Hydrogen Peroxide For Acne: Is It Safe To Put On Your Skin? Derms Explain

When it comes to hydrogen peroxide, images of removing stains and the occasional scraped knee may come to mind. It's a household staple of sorts, perhaps the most versatile solution in your medicine cabinet. Some even say it carries weight in the beauty space: Anecdotally, it's gained quite the reputation for quickly clearing away pesky pimples.

Hydrogen peroxide is typically used for cleaning wounds—remember that handy brown bottle in your medicine cabinet? It's incredibly antibacterial, which is why people might associate it with healing breakouts, similar to they would a scraped knee. And anecdotally, it has been shown to help dry out certain blemishes when used as a spot treatment—but there's very little research to back up those claims. In fact, the cons may outweigh the pros for the brown bottle (more on that later). 

The two may have the same last name, but the similarities end there. They're actually made up of entirely different compounds: "Benzoyl peroxide is lipid-soluble, while hydrogen peroxide is water-soluble," says King. Meaning, benzoyl peroxide can break apart the lipid cell membrane (which is why it's been touted as an effective treatment for acne). Hydrogen peroxide, on the other hand, is an effective disinfectant, but it doesn't have a similar track record in terms of breakouts. In fact, "there is no proof that it can safely and effectively treat acne," says board-certified dermatologist Jeanine Downie, M.D. 

So here's the thing: Hydrogen peroxide wipes out all the bacteria—including the good kind. Just like in our gut microbiome, our skin also has colonies of bacteria that help with a number of processes (namely, help protect us from environmental damage, aid in wound healing, and make sure the skin is less permeable). A strong antibacterial like hydrogen peroxide can destroy all those good, necessary bacteria; without them, you may face an impaired skin barrier, as well as issues like redness and skin peeling. Of course, those with sensitive skin should probably steer clear, as those individuals already face a compromised skin barrier.

At stronger concentrations, hydrogen peroxide is especially irritating, even leading to burns or scarring for some; it makes sense—a cleaning solution that's strong enough to kill viruses might be a little too heavy-duty for the delicate skin of the face, which is why if you are going to use the antibacterial, always, always, use a diluted version (many drugstore options offer 3% solutions).