Columnist · Editorial staff
Anneliese Crowther
Writes the publication's comparison guides, weighing the options in acne treatment side by side.
6 stories by Anneliese Crowther
Myth Check · 5 min · Anneliese Crowther
Does Stronger Benzoyl Peroxide Work Better? What the 2.5 Percent vs 10 Percent Evidence Actually Shows
Higher concentrations of benzoyl peroxide dominate pharmacy shelves, but decades of comparative data suggest the extra strength buys more irritation, not more clearance. Here is the mechanism behind why.
August 8, 2026
Myth Check · 5 min · Anneliese Crowther
Benzoyl Peroxide at 2.5% vs 10%: Why the Lowest Strength Usually Wins
Higher concentrations of benzoyl peroxide dominate pharmacy shelves, but decades of trial data suggest they add irritation without adding clearance. Here is what the mechanism actually tells us.
August 7, 2026
Myth Check · 5 min · Anneliese Crowther
The Retinoid Purge: What Is Real, What Is Irritation, and When to Stop
Dermatologists agree that a temporary flare can happen when you start tretinoin or adapalene, but the word purge gets used to excuse reactions that are actually barrier damage. Here is how to tell the difference.
August 2, 2026
Myth Check · 4 min · Anneliese Crowther
Benzoyl Peroxide Strength: Why 2.5 Percent Often Works as Well as 10 Percent
Higher concentrations of benzoyl peroxide promise more power, but the pharmacology tells a different story. Here is what the dose-response data actually shows, and how to pick a strength that clears skin without wrecking the barrier.
July 31, 2026
Advances · 8 min · Anneliese Crowther
Clascoterone: the first topical that works on hormones at the follicle
For forty years, blocking the hormonal driver of acne meant a pill with body wide effects. A cream approved in 2020 does it at the skin only, and the most useful thing about it is what it is not being compared against.
July 29, 2026
Advances · 7 min · Anneliese Crowther
The acne microbiome and what is coming next
Research is reframing acne as an imbalance, not an infection, with new treatments to match.
March 20, 2026