Antimicrobial/keratolytic
Benzoyl Peroxide
White cream or gel, slightly gritty
Typical Strength
2.5%–5%
Formulations
1 compounds
Formula
C₁₄H₁₀O₄
Mol. Weight
242.23 g/mol
How It Works
Mechanism of action
Releases free oxygen radicals inside the follicle, oxidizing bacterial proteins of Cutibacterium acnes — an organism that cannot develop resistance to oxygen. Also mildly keratolytic and comedolytic.
Did you know?
Unlike antibiotics, no bacterial resistance to benzoyl peroxide has ever been documented — which is why it's paired with clindamycin in compounded formulas.
What compounding can change
When Benzoyl Peroxide is compounded for one patient, your prescriber can choose the concentration, combine it with other ingredients, and pick the base. Commercial products come in fixed strengths and bases.
Safety Considerations
Available In
Formulations with Benzoyl Peroxide
Commonly paired with
These ingredients frequently appear alongside Benzoyl Peroxide in our formulations.
Please note: Compounded medications require a prescription from a licensed prescriber for an individual patient. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. The FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality. A compounded medication is not the same as, or a generic version of, any FDA-approved drug. This page is general information, not medical advice. Your prescriber decides whether a treatment is right for you and sets the final ingredients, strength and dosage form.