Never Combine Hydroquinone with Benzoyl Peroxide or Resorcinol
Use of hydroquinone with any products containing benzoyl peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, or other peroxides may cause temporary staining of the skin (Drugs.com). This staining is temporary and can typically be removed with soap and water washing, but it’s best to avoid benzoyl peroxide-based acne treatments and oxygen-infusing skin care treatments, which typically contain hydrogen peroxide.
In addition, you also want to avoid using resorcinol with hydroquinone. Ochronosis occurrence in persons with darker skin is a well-documented occurrence with combined use of resorcinol and hydroquinone. Hundreds of ochronosis cases have been documented from using resorcinol/hydroquinone combination treatments in South Africa before 1984 (Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 1997).
2 Comments
Great information. Recently i have been using products with these ingredients because of my adult acne and discoloration. Sometimes when i use hydroquinone my dark spots get even darker. Is this because i combine my bleaching lotion with my acne medication?
Nancy, in about 50% of cases, hydroquinone can cause reactive-hyperpigmentation. If you experience patches getting darker right after use of a hydroquinone product; don’t worry. This goes away and is not permanent. In some cases, the skin ends up lighter Afterall. If this does occur then hydroquinone may not be right for you; switch to a lighter alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) I’ve heard that mandelic acid is great for discoloration and does not cause hyperpigmentation. Anyway, you should not combine your acne and even color treatments together.