or face wash containing 5% benzoyl peroxide. This is available to buy from pharmacies under the brand name Acnecide.

Benzoyl peroxide is sometimes mixed with potassium hydroxyquinoline sulfate. This is an "antimicrobial" ingredient that kills micro-organisms on your skin. It's sold in pharmacies as Quinoderm cream.

Some benzoyl peroxide products are available on prescription only. This is because they contain other active ingredients such as antibiotics or retinoids (exfoliants).

Many popular skincare brands also make products that contain benzoyl peroxide, but at a lower strength. These are available to buy in pharmacies, supermarkets and shops. Brands include Clean & Clear, Neutrogena and Clearasil.

2. Key facts

Benzoyl peroxide 5% takes around 4 weeks to start working.
You'll usually use it 1 or 2 times a day.
The most common side effect is skin irritation. It is better to use it less often at first, then build up as your skin gets used to it.
Pharmacy brands include Acnecide 5% gel and Acnecide Wash 5%.
Benzoyl peroxide is also an ingredient in Duac Once Daily (with clindamycin, an antibiotic) and Epiduo gel (with adapalene, a retinoid).

3. Who can and cannot use benzoyl peroxide

Most adults and children over 12 years old can use benzoyl peroxide.

Benzoyl peroxide is not suitable for some people.

To make sure benzoyl peroxide is safe for you, tell your doctor before using this medicine if you:

are allergic to benzoyl peroxide or other medicines.
have damaged or broken skin where you need to use the treatment.
have very bad acne with nodules (large, hard lumps that build up beneath the surface of the skin and can be painful) or cysts (large, pus-filled lumps that look similar to boils). These need to be treated by a doctor to avoid scarring.

4. How and when to use it

Benzoyl peroxide is for use on your skin only.

Always wash your hands before and after using this medicine.

If your skin becomes dry or starts peeling, try using benzoyl peroxide less often. Put it on once a day or once every 2 days, until your skin gets used to it.

Benzoyl peroxide can bleach or discolour your hair, as well as clothes, towels and bedding. Keep it away from hair and coloured fabrics.

How to use benzoyl peroxide 5% gel

Wash the affected area with a mild skin cleanser and water.
Gently pat your skin dry.
Put a thin layer of gel on all the affected areas. If your whole face has acne, use a strip of gel (2.5cm long) each time.

You'll usually use the gel once or twice a day. If you have sensitive skin, use the gel once a day, before going to bed.

Try to avoid strong sunlight while using benzoyl peroxide gel. Use an oil-free sunscreen, or a moisturiser or foundation with added SPF30. In stronger sunlight, use SPF30 or above. Ask a pharmacist to help you pick a sunscreen that's right for your skin type.

How to use benzoyl peroxide 5% wash

Wet the area you want to treat.
Place a small amount of the product onto your hands.
Smooth it onto the affected area.
Keep the wash on your skin for no more than 1 to 2 minutes.
Rinse your face thoroughly with water.
Gently pat your skin dry.

You'll usually use the wash 1 or 2 times a day.

How long will I use it for?

It depends on how quickly your condition improves.

Benzoyl peroxide will usually start to work within 4 weeks, but once your acne is under control you may want to keep using it to stop your acne coming back.

What if I forget to use it?

It does not matter if you forget to use benzoyl peroxide.

When you remember, start using it again once or twice a day in the same way as before.

What if I use too much?

If you use too much benzoyl peroxide, your skin may become irritated. Wash off as much as you can and wait for the irritation to go away.

When your skin has calmed down again, you can start using benzoyl peroxide again. Be careful to follow the instructions on the package.

Important: Important

Keep benzoyl peroxide away from your eyes. If you get the gel or wash in your eyes, rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water for a few minutes or until it stops stinging.

7. Pregnancy and breastfeeding

It's usually safe to use benzoyl peroxide during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Benzoyl peroxide and breastfeeding

Although it's generally OK to use benzoyl peroxide when you're breastfeeding, do not use it on your chest area and wash your hands before touching your baby. This is so your baby does not come into contact with it.

Important: Important

Tell a pharmacist or doctor if you're trying to get pregnant, already pregnant or breastfeeding

8. Cautions with other medicines

Some products and medicines can irritate your skin if you use them while you're treating your skin with benzoyl peroxide gel or wash.

Do not use benzoyl peroxide with any other medicines that may have drying or irritating effects on your skin. These include alcohol-based skincare products. Always check the ingredients on the label and choose products for sensitive skin.

