Can I take benzoyl peroxide while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about benzoyl peroxide.
In short
Pregnancy: Let your doctor know if you're pregnant, or if you become pregnant while using benzoyl peroxide.
Breastfeeding: You may be able to use benzoyl peroxide during breastfeeding, but ask a pharmacist or doctor first.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- It can usually be used in pregnancy, but it's best to check first.
Breastfeeding
- If they agree you can use it, avoid putting benzoyl peroxide on your breasts.
- Side effects in breastfed babies from medicines their mother uses are rare, but talk to a healthcare professional if anything about your baby worries you.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
This page is educational, not advice for your own situation. Talk to your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
The details: what each source says
Benzoyl peroxide in pregnancy
The NHS says
Let your doctor know if you're pregnant, or if you become pregnant while using benzoyl peroxide.
It can usually be used in pregnancy, but it's best to check first.
In our words, from the NHS page Benzoyl peroxide (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
The US drug label says
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding If pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a health professional before use
Drug Facts label: Acne Treatment Cream (topical), CVS Health. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Pregnancy: Category C - Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with benzoyl peroxide. It is also not known whether benzoyl peroxide can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Benzoyl peroxide should be used by a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
Prescribing label, section “Pregnancy”: NeoBenz Micro Plus Pack, SkinMedica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Benzoyl peroxide while breastfeeding
The NHS says
You may be able to use benzoyl peroxide during breastfeeding, but ask a pharmacist or doctor first.
If they agree you can use it, avoid putting benzoyl peroxide on your breasts.
Side effects in breastfed babies from medicines their mother uses are rare, but talk to a healthcare professional if anything about your baby worries you.
In our words, from the NHS page Benzoyl peroxide (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
LactMed says
Topical benzoyl peroxide has not been studied during breastfeeding. Because only about 5% is absorbed following topical application, it is considered a low risk to the nursing infant.[1,2] Ensure that the infant's skin does not come into direct contact with the areas of skin that have been treated. Only water-miscible cream or gel products should be applied to the breast because ointments may expose the infant to high levels of mineral paraffins via licking.[3]
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Benzoyl Peroxide” (LM540), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Benzoyl Peroxide while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
Nursing Mothers: It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when benzoyl peroxide is administered to a nursing woman.
Prescribing label, section “Nursing Mothers”: NeoBenz Micro Plus Pack, SkinMedica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Acnecide.
Sources
- NHS, Benzoyl peroxide (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 7 September 2026. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Acne Treatment Cream (topical), CVS Health, human otc drug, label effective 19 August 2026, set ID aef82711-e3c3-439d-adda-542933ff4420. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- US drug label: NeoBenz Micro Plus Pack, SkinMedica Pharmaceuticals, Inc., human prescription drug, label effective 12 May 2010, set ID bb5a8842-7fdd-404f-815d-c0d0714e1db8. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Benzoyl Peroxide” (LM540), bulk release of 22 September 2026. LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. Public domain; quoted verbatim. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.