Ingredient intelligence
Benzoyl peroxide
Exfoliant · Benzoyl Peroxide (regulated concentration in many regions) · C14H10O4
Benzoyl peroxide decomposes in skin to benzoic acid and oxygen radicals. Its primary described mechanism is oxidative rather than receptor-mediated, acting on the follicular microenvironment.
Molecular identity
- Formula
- C14H10O4
- Molecular weight
- 242.23 g/mol
- PubChem CID
- 7187
- ChEBI
- Data unavailable
Biological targets
Cutibacterium acnes membrane and enzyme thiols (non-human target)
high confidenceinhibits · complex
Oxidative, non-specific antibacterial action — not a human protein target.
Keratinocyte antioxidant systems
low confidencemodulates · complex
Radical generation reported to transiently strain local antioxidant capacity.
How could this ingredient interact with biology?
Biological network
Ingredient → molecule → target → gene/protein → pathway → process → studied outcome. Relationship strength is drawn from the curated confidence tier; nothing is added to make the chain look complete.
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3 lower-confidence relationships are hidden at this filter level. Use “Show more biology” to include them.
Text alternative for this network
- Benzoyl peroxide is molecule Benzoyl peroxide — high confidence
- Benzoyl peroxide is molecule Benzoic acid — high confidence
- Benzoyl peroxide inhibits Cutibacterium acnes membrane and enzyme thiols (non-human target) — high confidence
- Reactive oxygen species metabolic process associated with Follicular microbial balance — medium confidence
- Reactive oxygen species metabolic process associated with Oxidative stress response — medium confidence
- Follicular microbial balance studied in Studied for inflammatory acne lesion counts — medium confidence
- Oxidative stress response studied in Studied for inflammatory acne lesion counts — medium confidence
- Follicular microbial balance studied in Associated with irritation and dryness in a dose-dependent way — medium confidence
- Oxidative stress response studied in Associated with irritation and dryness in a dose-dependent way — medium confidence
Biological pathways
Reactive oxygen species metabolic process
medium confidenceRadical species generated on decomposition define both the antibacterial effect and the irritation potential.
Gene Ontology GO:0072593
Evidence engine
Limited
Mostly mechanistic, animal or single-study evidence.
Skinceptor Evidence Index
35
experimental · of 100
This index is a research-navigation aid describing how much evidence exists and how it was produced. It is not a medical safety score, an efficacy guarantee, or a clinical recommendation.
Study composition
- In-vitro1
- Meta-analysis1
- Total studies
- 2
- Human studies
- 1
- Largest sample
- Data unavailable
- Range
- 2004–2016
Index breakdown
- Study design quality63% × 28%
Mean design weight across curated studies (meta-analysis 1.0, RCT 0.9, other human 0.7, review 0.45, animal 0.35, in-vitro 0.25).
- Human evidence share33% × 22%
Proportion of curated evidence measured in people rather than cells or animals.
- Evidence volume50% × 14%
Log-scaled count of curated studies, so volume alone cannot dominate the score.
- Largest sample size0% × 12%
Log-scaled largest reported sample size across curated human studies.
- Replication0% × 12%
Independent human studies, capped at three; one study is never treated as replicated.
- Recency50% × 7%
Linear decay over a twenty-year window from the most recent curated publication.
- Source traceability0% × 5%
Share of curated studies with a verified PMID or DOI in this dataset.
Insufficient comparable evidence for quantitative synthesis.
Research timeline
How the evidence accumulated
2004
Oxidative decomposition of benzoyl peroxide in skin and follicular microbiology
In-vitrosample size unavailable · Journal of Applied Microbiology
2016
Benzoyl peroxide, alone and combined, in inflammatory acne: a systematic review
Meta-analysissample size unavailable · Cochrane-style systematic review
Ingredient fingerprint
12 nodes · 14 relationships · seed "benzoyl-peroxide"
The fingerprint is a deterministic visual signature: ridge amplitude comes from the number of entities in each tier, node placement from identifier hashes, and opacity from confidence. Two ingredients can never produce the same figure unless their networks are identical.
Open in Biology as Art →Research
2 curated studies
Benzoyl peroxide, alone and combined, in inflammatory acne: a systematic review
Reported consistent reduction in inflammatory lesion counts versus vehicle, with dose-related local irritation.
Limitations — Heterogeneous trials and concentrations; identifier not verified during curation.
Oxidative decomposition of benzoyl peroxide in skin and follicular microbiology
Reported rapid decomposition to benzoic acid with radical-mediated, non-selective antibacterial activity and no observed resistance selection.
Limitations — Microbiological models; identifier not verified during curation.
Community evidence
Submitted by readers
Reader submissions appear here only after review. They are not part of the curated dataset and do not affect the Skinceptor Evidence Index.
No approved community submissions yet.
Sources
- PubChem 7187Verified 2026-09-14
- Gene Ontology GO:0072593Verified 2026-09-14
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