The ingredient, explained

Benzoyl Peroxide

An ingredient studied in topical acne treatments; the selected trial evaluated a 5% lotion.

AntimicrobialOxidising

Explore connections

Ingredient guide

What it is and what it does

Dibenzoyl peroxide

About this ingredient: EU CosIng ingredient registry (via Open Beauty Facts taxonomy) ↗

Antimicrobial: A technical role associated with controlling microorganisms on skin.
Oxidising: Chemically changes another material through oxidation.

Function definitions: European Commission ingredient function definitions (SCCNFP/0299/00, pages 16 to 20) ↗

Registry functions describe possible formulation roles, not results for a finished product. A dictionary entry is not an approval or a safety assessment.

A closer look

What the research shows

Human topical research

In a double-blind trial in 150 patients with mild-to-moderate acne, both 5% benzoyl peroxide and 14% gluconolactone reduced inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions relative to the tested vehicle. Benzoyl peroxide caused more side effects than gluconolactone.

What this does not tell us

The abstract does not give duration or numerical effect estimates. The tested 5% lotion does not establish identical efficacy or tolerability for other doses, vehicles or combinations.

Sources for this summary. PubMed 1303072 ↗

Research review checked Sep 30, 2026

Selected primary sources were reviewed for the existing research brief on 30 September 2026, with exact ingredient, route and combination limitations recorded. This was a bounded editorial review, not a systematic search.