Why does PanOxyl bleach my towels?

Which PanOxyl products can bleach fabric?

The relevant ingredient is benzoyl peroxide, not the PanOxyl name alone. PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash contains 10% benzoyl peroxide, while Acne Creamy Wash contains 4%. Both contain the ingredient responsible for fabric bleaching. PanOxyl also sells treatments with other active ingredients, so check the active ingredient on your own package rather than treating every product in the range as the same wash.2

Switching to the 4% Creamy Wash is a choice about skin tolerance, not a way to remove benzoyl peroxide from your routine. PanOxyl describes that formula as gentler and advises starting with the lowest percentage if you are new to benzoyl peroxide. The lower strength still needs the same care around fabric.2

How to protect towels and clothes

1. 1Use the wash where you can rinse thoroughly. For body use, PanOxyl suggests applying Acne Foaming Wash in the shower.
2. 2Follow your package directions for contact time. PanOxyl describes massaging Acne Foaming Wash into the skin for 1 to 2 minutes, then rinsing it off.
3. 3Rinse fully before reaching for a towel or getting dressed. Do not use the towel to remove wash that should have been rinsed away.
4. 4Pat dry with a white towel, and keep the wash away from coloured clothes you do not want damaged.

Cotton and linen are more likely to be stained by benzoyl peroxide than polyester and fleece. That makes fabric choice relevant, but a synthetic towel is not a promise of protection. White towels are PanOxyl's practical choice, even if your bathroom's colour scheme had other ambitions.13

Can PanOxyl bleach sheets and pillowcases too?

Yes. Benzoyl peroxide can bleach sheets and clothes as well as towels. If you use a benzoyl peroxide wash before bed, PanOxyl suggests white sheets and a white pillowcase, giving the bedding a supporting role it did not audition for. Rinsing the wash off before contact with fabric is the key step.14

A wash and a treatment left on the skin need different handling. Rinse a wash off as directed. For benzoyl peroxide treatments that stay on the skin, let the product dry completely before treated skin touches clothes, towels or bedding. Drying a treatment is not a substitute for rinsing a wash.13

Does bleaching a towel mean it bleaches skin?

No. PanOxyl distinguishes fabric bleaching from skin lightening associated with its washes' exfoliating properties. Benzoyl peroxide can also bleach hair, so avoid your hairline. A towel's colour change is not a measure of how well the wash is treating acne.2

Skin irritation needs a separate response. Reduce use if irritation develops, and seek medical advice for persistent dryness or peeling. Stop using benzoyl peroxide and seek urgent medical help for swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat. Check your package's Drug Facts warnings, and ask your clinician before adding PanOxyl to prescription acne treatment or using it while pregnant or breastfeeding.256