# Benzaknen ## Facts | | | |---|---| | Founded | 1981 | | Origin | Germany | | Headquarters | Düsseldorf | | Owner | Galderma | | Status | Active | | Distribution | Pharmacy | | Website | https://www.schlussmitakne.de/ | Benzaknen is a German line of over-the-counter acne medicines built around a single active ingredient, benzoyl peroxide. It is marketed by Galderma Laboratorium GmbH, the Düsseldorf affiliate of the Swiss dermatology group Galderma [5]. The range is small: a 5% gel, a 10% gel and a 5% body wash. All three are licensed medicines that require a pharmacy but no prescription, which sets the brand apart from the cleansers and spot treatments found on drugstore shelves. The name has a long regulatory history. Germany's official prescribing information for the gels gives a marketing authorisation date of 3 September 1981 [15]. Around the medicines, Galderma has built a companion skincare line called Benzacare and a German-language advice website under the slogan "Schluss mit Akne" ("An end to acne"). The brand remains active, and the products are still sold under their original licence. ## History & milestones No founder, founding story or launch date for Benzaknen is documented. What exists is the paper trail of a licensed medicine. According to the German prescribing information, the 5% and 10% gels were authorised on 3 September 1981 and the authorisation was renewed on 2 October 2003 [15]. The current version of that document is dated October 2020. The 1981 date coincides with the birth of the brand's later owner. Galderma itself was created that year as a joint venture between Nestlé and L'Oréal [13], although it is not documented when Benzaknen first came under Galderma's name. In 2015 the brand's own website reported a favourable test result from the German consumer magazine Öko-Test (see Recognition). The same year, Galderma's research arm ran a small clinical study in Germany that paired Benzaknen 5% Gel with a cleanser and a moisturiser, described below. In early 2019 the brand ran an online "Akne-Blog" in which a test user documented a four-week routine with Benzaknen. The posts, dated from 2 January to 5 February 2019, read like a diary. On day two the writer reports that the skin is getting worse rather than better, a temporary flare described on the site as the "blooming" of acne. Later entries describe dry skin, a switch to white towels to avoid bleaching, and a conclusion that the stronger 10% gel was never needed. ## Ownership Benzaknen belongs to Galderma. The German affiliate, Galderma Laboratorium GmbH, is registered in Düsseldorf and appears as the marketing company in the product's mandatory information. Within Galderma, Benzaknen sits alongside other skin-care names including Cetaphil, Actinica, ELL CRANELL and Excipial. Accounts of Galderma's own ownership differ depending on their age. The brand's awards page still describes Galderma as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestlé and the foundation of Nestlé Skin Health, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland [5]. Wikipedia gives a later picture. Nestlé bought out L'Oréal's share in 2014, then in 2019 sold Galderma for $10.2 billion to a consortium led by the EQT VIII fund, together with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority's Luxinva, PSP Investments and other investors. The company went public in 2024 and is described there as based in Zug [13]. The Nestlé description on the brand site therefore reflects the period before 2019. ## Philosophy & positioning Benzaknen presents itself as medicine rather than cosmetics. The product page opens by telling readers that pimples vanish neither on their own nor overnight, "whatever advertising or some drugstore products may promise". According to the brand, inflamed skin with many spots calls for a medicine with medically active ingredients. The site adds that mild to moderate acne can be treated at home with pharmacy products, and that the gel can be bought in a pharmacy without a doctor's prescription [4]. Severe acne, it says, belongs with a dermatologist. The treatment is framed as a three-step routine: cleanse, treat, care. Benzaknen supplies the middle step. Galderma's Benzacare cosmetics handle cleansing beforehand and moisturising afterwards. The homepage diagram of the "acne cycle", running from excess oil and bacteria to inflammation, is meant to show where each step breaks that cycle. The tone is informal and youthful. The site addresses readers with the familiar German "Du" and promises to "say what's what". Alongside the products it hosts an advice section on acne myths, diet, hygiene and home remedies, a four-week anti-pimple programme, collected user reviews and an "ask the expert" page. That page notes that its skin experts cannot diagnose and refers readers to a dermatologist for that. ## Products & innovation **The medicines.