Agent	Common brand names	Common formulations	Dosage	Side effects
Benzoyl peroxide	Benzac AC Wash 2.5	2.5 percent liquid	Apply to affected areas once or twice daily.	Drying of skin, contact dermatitis (1 to 2 percent of users) Can bleach clothing and bedding
	Benzac AC Wash 5, Desquam-X 5 Wash	5 percent liquid
	Benzac AC Wash 10, Benzac W Wash 10, Desquam-X 10 Wash	10 percent liquid
	Oxy 5 Tinted, Vanoxide	5 percent lotion
	Benoxyl 10, Clearasil Maximum Strength	10 percent lotion
	Benzashave, Clearasil Maximum Strength	5 and 10 percent creams
	Advanced Formula Oxy Sensitive,* Benzac AC 2.5,* Desquam-E,* PanOxyl AQ 2.5*	2.5 percent gel
	Benzac 5, Benzac AC 5,* 5-Benzagel, Desquam-E 5,* Desquam-X 5,* PanOxyl 5, PanOxyl AQ 5*	5 percent gel
	Benzac 10, Benzac AC 10,* 10-Benzagel, Desquam-E 10,* Desquam-X 10,* PanOxyl 10, PanOxyl AQ 10*	10 percent gel
Salicylic acid	Stri-Dex Pads, Fostex Cleansing Pads, Clearasil Maximum Strength Cleansing Pads	2 percent cleansing pads	Apply once or twice daily.	Skin dryness and irritation
	Fostex Acne Cleansing Cream, PROPApH Acne Maximum Strength Cream	2 percent cream
Sulfacetamide-sulfur	Sulface-Rt, Novacet	10 percent sulfacetamide/5 percent sulfur lotion	Apply once or twice daily.
Azelaic acid	Azelex	20 percent cream	Apply once or twice daily.	May cause skin dryness, hypopigmentation
Tretinoin	Retin-A, Avita	0.025 percent cream	Apply small amount once daily before bedtime.	Skin irritation, photosensitivity, initially may worsen acne
	Retin-A	0.05 and 0.1 percent creams
	Retin-A Micro	0.025 and 0.01 percent gels
		0.05 percent liquid
		0.1 percent gel
Adapalene	Differin	0.1 percent gel	Apply small amount in the evening.	Skin irritation, photosensitivity, initially may worsen acne
		0.1 percent solution
Tazarotene	Tazorac	0.05 and 0.1 percent gels	Apply small amount once daily in the evening.	Skin irritation, photosensitivity, initially may worsen acne
Clindamycin	Cleocin T	10 mg per mL gel	Apply once or twice daily.	Skin dryness, pseudomembranous colitis (extremely rare)
	C/T/S, Cleocin T, Clinda-Derm	10 mg per mL lotion
		10 mg per mL topical solution
Erythromycin	Staticin	1.5 percent solution	Apply once or twice daily.	Skin dryness
	A/T/S, Akne-Mycin, Erycette, Eryderm 2%, Erymax, T-Stat, Theramycin Z	2 percent solution
	A/T/S, Erygel	2 percent gel
	Akne-Mycin	2 percent ointment
Tetracycline	Topicycline	2.2 percent solution	Apply once or twice daily.	May stain skin and clothes; fluorescence under ultraviolet light
Benzoyl peroxide–erythromycin	Benzamycin	5 percent benzoyl peroxide/3 percent erythromycin gel	Apply once or twice daily.	May cause skin irritation, needs refrigeration