Acnecide Frequently Asked Questions

You need to allow roughly 4 weeks to see the effects that our Acnecide Medicinal Treatment products have on your acne. Remember to introduce the treatment slowly to allow your skin time to get used to the effects of the active ingredient, benzoyl peroxide. Using more product or introducing it too quickly won't clear your acne faster, but may be more likely to irritate your skin. 

If you have any concerns, or your acne does not improve within 12 weeks, consult your pharmacist or doctor for advice.

Yes, you can! If you don’t currently suffer from spots or acne, but your skin is oily or spot-prone then you can use our Daily Cleanser and Daily Moisturiser. You can try them both together in our Cosmetic skincare bundle. These products help to gently cleanse oiliness, help to maintain clear skin and they can help hydrate and protect skin.

Yes, you can. When you first start using Acnecide Face Gel it’s recommended that for the first three days, you only use the treatment once a day in the evening before going to bed and leave on overnight. This ensures that you are getting your skin used to benzoyl peroxide. 

If after three days it is well tolerated, you can then increase Acnecide to twice daily. Make sure that you are applying a moisturiser after the treatment product to prevent dryness from occurring. To read more instructions on how to apply our Acnecide Face Gel, visit our product page.

No you don't. Our Acnecide Face Gel and Face Wash Medicinal treatments for mild acne, plus our Daily Cleanser and Moisturiser can be purchased off the skincare shelf. However our Acnecide Face Gel and Face Wash for acne of the face, chest and back can be purchased from the pharmacy counter.

You can buy it right here from our Acnecide website or alternatively, find a store near you in the Where to buy Acnecide page.

Acnecide treatments are for the treatment of mild facial acne in people 12 years of age and over, so it may be used in teenage acne treatment.

There are many different types of Acne. Acne vulgaris is a skin condition that involves excess oil production, increased cell production that cause blocked follicles and pores - and crucially, the presence of acne-causing bacteria which triggers inflammation and eruption of spots. It can vary in severity from mild acne to more severe forms like cystic acne. There are different root causes for acne. Some experts say that acne vulgaris is ultimately a hormonal acne.

Understanding the mechanism of how acne vulgaris happens is important when looking for ways to help prevent or manage acne breakouts. Acne vulgaris is a skin condition that involves excess oil production, increased cell production that cause blocked follicles and pores (comedones) - and crucially, the presence of acne-causing bacteria in the follicles which is what triggers inflammation and eruption of spots. Reduce the bacteria, reduce spots.

We'd love to tell you otherwise, but in reality, it's very difficult to get rid of acne overnight. To completely resolve acne, it takes time, even for mild cases, because your skin needs time to repair and renew once you have addressed the causes of acne. If you have mild acne, it might be worth implementing an anti-acne skincare routine as soon as possible to help start the journey towards clearer skin. If you have more severe forms of acne or need to know the best acne treatment options for you, speak to a healthcare professional e.g. a pharmacist or doctor for advice.

Acne on the chest, back and shoulders can be treated with our pharmacy-only range, Acnecide Treatment Gel 30g and Wash 100g. These are larger versions of our Medicinal Treatments, that are indicated for use on the face. We always recommend you should speak to your GP first. Understand more on the Causes of Acne.

Acne scarring is more likely with increased severity of acne than with mild acne, so appropriate management and control of the acne may be the best way to prevent acne scarring. Speak to a healthcare professional if you think your acne is more than just mild. Some bad acne habits may also lead to scarring, like squeezing and picking the pimples and spots. Once scarring has formed, it may need specialist treatments and procedures to help minimise or improve the scars. Speak to a healthcare professional if you develop scarring from your acne. Sometimes rather than scars, acne spots can leave post-inflammatory dark marks and pigmentation. This may happen more commonly in people with darker skin tones. Post-inflammatory pigmentation marks may fade over time as the skin's surface renews. Daily Moisturiser with SPF UV protection may also help with minimising or protecting against uneven pigmentation formation.

Our benzoyl peroxide treatments for acne are medicinal products, which unlike non-medicinal products, are subject to more specific stipulations on how before and after photos are generated and able to be presented to consumers on the brand's website or social media channels. We are working on how we can do this within the requirements for medicinal products, please bear with us while we do this.

Benzoyl peroxide is a medication used to treat acne. When applied to the skin, it can penetrate deeply, helping kill acne bacteria living inside the pore.

Yes, our Acnecide Medicinal Treatment range containing benzoyl peroxide has been tested for use on the skin. However because of its drying effects, it’s also important to use a complementary non-comedogenic moisturiser like that from our Daily Cosmetic Skincare range.

All of our treatment products in theAcnecide Medicinal Range contain benzoyl peroxide. Unfortunately, if you have a benzoyl peroxide allergy, you will not be able to use the Acnecide Medicinal Treatment products. If you’re unable to use benzoyl peroxide, you can still benefit from our Daily Cosmetic Skincare products which are suitable for spot-prone skin.

This product may bleach hair and coloured fabrics including clothing, towels and bed linen. Benzoyl peroxide bleaching is common so be careful to avoid contact of the gel with these materials. Please make sure that you wash your hands thoroughly after you have used it. Always read the label before use.

Slight tightness or mild redness may indicate that your skin is getting used to benzoyl peroxide, the active ingredient in our medicinal treatment products. This is a common experience, which you may notice in the first days or weeks of treatment. It will normally subside if treatment is reduced back to once daily or temporarily paused. Also check that you are not applying too much. Applying more product per application won't speed up its effect on spots. You can also use a hydrating moisturiser after application, such as our Daily Cosmetic Moisturiser to help counter the drying nature of benzoyl peroxide.

