PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash Benzoyl Peroxide 10% Maximum Strength Antimicrobial, 5.5 Oz

My dermatologist has long recommended a 10% benzoyl peroxide wash. It used to be rx only, but eventually became available otc. I’ve used a 10% bp wash for many years.

I’m in my 40s, have oily skin, and left untreated can develop acne ranging from small white heads to painful, cystic acne and folliculitis. It took me 20 years of adult life to eventually find a daily routine that generally keeps my skin clean, clear, and free of painful breakouts. The cornerstone of that routine was the neutrogena 10% benzoyl peroxide wash that i found to be strong enough to serve it’s purpose but still gentle enough to not cause annoying side effects such as irritation and over dryness. Unfortunately that face wash appears to have been discontinued.

Panoxyl was a product i had tried before, years ago (before i discovered the other parts of my routine which i suspect played a bigger role in it actually being effective – more on that below), and i believe it was the actual brand recommended by my dermatologist once 10% bp became available over the counter. So i knew it was a good product, and similar to what i had been using- both in price and effectiveness. So it was an easy first choice for me in trying to replace the wash i’ve relied on for some time.

I’ve been using it now for a few weeks and i haven’t noticed a difference in my results, thankfully. It seems to be very similar to me and hasn’t dried my skin out completely or irritated it in any way. So for now, i think this is the one that will become my go-to. I’ve also purchased it for my 18-year old who was similarly concerned about the neutrogena being discontinued. Seems to be working for them as well.

I mentioned above that for me, there were other factors that helped make this product work better. Those factors are:

*exfoliating/washing before i shave – without doing this, shaving dirty and oily skin seems to lead to more breakouts.

*i use a little silicone face scrubber to apply and scrub with the panoxyl – after shaving -which helps clean follicles and wash away little hairs- it seems to really help avoid ingrown hairs and folliculitis, which has been awful for me at times.

As i mentioned, i have found a routine that works for me- so for anyone looking for help developing their own routine to treat acne, in general, some info about me and my routine is as follows:

male, 44 years old
full beard
bald (i shave my head and around my beard approx 2-3 times per week).

Shaving days (all in shower):
1. Wash face, head, and skin under beard with an exfoliating face wash (there is a viking revolution micro dermabrasion wash i like for this purpose, but there are a lot of products meant for pre shave wash).
2. I shave using a concentrated shave cream (cremo is what i like the most).
3. I apply a nickel sized amount of panoxyl to a silicone face scrubber, rub it around to cover it, and then gently scrub/massage it into my skin- head, neck, face, etc. In small circular motions. If i have any acne starting to form, i might seperately apply a little additional face wash to that area and scrub a little extra as well.
4. Importantly, i take the time to rinse well, as the benzoyl peroxide can stain towels or clothes if it’s not appropriately rinsed.
5. I wash my beard with a beard wash.
6. I generally do not moisturize over the winter unless i start to feel dry- but everyone is different. When showering twice a day if working out, etc, i will use a mild moisturizer, but generally my skin is best balanced at this point without. When the weather is nice enough to be outside, i use a daily moisturizer for sensitive skin with sunscreen in it. If i’m going to be in the sun for extended periods, i’ll also apply higher spf sunscreen. I like neutrogena triple protect for men as the daily.
7. I see a dermatologist, and i have two prescription creams i use in tiny amounts for any flare ups. It’s pretty rare that i have to use them, and it’s usually if i am lax with my routine at all. One cream for morning and one for night. Epiduo forte and aczone.
8. Non-shaving days i use a similar amount either in my fingers or with the scrubber to wash my face, head, neck, etc. And that’s the only product i use.

If this helps anyone in any way, then it was worth putting it out there. Bottom line, this panoxyl wash works well for me as part of my routine. I added the above context because skin types vary greatly, and it took me a lot of trial, error, research, help from a dermatologist, and persistence to finally get my acne in check. I used to think i could just use a benzoyl peroxide face wash once a day and that would be enough. For some people, maybe it is- but for me personally, i have to do a few other things to maximize it’s effectiveness.

I’m 21. I’ve had severe acne since i was about 12. I’m talking hormonal to the max, plus fungal, plus blackheads and scarring and rough bumpy patches and redness. Everything. Chronic acne destroyed my self confidence as a young person and still does. I’m still hurting over the bullying and self hatred i endured from my acne. I have tried everything under the sun for my acne. The whole proactive line, every drug store face wash, every moisturizer, i’ve tried to fancier brands from macy’s and sephora, i’ve tried the most gentle gentle ones from cetaphil. I’ve tried the ordinary, inky list, paula’s choice. You name it – i have used it.
I came across this gem one day when trying to buy my face wash that at least kept my face clean but didn’t help breakouts. I thought wow, 10% is really high, i’ve never seen it that high in a wash. So i bought it. And i decided to buy the sunscreen moisturizer they have as well.
When i tell you that this product made me sob happy tears, i’m not kidding. I am only 7 days into using the face wash and moisturizer (2x daily) and my face has never looked this good. My acne is disappearing, my blackheads are so small i have to squint to see them, my fungal acne (those small colorless bumps) is fading. I have never seen a wash work like this. While such a strong dose of benzoyl peroxide will normally dry out your skin, i have found that using the moisturizer right after works perfect. I am so so happy about the improvement i’ve seen in. Seven days, i cannot wait to keep using this and see what happens over the next few months. Ugh. Give this one a chance … I had given up hope!

