Sixty Years of Benzoyl Peroxide Use in Dermatology

Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) has been used extensively in industry and health care for more than a century and has been approved for the treatment of acne for over 60 years. Recently, BPO received a second approved indication by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of rosacea. Topical BPO use has historically been limited by tolerability, photosensitivity, oxidation, and, uncommonly, contact allergy. Research has led to enhanced efficacy and tolerability, as well as the combination of BPO with other topical medications. These advances have allowed extended use of BPO in additional dermatologic conditions that may not have been feasible in the past. Additionally, the role of BPO in preventing antibiotic resistance cannot be underestimated. Here, we discuss the historical limitations of BPO and recent advances developed to overcome these limitations. We also describe newly approved BPO medications and their role in aiding antibiotic stewardship. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(1):54-59. doi:10.36849/JDD.7150.