John Barbieri, MD, MBA, is the Director of the Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the co-chair of the American Academy of Dermatology Acne Guidelines Work Group.

John Barbieri, MD, MBA

A group of 9 experts reflect on what they are looking forward to most in 2025 following the AAD annual meeting. 

Expert Perspectives: Dermatology's Top Story to Watch in 2025

Although nearly all medical professionals can point to a “flagship” meeting or annual conference for their specialty, few serve the same role as or measure up to what the 

American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting

A testament to the draw and magnitude of the AAD’s annual showcase, the 2025 annual meeting, which was held in Orlando, Florida, from March 07-11, 2025, had more than 20,000 registered attendees. In addition to being the field’s largest meeting, one of the unique aspects of the AAD annual meeting is its placement on the calendar. While many organizations opt for end of year or mid-year meetings, the AAD annual meeting typically occurs in Q1 and, for many, sets the tone for the remainder of the year.

With this in mind, the editorial team of HCPLive Dermatology included a simple question on the end of our interviews from the meeting with 9 leading subject matter experts in dermatology: “What is going to be the most important storyline to watch for dermatology for the rest of 2025?”

In the above video, we highlight the perspectives of these experts. Below, you can find a brief summary of the backgrounds and expertise of each individual included in this feature video.

, is a professor and vice chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Perelman School of Medicine. She also serves as president of the American Academy of Dermatology.

, is chairman at Innovaderm Research. He is also the principal investigator of the ICONIC-LEAD trial, which was presented at AAD 2025.

, is a dermatologist and internal medicine specialist with Riverchase Dermatology.

, is an associate professor of Dermatology for the USC Keck School of Medicine. She is the founding director of the USC Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders Program and also the president of the Skin of Color Society.

, is the owner of Medical Dermatology Specialists, chief of inpatient dermatology at BannerHealth, and the founder of US Dermatology Partners.

, is a dermatologist and the medical director at the SKiN Centre for Dermatology.

, is an associate professor in dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine.

, is the director of the Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the co-chair of the American Academy of Dermatology Acne Guidelines Work Group.

, is vice chair of research in dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and director of the Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation and Sensation.

Videos

The risk of benzene in products containing benzoyl peroxide was a hot topic of discussion in 

 for 2024, primarily as the result of a report from independent testing company Valisure suggesting the known human carcinogen could form at high levels in many common 

According to the March 2024 report from Valisure, tests indicated on-market benzoyl peroxide products can form over 800 times the conditionally restricted FDA concentration limit of 2 parts per million for benzene and suggested this problem applies broadly to benzoyl peroxide products on the market at the time. Additionally, a release from Valisure suggested high levels of benzene were also detected in the air around incubated benzoyl peroxide products. This report, released 2 days before the 2024 

American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) annual meeting

, was thrust into the spotlight of the dermatology community.

Less than a month before the 2025 AAD annual meeting, John Barbieri, MD, MBA, and colleagues published new data in 

 detailing variation in benzene levels between products and brands based on formulation characteristics as well as other factors that might influence benzene formation.

The study assessed 111 over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide products tested by Valisure. Products were categorized by use (leave-on vs. wash), benzoyl peroxide concentration, product age (days until expiration), and formulation factors, including hot processing, antioxidants, and acidity.

Results indicated that leave-on products had significantly lower benzene concentrations (coefficient, -5.83; 95% CI, -8.15 to -3.51). There was no significant link between benzoyl peroxide concentration and benzene levels, but a weak association was noted with product age (coefficient, -0.010; 95% CI, -0.019 to -0.001). Study results suggested hot processing increased benzene concentrations (coefficient, 7.34; 95% CI, 5.04 to 9.64), while butylated hydroxytoluene was associated with decreased benzene levels (coefficient, -8.15; 95% CI, -13.03 to -3.26). Additionally, benzoic acid showed a trend toward lower benzene concentrations but was not statistically significant (coefficient, -5.16; 95% CI, -10.54 to 0.23).

Following the release of this publication, we sat down with Barbieri to learn more about the potential risk of benzene formation in benzoyl peroxide products, how dermatologists should navigate patient concerns, and what the community has learned from this experience.

Benzene Formation in Benzoyl Peroxide: What Dermatologists Need to Know in 2025, with John Barbieri, MD, MBA

Relevant disclosures for Barbieri include Dexcel Pharma and Honeydew Care.

Valisure. VALISURE detects benzene in benzoyl peroxide. Valisure. March 6, 2024. Accessed March 2, 2025. 

https://www.valisure.com/valisure-newsroom/valisure-detects-benzene-in-benzoyl-peroxide

Barbieri JS, Rubin CB, Pham JP, Wong M. The Role of Formulation in Benzene Formation in Benzoyl Peroxide Products. 

John Barbieri, MD, MBA, discusses recent data examining factors associated with formation of benzene in OTC benzoyl peroxide products. 

John Barbieri, MD, MBA

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