** All Benzaknen products contain benzoyl peroxide, an antibacterial agent that also helps clear blocked pores. The German mandatory information lists three items: - **Benzaknen 5% Gel**, the usual starting point, for mild to moderate acne on the face. - **Benzaknen 10% Gel**, the stronger version, for severe acne or for cases where the 5% gel has not worked. - **Benzaknen Wash 5% Suspension**, a wash lotion for the whole body, aimed at mild acne on the face, chest, back and shoulders, and as supporting therapy for more severe forms. Each gram of the 5% gel contains 50 mg of benzoyl peroxide, and the 10% gel twice that. Both gels also contain propylene glycol. The products are licensed for teenagers from 12 years and for adults. The prescribing information gives an average course of four to twelve weeks. The brand's expert page adds that there is no fixed limit on how long the products can be used. The prescribing information describes the side effects plainly. A mild burning sensation is likely on first use, and redness and peeling may follow within days. Benzoyl peroxide can also bleach or discolour hair, including eyebrows, and coloured fabrics, either through direct contact or via hands and treated skin [15]. This is why the brand's blog advised white towels and bed linen. Users are told to avoid strong sun and tanning beds during treatment. The brand lists further properties for the gel and wash: less excess oil, fewer blackheads and less inflammation, glycerin to restore moisture, and a skin-neutral pH of 5.0 to 6.0. It also says users can expect to see improvement within one to two weeks. **The Benzacare companion line.** Benzacare is a cosmetic range, not a medicine, sold on the same website. It includes: - **Benzacare Tiefenwirksames Reinigungsgel**, a daily cleansing gel. The company says it is gentle, does not dry the skin, and soothes it with aloe vera and calendula extracts. - **Benzacare Feuchtigkeitspflege LSF 30**, a moisturiser with SPF 30 meant to ease the redness and dryness that treatment can cause. - **Benzacare Mikrobiom Equalizer**, introduced on the site as new. It is a mattifying moisturiser that, according to the brand, provides 24-hour hydration and uses a probiotic-based technology to help prevent blemishes. - **Benzacare Power Patches**, offered in "Fast Fix" and "Skin Repair" versions. These are thin spot patches that the company says show visible results within four hours. ## Science & clinical evidence Benzaknen's marketing leans on figures, most of them traced to company data. The product page states that the gel and wash remove 94% of the bacteria behind inflamed pimples. The footnote cites a 1989 internal Galderma report held on file, not a published study [4]. The homepage cites a published paper instead. It states that 90% of users saw visibly less acne after 12 weeks on the combined Benzaknen and Benzacare routine, referring to a 2018 article by Kim and Kerrouche in the *Journal of Dermatological Treatment* [1]. The brand's expert page also argues that, unlike antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide is not known to cause bacterial resistance. On that basis it presents the products as suitable for long-term or maintenance use [9]. An independent public record exists for one study. The EU Clinical Trials Register lists trial 2015-001448-13, sponsored by Galderma R&D [14]. It tested Benzaknen 5% Gel, applied once daily, together with Dermotivin Soft Liquid cleanser and Cetaphil Dermacontrol Moisturizer SPF30 over 12 weeks in mild to moderate acne. Its main goal was to measure how satisfied participants were with the regimen. Recruitment in Germany began on 26 August 2015 and the trial ended on 15 January 2016. Of 50 participants, 21 were adolescents and 29 adults. Forty-six completed the study; three stopped because of non-serious side effects and one at their own request. The study was open-label, with no randomisation or blinding. ## Recognition The brand's awards page reports that Öko-Test, a German consumer magazine, rated Benzaknen 5% Gel "sehr gut" ("very good") in its May 2015 issue [5]. The page contrasts this