Hydrogen peroxide, best known as peroxide, is a solution that is used in different areas, industrial or artistic, and it has an important potential as a disinfectant or therapeutic remedy. The main sanitation institutes in the world recognize peroxide as an agent that attacks microbes, being qualified as an antiseptic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant.
Peroxide was discovered by Louis Thenard, in 1818, after treating barium peroxide with nitric acid. Thenard’s formula was improved in the 20th century, when combined with hydrochloric acid, and its instability was solved with vacuum distillation, created by Richard Wolfenstein.
Peroxide can be applied on the skin up to a 35% purity. It can produce free radicals, allowing the cleaning of the area with excess of lipid compounds (fat). Besides its dermatological uses, peroxide is recommended to combat mouth infections.
One of the main uses of peroxide in beauty is to make the skin lighter. With the constant exposure to ultraviolet light, or other external agents, little spots start to appear on the skin, and they don’t look good.
To start the treatment with peroxide, you must first exfoliate you skin, then, gently stroke a soft cotton ball that was submerged in peroxide over your face, avoiding areas close to the eyes. Repeat this procedure every day for two weeks, and you will see a more uniform tone on your face.
The lightening effect of peroxide also works on the hair. If you want a homemade effective change of look, you can use 3% peroxide and mix one part of it with two parts of water in an atomizer. The next step would be to wet the hair, spraying it with the mixture. When dry, you will see a natural change, a natural light.
Because it is a powerful antiseptic, peroxide is ideal to attack acne. For that, you must mix 5 tablespoons of peroxide with 2 tablespoons of water. Each morning, take a cotton ball and apply it on the face with small strokes. Not only will it eliminate pimples, it will close the pores and eliminate spots on the skin at the same time.
Although home remedies are usually very popular, specialist Gloria Montane recommends that every treatment must be followed by the supervision of a doctor, so that the cure doesn’t end up being worse than the disease. “Users sometimes are not aware of that, and as safe as it may seem, sometimes, that makes them use it the wrong way”.
ALFA