Love this stuff, it’s made a huge difference with my body and face acne. One thing to remember, this stuff is intense so you really really need to work it slowly into your routine. I’m talking starting out 1 time per week. And if your just starting don’t leave it on the skin for long at all and make sure to wash it all off because benzoyl peroxide does stain/bleach fabric.

You want to go really slow but it’s really worth it. I’m up to the point where i use it every morning for my morning face wash and i use it on a scrubber for my chest, shoulders, and back when i shower but alternate with a salicylic acid wash. This took about 3 to 4 months to work up to for reference.

If you get a lot of irritation when using this only once you might also want to look at the rest of your products. I recommend referencing dr dray on youtube for using this product if you’re having issues.

I am also very active so i use it in my armpits and on my feet once a week. Benzoyl peroxide is an anti bacterial so it helps cut down on body oder.

Overall love this stuff but it needs to be used correctly. If your skin is already irritated from over exfoliating, no sun protection, harsh products and other irritants like fragrance, you’re not going to have a good time.

I never write reviews- but this product deserves one.

I’ve used this for about a week and a half (not expecting much because of the low price), but after watching reviews and researching other face washes, and because it is best for teens w/ a neutral skin type (oily and dry), it seemed like it could work quickly.

Using it:
in order to let the benzoyl peroxide activate, i gently rub it on my face while listening to any song by harry styles- typically meaning i leave the product on my face for at least a few minutes while singing in front of the mirror. If you wash this immediately off, you most likely won’t see improvement.
Use a good moisturizer–especially if you have sensitive, dry skin.
Optional–additionally, i would recommend taking zinc and vitamin c for extra clearing-up and removing dark spots/scars.

Pros:
surely, within a week, my skin has been so much better. I’ve used so many other washes and this one is the only wash that showed significant improvement on my skin. I had cysts and breakouts right before i started, and it cleared so quick. Not only that, but i’ve only had one pimple show up since i started using it. One. And it’s very small too.

Cons:
to me and my skin specifically, there are no cons. Although, it could be a different experience for you, especially if you have dry and sensitive skin. If you do, i would use the 4% benzoyl panoxyl version. (it’s less harsh). You also need a good moisturizer so it doesn’t dry out your skin, although i haven’t had any dry skin since i started using this wash.
Also, i’m sure you’ve seen the other reviews, but be careful not to get this on fabric or towels. It can possibly bleach them, so just watch out for that.

K bye 🙂

I’ve been using for a few days i had a few blemishes they’ve disappeared already. And i have a big black head problem that has imporoved so much in such little time. I did pro active in my teens and that helped me to a point. I got a prescription for acne medicine after proactive and that was so horrible. This is the right amount of something. It does leave my skin feeling dry. So i think i need to buy the moisturizer that goes with it. But now that i’ve found something that works for my black heads and weekly/biweekly blemishes i’m going to stick with this. For refrance i’m a 28 year old woman who had struggled with acne since i was 8 years old.

This is the best facewash for my acne. I’m on my 3rd bottle and my face has cleared up so much. After having kids i started getting crazy acne on my chin and jawline. I tried many face cleansers and creams but none worked as good as this product. One bottle lasts me up to 2 months if i just use it on my face and not on my back.

My face has normal skin. So i usually do not break out. But for a reason my skin got many acne and bumps on the skin. So i started to use this without having any expectation, but this is a gem!!! I only use this for my face. Ever since i started using this my face skin is smooth no bumpy, no acne and clean clear face!!!

Third time repurchasing, helps a lot with acne – i had a really bad break out (i don’t have acne usually)
takes about a month or two to clear the acne
the only problem with it is the bleaching – after using it it bleached the towel i used to dry my face so just use an old towel or a white one
really good overall:)

I have been dealing with the most stubborn hormonal cystic acne along my jawline and cheeks the past few months. I’ve tried beauty counter and a few other products but nothing seemed to work. I’m now on day 5 (?) of using this face wash and i couldn’t be happier. My acne has cleared up, blackheads are minimal and my confidence is now up!

A little heads up just because everyone’s skin is different and will react differently: i have pretty normal to oily skin and i have some dry areas from using this product. It’s not enough to make me feel like i need to stop but beware around your eyes. I didn’t think i washed too closely to my eyes but probably from rinsing some may have gotten in the area so my eyelids have dry spots. It’s stated on the bottle to be careful and i thought i was but just beware!

