Should hydrogen peroxide be used on the skin? (2024)

1. Is hydrogen peroxide good for disinfecting? Hydrogen peroxide or Hydrogen peroxide is water combined with an oxygen element, so when this oxygen is oxidized, it will help hydrogen peroxide to disinfect and whiten surfaces. Oxidation creates free radicals that attack pathogens, including bacteria. In addition to sterilization, hydrogen peroxide also has antiviral and antibacterial properties.
For different concentrations, hydrogen peroxide will be able to fight germs and have different side effects. In the medical field, hydrogen peroxide has a concentration of 3%, at higher concentrations can be toxic to the body if swallowed or inhaled. Hydrogen peroxide in household cleaning products has a concentration of 3% - 9%. For surface disinfection, low-concentration hydrogen peroxide is safer, because too high a concentration will cause irritation to the skin, eyes and intestines if swallowed. In addition, other side effects from ingesting or inhaling hydrogen peroxide are burns, blistering, difficulty breathing, vomiting or bleeding.

2. Does hydrogen peroxide harm the skin? Because of its ability to kill bacteria and whiten the surface, hydrogen peroxide has been used in the beauty industry to treat acne, dark spots or wounds in the past. Currently, there are not many recommendations to apply hydrogen peroxide to the skin because of the potential for its potential side effects as well as the risk of toxicity.
For acne breakouts caused by clogged pores due to dirt, bacteria... When using hydrogen peroxide on the skin, it can kill bacteria but can cause acne. In addition, hydrogen peroxide also causes quite harsh reactions that make the skin more susceptible to inflammation and acne-related symptoms can also become more severe. Hydrogen peroxide is a water-soluble molecule, so it cannot last long on the skin, so its effect on the skin cannot be maintained throughout the day compared to other acne medications.
For wounds, although in the past, many people have used hydrogen peroxide to treat cuts or scrapes of the skin, thinking that it can kill bacteria. However, there are many aspects. damage caused by hydrogen peroxide in this case. Many studies have suggested that hydrogen peroxide can cause blistering of the skin, making the wound worse, increasing the risk of infection. What's more, hydrogen peroxide also interferes with the body's natural wound healing process, as it destroys both the cells that promote skin healing, as well as causes more irritation to the skin.
Because hydrogen peroxide has very strong bleaching properties, it can lighten dark skin areas such as dark spots caused by sun damage, aging, scars or hormonal changes. However, this process will irritate and destroy the user's skin a lot.

3. Is hydrogen peroxide safe? Because hydrogen peroxide has inadvertently destroyed beneficial cells in the skin or around a wound that needs healing, the use of hydrogen peroxide on the skin in recent years has ceased to be highly recommended. While they can treat acne or lighten skin, the dangers of hydrogen peroxide outweigh the benefits, making them really unsuitable for use on the skin.
In short, despite having very high surface bactericidal and bleaching properties, the direct application of hydrogen peroxide to the skin is unsafe and leaves many complications such as dermatitis, burns, blistering, redness... Because So before using it, it is necessary to find out if hydrogen peroxide is safe, if it is not harmful to the skin, there is always a suitable alternative method.
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