Do not use other benzoyl peroxide products or other acne medicines (such as isotretinoin), unless your doctor or pharmacist says it's OK. It may cause your skin to become very sore.

Mixing benzoyl peroxide with herbal remedies and supplements

There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements while using benzoyl peroxide.

Important: Important

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.

9. Common questions

INDICATIONS

Benzoyl peroxide has an antibacterial effect. It also has a mild drying effect, which allows excess oils and dirt to be easily washed away from the skin.

INSTRUCTIONS

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Wash your hands before and after applying this medication. Shake the lotion well just before each use.

Clean and pat dry the skin to be treated. Apply benzoyl peroxide in a thin layer and rub in gently.
Do not cover the treated skin area unless your doctor has told you to.

Benzoyl peroxide topical is usually applied one to three times daily. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Benzoyl peroxide may bleach hair or fabrics. Avoid allowing this medication to come into contact with your hair or clothing.

It may take several weeks before your symptoms improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.

If you miss a dose - use the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

STORAGE

Store this medicine at room temperature in a tightly-closed container, away from heat and light.

SAFETY INFORMATION

Avoid getting this medication in your mouth or eyes. If it does get into any of these areas, rinse with water. Do not use benzoyl peroxide topical on sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, irritated, or broken skin. Also avoid using benzoyl peroxide topical on wounds or on areas of eczema. Wait until these conditions have healed before using this medication.

Avoid using skin products that can cause irritation, such as harsh soaps, shampoos, or skin cleansers, hair coloring or permanent chemicals, hair removers or waxes, or skin products with alcohol, spices, astringents, or lime. Do not use other medicated skin products unless your doctor has told you to.

Do not use benzoyl peroxide topical while you are also using tretinoin (Altinac, Avita, Renova, Retin-A, Tretin-X). Using these medications together could cause severe skin irritation. FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether benzoyl peroxide topical will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication. It is not known whether benzoyl peroxide passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Benzoyl peroxide may bleach hair or fabrics. Avoid allowing this medication to come into contact with your hair or clothing.

Do NOT use Benzac if you are allergic to any ingredient in Benzac.

SIDE EFFECTS

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor side effects.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using benzoyl peroxide and call your doctor at once if you have severe stinging or burning of your skin.

Less serious side effects may include:

mild stinging or burning;
itching or tingly feeling;
skin dryness, peeling, or flaking; or
redness or other irritation.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

Epiduo and Epiduo Forte (adapalene/benzoyl peroxide)

Epiduo and Epiduo Forte side effects

Epiduo and Epiduo Forte can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Epiduo or Epiduo Forte. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.

For more information on the possible side effects of Epiduo and Epiduo Forte, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to deal with any side effects that may be bothersome.

Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks side effects of drugs it has approved. If you would like to report to the FDA a side effect you’ve had with Epiduo or Epiduo Forte, you can do so through MedWatch.

Mild side effects

Mild side effects of Epiduo and Epiduo Forte can include:*

dry skin
rash^†
eczema (a condition that causes cracked, itchy, and red, darker brown, purple, or gray patches of skin)
skin discoloration

Most of these side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they become more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

* This is a partial list of mild side effects from Epiduo and Epiduo Forte. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or visit the prescribing information for both Epiduo and Epiduo Forte.
† This mild side effect is discussed in more detail below in “Side effect details.”

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Epiduo and Epiduo Forte aren’t common, but they can occur. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency.

Serious side effects of Epiduo and Epiduo Forte can include:

skin sensitivity to the sun*
swelling in treated areas
allergic reaction^†
burning skin^†
peeling skin^†
erythema (red, darker brown, purple, or gray patches of skin)^†

* For more information about this side effect, see the “Common questions about Epiduo and Epiduo Forte” section below.
† These serious side effects are discussed in more detail below in “Side effect details.”

Side effects in children

Both Epiduo and Epiduo Forte are approved to treat acne. Epiduo can be used in children ages 9 years and older, while Epiduo Forte can be used in children ages 12 years and older.

The side effects of Epiduo and Epiduo Forte seen in children are similar to those seen in adults. For more information, see the lists above in “Mild side effects” and “Serious side effects.”

Side effect details

You may wonder how often certain side effects occur with this drug, or whether certain side effects pertain to it. Here’s some detail on certain side effects this drug may or may not cause.

Purging

With skin purging, your skin quickly gets rid of dead skin cells, oil, and other substances that cause acne. This process may cause acne breakouts in some people.