I’ve never struggled with bad skin. But all of a sudden (from stress) my skin broke out like i was a teenager. I used this stuff twice and it cleared my skin up instantly. For the price and amount in the bottle please get it!!! Seriously it’s like liquid gold.

I bought this after reading the reviews… I am 30 years old and suffer from hormonal acne along my jaw line and down my neck. They’re typically deep cystic acne that takes forever to come to a head and then leaves a red mark for weeks and weeks. I started using this product 3 days ago and my neck and chin have already started clearing up. All the red and painful breakouts are now smaller and no longer irritated and some of the ones still under the skin are starting to go away. I am going to buy another bottle for my boyfriend to use on his back and face and hopefully it helps him as well.

Update: it’s been a week using it daily at night and my skin hasn’t been this clear in so long! So far i am extremely happy and will continue to purchase. I am going to try using it on my under arms like other reviews have said for excessive sweating. It does bleach towels btw! I use designated hand towels to dry my face off so doesn’t bother me but beware if you use your good towels it will bleach them.

I have super sensitive skin and tend to have acne on my back/chest.

My routine with the cream is as follows: wet back, apply cream across affected areas, let sit for 10+ minutes, rinse off in shower. This allows the medicine to sit on the skin and really work into the problem areas, rather than rinsing it off immediately in the shower. I haven’t had any reactions/dryness/itchiness even with the extended usage.

My acne has definitely improved, but i don’t want to give anyone unreasonable expectations. I still have acne on the back, but it is much less inflamed and frequent than before use.

The smell is slightly medicinal, as is to be expected. It doesn’t last on the skin, though. Once you rinse, the smell dissipates completely.

Overall, i’d say that it does its job, but it isn’t a miracle worker. You’ll probably still have to figure out the source of your body acne to really remove it all. In the meantime, however, this will soothe some of the inflammation and reduce the number of spots.

My 12yr old daughter has had horrible acne from where her mask rests. It started when masks were mandatory in school. Unfortunately, she has a line of bad acne on each cheek where her mask runs….she has officially been using this nightly for a month straight. It took a couple of weeks to really start noticing any difference. After a full month, one cheek is almost completely clear. The cheek that was the worst is on it’s way. It is still there, but i figured this area would take longer since the acne was so bad in that location. However, like i said….it is on it’s way to getting cleared up. You can absolutely see the difference, but you need to be patient. This isn’t an over night cure. Give it a solid month of being consistent with using it every night. My daughter has also been moisturizing in the morning when she wakes up. Will update in another month after we see where we are at with it. Excited for her!

I used to have very horrible acne .after doing lots of online research i landed to this product.
It really helped me with my acne and have been using now for almost a year .only the thing i do not like is
it makes my skin super dry although my skin was super oily .because of which moisturizer is must.

I mix this with cerave acne cleanser and these together help my skin a lot! I still need more of a difference tho it’s okay

I never really had bad acne but a few months ago i started getting 1 or 2 deep under the skin pimples that wouldn’t surface in the same area of my cheek- couldn’t pop since they never turned to a white head and too deep to squeeze. Really painful. Got to the point i picked so much because i was desperate to get it out and it scarred…. When they started coming back again about a month ago i got this and it’s really helping. It doesn’t work over night- maybe for surface whiteheads but for deep under the skin pimples it will take some time. I used once a day for three days. It did dry out my skin so i applied a light moisturizer afterward. The swelling and pain went away after the first night of using it. I started using twice a day after that and they are just about gone. I rinse with warm water, wash with dove soap, dab until my face is damp/ half wet with a clean towel. Massage this on my damp face and let sit for 5 mins. You can feel relief while it sits on your face. Then rinse really well with warm water to clean it off. ..it’s been just about a month since i ordered it. But no scarring or scabbing and no desire to pick since they aren’t painful and inflamed anymore. Best product in terms of results so far i’ve used. Def buying more again but probably won’t need to for a while. You get a good amount in the bottle- seems to last longer than expected. Def a good purchase for acne.

Overall, i’ve seen people talk about that the ones who use this they end up with a lot of skin damage but it is overall helping me out, everything that is wrong is not completely gone, but it has gotten better. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt just cause i’m not 100% consistent.

I’m on day 3 of using this. I follow up with some watermelon moisturizer when i get out of the shower… So far no redness or irritation but i’ve woken up with a new pimple everyday. I’m going to give it a few weeks to see if it helps but so far… It’s no better than my cetaphil lol.

Update:
nope don’t like it! Didn’t dry my skin out lime people said… But i had 1 to 2 new pimples daily when i was using it. Quit using it and the breakouts subsided greatly! Doesn’t do adult acne well… And my best friend used it also, she said it broke her out as well. I guess test it out and see if it works for you! I will stick to my cetaphil.

Great face wash you can also use it for your under arms , eliminate odor

I got this product to help with body acne. During the summer my back tends to breakout due to sweat. I noticed a difference within a week of use. This will certainly be a staple of mine during the warmer months.