When to Wash with Benzoyl Peroxide?

Dear Skin Care Expert,

I recently purchased a product that has benzoyl peroxide as the main ingredient; however, I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to use it. When can I wash with products that contain benzoyl peroxide? Is washing more, better and will I see more results that way, or can I overdose on the ingredient?    

- Wondering When to Wash

Dear Wondering,

Your question is definitely a good one. First of all, I would suggest taking a look at the directions that came with your product, since some products can be a bit different than others. However, if you don’t find the directions for the product, there are some basics of benzoyl peroxide to keep in mind. While it can come in creams, gels, lotions, or bar soaps, usually all of these products should only be used one to two times each day. If you are just starting on this medication for the first time, you should probably start out only using it once a day until you see how your skin is going to react to the benzoyl peroxide. If you do okay with it, you may be able to go on to use it twice daily. However, you need to avoid overdrying the skin. If your skin gets very dry or you start getting skin that is irritated, you should back off to once a day or totally stop using it altogether. Just remember, using it more than recommended is not going to make your acne problem go away faster.