Skin purging wasn’t reported as a side effect in clinical studies of Epiduo and Epiduo Forte. However, it has been seen with other medications that contain the same active drug as these medications contain.

For more information about skin purging, see the “Do Epiduo and Epiduo Forte cause skin purging?” section above.

Burning

Epiduo and Epiduo Forte can each make your skin sting or burn. Sometimes, this type of reaction can be similar to a chemical burn. Typically, symptoms caused by Epiduo or Epiduo Forte include painful, reddened skin.

Burning is typically worse during the first 4 weeks of treatment with either Epiduo or Epiduo Forte. But this side effect should become less bothersome as you continue using either drug.

If you have skin burning that doesn’t go away after a few weeks of treatment with these medications, talk with your doctor. They can recommend ways to help reduce your discomfort.

How common is skin burning with Epiduo and Epiduo Forte?

Epiduo and Epiduo Forte have each been studied in adults and children ages 12 years and older. In these studies, 1% to 2% of people had skin burning after their acne was treated with either of these drugs. (This percentage range varied depending on which drug was being used.) Studies of Epiduo in children ages 9 to 11 years showed similar results.

In comparison, less than 1% of people had skin burning when their acne was treated with a placebo gel. (A placebo gel contains no active drug.)

In these clinical studies, people’s skin burning was at its worst during the first week of treatment. When it was at its worst:

41% of people had mild skin burning
15% to 19% of people had moderate skin burning
3% to 6% of people had severe skin burning

People’s skin burning lessened over time during the 12 weeks of treatment. At the end of treatment with Epiduo or Epiduo Forte:

7% of people had mild skin burning
1% to 2% of people had moderate skin burning
1% of people had severe skin burning

In comparison, of people who used the placebo gel:

3% had moderate skin burning when this side effect was at its worst
1% had severe skin burning when this side effect was at its worst
0% had moderate or severe skin burning at the end of the 12 weeks of treatment

Peeling skin

It’s possible to have peeling skin (scaling skin) while you’re using Epiduo or Epiduo Forte.

Applying these drugs to the skin around your eyes may cause flaky skin or dry skin in the area. But you should avoid applying Epiduo or Epiduo Forte to the skin around your eyes. If these drugs do come in contact with the skin around your eyes, rinse the area with water. This may help lessen your chances of having dryness or flaking.

If you have bothersome skin peeling with these drugs, talk with your doctor. They may suggest ways to help lessen this side effect. For example, using an oil-free or noncomedogenic moisturizer may help with skin peeling. (Noncomedogenic moisturizers are less likely to clog your pores and cause breakouts.)

How common is peeling skin with Epiduo and Epiduo Forte?

It’s not known how many adults and children ages 12 years and older had peeling skin in clinical studies of Epiduo and Epiduo Forte.

But of people who did have peeling skin while using Epiduo or Epiduo Forte, this side effect was at its worst during the first week of use. When peeling skin was at its worst:

35% of people had only mild peeling
11% to 17%* of people had moderate peeling
1% of people had severe peeling

* This percentage range varied depending on the drug being studied.

Peeling skin lessened over time during the 12 weeks of treatment. At the end of 12 weeks of treatment with Epiduo or Epiduo Forte:

9% of people had mild peeling
1% of people had moderate peeling
less than 1% of people had severe peeling

In these studies, of people who used a placebo gel (gel with no active drug):

6% had moderate peeling when this side effect was at its worst
1% had moderate peeling at the end of 12 weeks of treatment
no one had severe peeling when this side effect was at its worst or at the end of 12 weeks of treatment

Allergic reaction

As with most drugs, some people can have an allergic reaction after using Epiduo or Epiduo Forte. But it’s not known for sure how many people have had an allergic reaction to these drugs.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include:

swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat
trouble breathing

Call your doctor right away if you have a severe allergic reaction to Epiduo or Epiduo Forte. But call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency.

Redness

Erythema (skin redness) is a common side effect of Epiduo and Epiduo Forte. It typically occurs over the first several weeks after you start treatment with either medication. But this side effect should lessen as you continue using either drug.

If you have skin redness that doesn’t go away after a few weeks of treatment with Epiduo or Epiduo Forte, talk with your doctor. They can recommend ways to help reduce this side effect.

How common is skin redness with Epiduo and Epiduo Forte?

It’s not known how many adults and children ages 12 years and older had skin redness in clinical studies of Epiduo and Epiduo Forte.