It is common for people to experience some signs of minor irritation or dryness from benzoyl peroxide treatments, particularly when first starting to use it to help treat spots. In most cases, this will go away if treatment is discontinued temporarily or if application is reduced back to once daily. Also check that you are not applying too much. Applying more product per application won't speed up its effect on spots. If this doesn't help, or it gets worse, we recommend you contact a healthcare professional for advice. Use our Daily Cosmetic Moisturiser to help reduce the drying nature of benzoyl peroxide and protect your skin from UV light.

Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ 

Adverse events should also be reported to Galderma (UK) Ltd.

E-mail: Medinfo.uk@galderma.com

Tel: +44 1 923 208950

Everyone's skin is different, so when trying a new product it's a good idea to do a patch test first before using on your face. Using gentle cosmetic cleansers and moisturisers with an SPF alongside the Acnecide treatment can be helpful to protect sensitive skin from dryness and UV light.

Yes, moisturiser for oily skin is still a must. Oily skin can still be dehydrated, or at risk of dryness if also using benzoyl peroxide treatments. Moisturising skin has benefits whether you are treating your spots or not. If you're just beginning with your benzoyl peroxide treatment, start using our Daily Cosmetic Moisturiser now, even before you notice any uncomfortable dryness.

"Maskne" refers to a form of acne mechanica arising from textile–skin friction plus the humidity, heat and bacterial balance disruption caused by mask wearing. Other skin conditions than acne can also be triggered by prolonged mask-wearing. Mask wearing can trigger existing acne or other conditions to flare up. If you have developed acne or other symptoms because of wearing a mask you can ask a healthcare professional (Pharmacist, GP etc) for advice on appropriate maskne treatments for you. Find out more about daily skincare advice for maskne.

"Maskne" is a term for an increase in bad skin and spots as a result of wearing masks or face coverings. There are several different skin conditions that can be worsened or triggered by masks or face coverings, including the worsening of existing acne Vulgaris. 

Find out more about "maskne".

Acnecide treatments are for the treatment of mild acne vulgaris. "Maskne" refers to a form of acne mechanica arising from textile–skin friction plus the humidity, heat and bacterial balance disruption caused by mask wearing. Other skin conditions than acne can also be triggered by prolonged mask-wearing. Mask wearing can trigger exisiting acne or other conditions to flare up. If you have developed acne or other symptoms because of wearing a mask you can ask a healthcare professional (Pharmacist, GP etc) for advice on appropriate maskne treatments for you. 

  Find out more about daily skincare advice for maskne.

Daily Cleanser and Daily Moisturiser SPF30 are cosmetic skincare products. Our products are developed with your skin’s health first and foremost in mind.

As a responsible corporate citizen, animal welfare is also a key priority for the company. For this reason, Galderma does not test Acnecide cosmetic products or ingredients used in these products on animals at any stage of our product innovation, development or manufacturing processes.

Galderma has been utilizing industry-recognized, non-animal testing methodologies even before regulations prohibiting animal testing on cosmetics came into force in various countries.

These efforts are part of our commitment to ensuring the safety of our products, the wellbeing of our consumers and our contribution to society at large.

Nevertheless, some health authorities may conduct animal testing for certain cosmetic products prior to approval for sale on the market, as is still the case in some non-European countries.

Galderma is deeply committed to promoting alternatives to animal testing on cosmetics and has partnered with IIVS (Institute for In Vitro Sciences), a non-profit research and testing laboratory, to help drive alternatives to animal testing for cosmetic products globally.

The IIVS has an active program in some non-European countries, the goal of which is to promote the use and regulatory acceptance of non-animal testing methods for assessing the safety of cosmetics. Through this collaborative approach with regulators and industry bodies, we hope to contribute to the elimination of animal testing in the cosmetics industry worldwide.

Acnecide's Face Gel and Face Wash 5% BPO treatments are legally classified as 'Medicines'. The formulations do not contain any animal derived ingredients. Animal testing must only take place when absolutely necessary to demonstrate safety of medicines as part of the regulatory authorisation process to commercialise new medicines, or to develop innovative medicines that will benefit human beings. When Acnecide medicines were originally developed, given the state of scientific knowledge at that time, testing in animals was part of its evaluation and was required by regulatory authorities worldwide to ensure quality, efficacy and safety of medicines placed in their markets. However, Acnecide medicines are not new medicines now, and as such, do not need to undergo animal testing anymore.

Acnecide products do not contain tree nut or peanut ingredients. In case of allergies, when using new products for the first time, it is recommended to do a small patch test on the inside of the forearm to check for suitability.

No, there are no micro plastics or plastic microbeads in Acnecide Medicinal Treatements or in the Daily Skincare Cosmetics products.

The cartons are cardboard which is widely recycled. The tubes of Acnecide medicinal treatments and the cosmetic Daily Moisturiser SPF30 are LDPE. The screw caps/flip caps are HDPE or PP. The bottle of Acnecide Cosmetic Daily Cleanser is HDPE. You'll need to separate the pump from the bottle to recycle it. The pump is mixed materials, so is unrecyclable, but we are working on changing this to something that is recyclable (We'll let you know when this changes). PP, LDPE and HDPE plastics and cardboard are widely recycled in UK domestic recycling.