Confuse about Hydrogen Peroxide in skin care?
Saranghae asked:
I encountered a moisturizer that uses O2 as the feature for purifying and whitening and when I read the label it ACTUALLY contains Hydrogen Peroxide to make O2. I remember Hydrogen Peroxide is a corosive agent but I searched online seems that many brands using O2 as a benefit for skin and they need Hydrogen Peroxide to produce that O2. I agree to your reply that I should not mix corrosive with metal [silver] but can you help me with Hydrogen Peroxide confusion? Will it burn my skin?
Keir
I encountered a moisturizer that uses O2 as the feature for purifying and whitening and when I read the label it ACTUALLY contains Hydrogen Peroxide to make O2. I remember Hydrogen Peroxide is a corosive agent but I searched online seems that many brands using O2 as a benefit for skin and they need Hydrogen Peroxide to produce that O2. I agree to your reply that I should not mix corrosive with metal [silver] but can you help me with Hydrogen Peroxide confusion? Will it burn my skin?
Keir
Tags: Confusion, Moisturizer, Skin Care
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 am
don’t use it on a daily basis.
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Hydrogen peroxide is okay at lower concentrations; it won’t burn your skin.
I use it to clean some minor cuts sometimes to clear blackheads.
It kills bacteria but some people avoid it because it can contribute to premature aging from free radical damage.
hydrogen peroxide. There is a great deal of current research showing that hydrogen peroxide is problematic as a topical disinfectant because it can greatly reduce the production of healthy new skin cells (Source: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, September 2001, pages 675–687). Hydrogen peroxide is also a significant oxidizing agent, meaning that it generates free-radical damage. While it can function as a disinfectant, the cumulative problems that can stem from impacting the skin with a substance that is known to generate free-radical damage, impair the skin’s healing process, cause cellular destruction, and reduce optimal cell functioning are serious enough so that it is better to avoid its use (Sources: Carcinogenesis, March 2002, pages 469–475; and Anticancer Research, July-August 2001, pages 2719–2724). See free-radical damage.
free-radical damage. It is now medically recognized that degenerative skin conditions, such as wrinkles and skin discolorations, are caused primarily by free-radical damage (Source: Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics, May 1999, pages 453–461). The primary causes of free-radical damage are air and sunlight, but it can also be triggered by cigarette smoke, herbicides, pesticides, pollution, and solvents. Antioxidants are a way to reduce and potentially neutralize the rampage of free-radical damage (Sources: Journal of Clinical Pathology, March 2001, pages 176–186; and Drugs and Aging, 2001, volume 18, number 9, pages 685–716).
May 25th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer, but a relatively mild one, and short-lived. It doesn’t build up in your system, even dermally absorbed since our bodies actually make hydrogen peroxide.
At the low concentrations available for retail sale, no, it won’t burn your skin.
from wikipedia:
It is absorbed by skin upon contact and creates a local skin capillary embolism which appears as a temporary whitening of the skin.
So, that whitening is just skin damage. Won’t that look great in a few years?
I use it to control pimples, but couldn’t imagine wanting to use it to bleach my skin.
Benzoyl peroxide, this one is the problem. Benzoyl peroxide is a highly reactive bactericide previously only used in a hospital setting. It causes a nice long chemical burn that strips off the top layers of skin – a free radical biker party! is created increasing risk of skin cancer. A residue remains and can continue to act when exposed to UV light. Scientists use benzoyl peroxide to promote skin cancer in lab animals – in my opinion, this is not something we should be putting on our skin.