when it spontaneously degrades, yes, it turns into tame water and healthy oxygen, but when it touches organic matter (your skin, tongue, mouth, etc) the oxygen directly reacts with the carbon atoms to make CO2, effectively "burning" away your tissues very slowly.

Usually, you don't notice that because you use store-bought 3% peroxide, but chemists regularly use the much more powerful 35% peroxide, which gives you nasty burns

peroxide burn

collapsed inline media

also, fun fact, some cells produce hydrogen peroxide as a waste product, so nature has evolved the catalase enzyme to break it down, and that's why you see bubbling when using it on a scar but not on skin, because that enzyme is only inside you and your blood

[–] Shayeta@feddit.org 1 points 7 hours ago

I see, so oxygen is leached much faster and causes damage via hyperoxidation. Thank you for the writeup!

[–] WrenFeathers@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago

Swallowing it can make you very sick, yet it’s a safe and effective mouthwash if you have gum disease, or any other infection.

Best to just play it safe and rinse with warm salt water.

[–] DahGangalang@infosec.pub 3 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

Looks unpleasant but generally not dangerous.

I think that's the point he was trying to make.

[–] WrenFeathers@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

Yup. That’s basically it. The article creates an unrealistic gradation to compare against its definition of what’s healthy.

Processed meat is completely healthy, eating it every day for prolonged periods of time, not so much.

Hydrogen peroxide mouthwash? Totally safe! As a beverage? Not so much.