benzoyl peroxide Side Effects
Also known as: Benzac, PanOxyl
Analysis of 6,624 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.
Total Reports
6,624
Death-Related
51
0.8% of reports
Hospitalizations
370
5.6% of reports
Top Indication
Acne
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 51 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| CEREBRAL ISCHAEMIA | 11 |
| DEATH | 11 |
| EMBOLISM | 11 |
| POSTERIOR REVERSIBLE ENCEPHALOPATHY SYNDROME | 11 |
| PNEUMONIA | 8 |
| PANCREATIC CARCINOMA | 7 |
| PAIN | 6 |
| DYSPNOEA | 5 |
| NEOPLASM PROGRESSION | 5 |
| COMPLETED SUICIDE | 4 |
| ACUTE RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 3 |
| ASTHENIA | 3 |
| DIARRHOEA | 3 |
| FATIGUE | 3 |
| INFECTION | 3 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 3 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 3 |
| WOUND | 3 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 2 |
| ACUTE MYELOID LEUKAEMIA | 2 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 370 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| SWELLING FACE | 35 |
| PAIN | 34 |
| HYPERSENSITIVITY | 26 |
| DYSPNOEA | 25 |
| PRURITUS | 23 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 22 |
| NAUSEA | 21 |
| FATIGUE | 20 |
| ANXIETY | 19 |
| DIARRHOEA | 18 |
| ERYTHEMA | 17 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 17 |
| RASH | 17 |
| EYE SWELLING | 16 |
| PNEUMONIA | 16 |
| PRODUCT USE IN UNAPPROVED INDICATION | 16 |
| CHEST PAIN | 15 |
| HEADACHE | 15 |
| VOMITING | 15 |
| ACUTE RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 14 |
Nearby — Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About benzoyl peroxide Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 6,624 voluntary reports linked to benzoyl peroxide and its brand equivalents (Benzac, PanOxyl), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 51 (0.8%) listed death as an outcome and 370 (5.6%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Acne.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 77% were female and 23% male; age distribution skews toward 18-44, with 1,995 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 1,884 submissions, followed by dry skin and acne.
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.