Of those who had skin redness while using Epiduo or Epiduo Forte, this side effect was at its worst during the first week of treatment. When skin redness was at its worst:

27% of people had only mild redness
13% to 20%* of people had moderate redness
1% of people had severe redness

* This percentage range varied depending on the drug being studied.

People’s skin redness lessened over time during the 12 weeks of treatment. At the end of 12 weeks of treatment with Epiduo or Epiduo Forte:

8% of people had only mild redness
2% to 4%* of people had moderate redness
1% of people had severe redness

* This percentage range varied depending on the drug being studied.

In these studies, of people who used a placebo gel (gel with no active drug):

6% had moderate redness when this side effect was at its worst
1% had moderate redness at the end of 12 weeks of treatment
1% had severe redness when this side effect was at its worst
no one had severe redness at the end of 12 weeks of treatment

Rash

Some people using Epiduo or Epiduo Forte may develop a skin rash. But it’s not known how often people had a rash in clinical studies of Epiduo and Epiduo Forte.

If you have a skin rash while you’re using Epiduo or Epiduo Forte, talk with your doctor right away. They may want to make sure your rash isn’t related to an allergic reaction. In addition, your doctor may be able to suggest ways to help clear up the rash.

Eczema

It’s possible that Epiduo and Epiduo Forte may cause eczema. With eczema, you have areas of the skin that are cracked, itchy, and red, darker brown, purple, or gray.

In clinical studies of Epiduo Forte, 1% of people developed eczema while using the drug. In comparison, no one using a placebo gel (gel with no active drug) developed eczema. It’s not known how often people had eczema in clinical studies of Epiduo.

If you have eczema while you’re using Epiduo or Epiduo Forte, talk with your doctor. They may recommend ways to treat or reduce your eczema. For example, using an oil-free and noncomedogenic moisturizer may help to reduce symptoms of eczema. (Noncomedogenic moisturizers are less likely to clog your pores and cause breakouts.)

In addition, it may be helpful to use gentle skin care products that don’t irritate your skin with Epiduo or Epiduo Forte.

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Effective branded acne treatment
Combination of Adapalene and Benzoyl Peroxide
Eradicates acne-causing bacteria

Generic or branded treatments?

Some treatments contain the same active ingredient but are sold under different names. If the active ingredient and the dosage are the same, the treatments will have the same effect and work in the same way.

Generic	Branded
Same active ingredient
Works in the same way
Often less expensive

What is Epiduo gel?

A thin film of the gel should be applied to a clean and dry skin once a day before going to bed. Wash your hands thoroughly after application as the gel can bleach fabrics and hair.
The two active ingredients in Epiduo gel, Adapalene and Benzoyl Peroxide, work together but to treat acne from two different angles. Adapalene works on the skin processes that cause acne, unblocking pores and reducing inflammation. Benzoyl Peroxide is an antimicrobial agent, killing the bacteria that cause acne as well as softening and peeling the outer layer of skin, breaking down whiteheads and blackheads.
You may have to wait up to 4 weeks to start to see a change in your acne and that the Epiduo gel is working. Because of the combination of active ingredients Epiduo gel can help to manage the appearance of acne as well as prevent future outbreaks.
Most people will not experience side effects with Epiduo gel, however like all medications there are specific side effects to be aware of. The most common side effects with Epiduo gel are irritation of the skin, burning sensation to the affected area and eczema.
It is also important to not expose yourself to excessive sunlight or UV lamps while you are using Epiduo gel as it can cause sensitivity to sunshine.
For full information on side effects and correct use, see the patient information leaflet.

Epiduo gel should not be used if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is only safe to be used by women who are sexually active if they are using an effective contraception.
You should avoid any other topical acne medications while you are using Epiduo gel, particularly those that contain Benzoyl Peroxide and/or retinoids. It is also worth avoiding any cosmetics or toiletries that dry, irritate or exfoliate the skin.
Your doctor should be made aware if you are taking any other medications at the same time as Epiduo gel.
There are a variety of other acne treatments that can be taken, including a range of other acne creams, as well as combination packages of oral antibiotics and gels or creams. Some women may also be prescribed Co-cyprindiol, a contraceptive pill, widely known as Dianette or Clairette, to treat their acne .
We will contact you through your Patient Record 6 weeks from your order to see how you are getting on with the medication. We may ask for some photos at this time as well to assess the response to treatment. It will also be an opportunity for you to give us feedback on your acne. To reorder Epiduo, go to your Patient Record and select ‘reorder’. You will be required to fill in the online questionnaire each time you reorder.

Benzoyl peroxide: medicine used to treat acne - NHS

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