Acnecide Face Wash Gel 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment for Spot-Prone Skin 50g

The two sides of the clear skin photo with me wearing headphones was taken a few hours ago. The three photos that follow—of the side, front, and lower half of my face—were taken just before I started using the face wash. The rest of the photos were taken over the months as I used the face wash twice a day religiously. My skin was never spot-prone; I only ever had such an attack of acne five years ago, I underwent a facial treatment for another skin concern that also happened to resolved my acne issues. This current breakout began at the beginning of 2025, and I suspect it is hormonal. I swapped face towels for single-use disposable ones. I tried clarifying wash, serum and cream sets such as Alumiers, which cost me over £150 a month and was recommended by my aesthetician. She meant well and I have worked with her for years; the theory was that these acid-based products would exfoliate and clear my skin and pores. Nothing worked for me; my breakouts were mostly bumps beneath the skin of various sizes and these clarifying products will never reach that deep. I noticed my little sister had this Acnecide face wash in her bag, so I searched for it and found it on Amazon. I had no expectations; in fact, I regarded it with little trust as much more sophisticated products had let me down. I received the first tube on 15 July, and it cost under £7. I washed my face by massaging the gel with a little water on a wet face for 45 seconds, then left it on for 5 minutes before rinsing it off. My face did itch a lot for about 15 minutes, but this only happened three more times before it stopped. Over the weeks, I did increase how long I left the gel on my face before rinsing it off. I am not recommending you do the same, as all skin is different, but I did many times leave the wash on for an hour and occasionally forgot I had it on for a few more hours. It is drying, so I have been applying deeply moisturising, barrier-repairing creams. Nothing expensive—simple barrier repair cream was good enough. After washing it off, I did apply rose water to my face. My skin got ‘worse’ before it got better. This product surfaces all the lumps, causing a lot of white cysts that will burst on their own. Also, the surfacing pimples can crowd in the same area and my skin becomes a bit sore and itchy, and they will burst randomly in the shower, so the first six weeks were crazy. I didn’t burst the spots on purpose, but once they did on their own, I would help push out the build-up, and it did scare me how deep the build-up was rooted in my skin. I never forced or squeezed hard; I just wanted to clear what was already there. Eventually, I ran out of bumps to surface and the cream seemed to be brightening my dark pimple scars. I am still using the wash twice a day; I apply it for 15 minutes before rinsing. There is a leave-on gel, which I tried a few times in the beginning, but it was too drying, and applying cream on top seemed to cause issues for me. Sorry, this was a long jog of a read. I don’t normally leave reviews. I also wish I took more photos when my skin was looking the craziest in the first two months. I only took the photos to inspect my skin; I never planned to make this review. Only as I was about to wash my face did I remember the photos, and I wanted to measure my progress. I was so impressed, I thought I ought to do the decent thing and maybe spread my positive experience with this little wash.

I’ve struggled with acne for a long time and tried countless creams that either did nothing or left my skin red and irritated. This 5% Benzoyl Peroxide gel is the first one that has actually worked without those harsh side effects for me. The effectiveness is incredible. I noticed a massive difference within just two days—my active spots started to disappear, and the overall redness went down quickly. It’s so effective that my wife even started using it after seeing how fast my skin cleared up, and she’s had the same great results. In terms of ease of use, the gel has a smooth, non-greasy texture that absorbs fast. Unlike other treatments I’ve tried, this one didn't cause any stinging or major dryness, though I do make sure to use a good moisturiser alongside it. One quick tip for others: Be careful with your towels and pillowcases, as it can bleach coloured fabrics! But as a treatment, it’s excellent value for money because you only need a tiny amount for it to work. If you've had no luck with other products, I’d highly recommend giving this a go.

I was on a two week antibiotics course for an ingrown toe nail and one of the pleasant side effects was that my skin cleared up of acne. I wanted to keep that and bought this. I use it every day and so far I've not had any breakouts. Only a small white head that I isolated with a pimple patch to avoid spreading the bacteria when it pops. My skin is oily so this hasn't dried out my face. I use this in the morning, in the shower, to be able to rinse it off easily and not risk bleaching my eyebrows. I use it after the cerave hydrating cleanser, and keep it on my face for 3 minutes. I make sure to use the Garnier barrier repair gel when I'm out of the shower. In the evening I use a Salycilic acid face wash, followed by the same barrier repair gel. Another thing I've been doing is changing my pillowcase once every three nights. So far it kept my face clear. Definitely recommend this.

When I first started using Acnecide, my skin really struggled. I developed severe painful dry patches, and I can see why many people might discontinue use at this stage. However, I know my skin well, and I’d experienced a similar reaction years ago with the face cream version prescribed by a doctor. To manage this, I stopped using it for a short time to let my skin recover, then reintroduced it gradually with less frequent application. My biggest tip? Start slow. Use a small amount, and focus on the areas that need it most. For me, my cheeks were particularly sensitive to the product, so I avoided applying it there whenever possible. Now I can be far more relaxed with it, but I still wouldn’t over use eg. 2 times a day would be too much 7 days a week. The main thing that frustrates me about this product is how it’s described as a “face wash gel.” It’s not a gel-like consistency at all. It doesn’t foam, which might suggest it’s free from unnecessary fillers, but it makes it harder to use. It feels more like applying a thin moisturiser than a typical face wash, which can be a bit awkward. That said, I will continue to buy it, as there aren’t many easily accessible alternatives with 5% benzoyl peroxide. However, if a more traditional face wash with a similar active ingredient became available, I’d be eager to try it. A non screw top lid would also be favourable. I think reviewing this as 1-star because your skin reacted to the benzoyl peroxide is unfair as it's clearly marketed with this being the active ingredient and this is an extremely common reaction which is why you need to take your time with strong ingredients like these. If you struggle, then find products marketed as sensitive skin, which this isn't. It's not a product fault so low review don't make sense for this issue.