with other acne products in the test that, it says, caused pimples or allergies. The original Öko-Test article is not reproduced on the brand's site. The same page's description also calls Benzaknen Wash 5% Suspension an "acne product of the year", but names neither the awarding body nor the year. ## Current status Benzaknen is active. Its products are still marketed as licensed pharmacy medicines by Galderma's German affiliate, and the brand website remains online with ordering links and an Instagram account. The most recent dated item on the site is the mandatory product information, marked as current as of November 2023 [6]. The site's legal notice states that it is aimed only at users in Germany. No product launches or news dated after 2023 are documented. ## Timeline {#belagg-timeline} | Year | Event | Source | |---|---|---| | 1981 | German marketing authorisation granted for Benzaknen 5 % and 10 % gel (03.09.1981; authorisation numbers 1858.00.00 / 1858.01.00) | https://fachinfo.de/pdf/013624 | | 2003 | Marketing authorisation for Benzaknen 5 %/10 % renewed (02.10.2003) | https://fachinfo.de/pdf/013624 | | 2015 | Öko-Test issue 5/2015 rated Benzaknen 5% Gel 'sehr gut' (as reported by the brand) | https://www.schlussmitakne.de/akne-pickel-behandeln/auszeichungen/ | | 2015 | Galderma R&D trial EudraCT 2015-001448-13 (Benzaknen 5% Gel + Dermotivin Soft Liquid cleanser + Cetaphil Dermacontrol Moisturizer SPF30, 12 weeks) recruited 50 subjects in Germany from 26 Aug 2015; trial ended 15 Jan 2016 | https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2015-001448-13/results | | 2019 | Brand-run online reportage and 'Akne-Blog' with a test user documenting a 4-week Benzaknen routine (posts dated 2 Jan to 5 Feb 2019) | https://schlussmitakne.de/blog/ | | 2023 | Current mandatory product information on the brand site dated 11/2023 ('Stand Pflichtangaben: 11/2023') | https://www.schlussmitakne.de/pflichttext-endverbraucher/ | ## Awards {#belagg-awards} | Year | Awards | Category | Source | |---|---|---|---| | 2015 | Öko-Test rating 'sehr gut' (Benzaknen 5% Gel, issue 5/2015) | Acne products test; brand-reported, not independently verified in this harvest | https://www.schlussmitakne.de/akne-pickel-behandeln/auszeichungen/ | | — | 'Akne-Produkt des Jahres' (Benzaknen Wash 5% Suspension) | Claimed only in the page meta description; awarding body and year not stated | https://www.schlussmitakne.de/akne-pickel-behandeln/auszeichungen/ | ## Signature products {#belagg-products} - **Benzaknen 5% Gel** — Benzaknen 5% Gel ist das Benzaknen-Produkt für Dein Gesicht, mit dem Du normalerweise die Behandlung starten wirst. — https://www.schlussmitakne.de/ - **Benzaknen 10% Gel** — Benzaknen 10% Gel ist die stärkere Variante unseres Gels — https://www.schlussmitakne.de/ - **Benzaknen Wash 5% Suspension** — Benzaknen Wash 5% Supension wird als Waschlotion für den ganzen Körper eingesetzt. — https://www.schlussmitakne.de/ - **Benzacare Tiefenwirksames Reinigungsgel (companion cosmetic line Benzacare)** — Es reinigt sanft, trocknet die Haut nicht aus und beruhigt sie durch natürliche Extrakte aus Ringelblume und Aloe Vera. — https://www.schlussmitakne.de/produkte-gegen-pickel/benzacare-tiefenwirksames-reinigungsgel/ - **Benzacare Mikrobiom Equalizer (companion cosmetic line Benzacare)** — Neu im Sortiment: der Mikrobiom Equalizer spendet 24h Feuchtigkeit, wirkt mattierend und beugt, dank einer auf Probiotika basierenden Technologie, Hautunreinheiten vor. — https://www.schlussmitakne.de/akne-pickel-behandeln/ ## Key ingredients {#belagg-ingredients} benzoyl peroxide (Benzoylperoxid) Source: https://www.schlussmitakne.de/pflichttext-endverbraucher/ ## Mentioned in {#belagg-press} - **Öko-Test** (2015) — Brand states Öko-Test issue 5/2015 rated Benzaknen 5% Gel 'sehr gut'; original Öko-Test article not fetched — https://www.schlussmitakne.de/akne-pickel-behandeln/auszeichungen/ ## Sources 1. (T1) https://www.schlussmitakne.de/ 4. (T2) https://www.schlussmitakne.de/produkte-gegen-pickel/gel-und-wash/ 5. (T2) https://www.schlussmitakne.de/akne-pickel-behandeln/auszeichungen/ 6. (T2) https://www.schlussmitakne.de/pflichttext-endverbraucher/ 9. (T2) https://www.schlussmitakne.de/expertenrat/ 13. (T3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galderma 14. (T4) https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2015-001448-13/results 15. (T4) https://fachinfo.de/pdf/013624 --- Glowpedia · · Published 2026-10-13 Please cite with a link to the article URL.