my experience:

I have had mild to moderate acne since a young teen. I’ve tried Stridex pads, Proactiv Solution, oil-free acne wash, foam face wash, bar soap, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and even toothpaste. Then I started using straight Benzoyl Peroxide (BP) along with washing my face. I tried several variations, strengths, and methods of Benzoyl Peroxide. They all seemed to help except for occasional breakouts, but I wanted to be totally clear. So I found a solution that is most effective.

Benzoyl Peroxide is considered the most effective against mild or moderate acne. That is all it takes to minimize the number of pimples you get, but you can take advantage and maximize its power until you are free of acne.

Warning for beginners:

If you have never used Benzoyl Peroxide, then start off very slow or else you can get some bad irritation. Only apply small amounts of BP in the beginning and work your way up for 3 weeks or more. You should see results within a couple weeks, and hopefully be totally acne free in a month.

what to do:

In the morning:
-Wet face, use Cetaphil Cleanser (or other safe cleanser), then rinse and dry.
-Wait until face is fully dry, then spot treat active acne with 10% BP (2.5% if sensitive or skip if extremely sensitive). Let dry and leave it on.
-Wait until BP is fully dry, then gently rub on Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion (or other safe lotion).

At night:

-Wet face, use cleanser, then rinse and dry.
-Wait until face is fully dry, then apply 10% BP Gel on all areas that get acne. After it dries, put on another layer on active acne or pimples you feel that may be coming to the surface. Let dry and leave it on.
-Wait until BP is fully dry, then gently rub on lotion. Use more than you do in the morning and don’t worry if you are a bit greasy. It’s better than getting flaky skin when you wake up.

Personal Factors:

I’m a guy. This means I have to shave my face. Shaving cream may affect acne so I get something that says non-comedogenic. I have heard male skin is tough and may be able to tolerate 10% BP better than females (there is no scientific evidence for this, but it could come into play). I also don’t wear makeup, so my advice to women is to get makeup products that are non-comedogenic or go natural.

I originally had a mixture of oily and dry skin on my face (But mostly dry)- oily on forehead, jaw line, and bridge of the nose; and dry skin around my nose and cheeks. BP made my skin extra dry all over, and my eyebrows got so dry they were flaking (probably from not drying off good enough). So use lotion liberally if you are getting too dry.

More tips to avoid problems:

There are some who just can’t tolerate 10% BP. If you have mild acne or experience excessive irritation, you can settle for 2.5% which is said to be fairly equal in effectiveness while not as harsh.

Only apply BP where you are prone to get acne. If you get acne around your nose, but not your forehead, then only put it on around your nose. Simple.

Keep your hands off your face (don’t touch except after washing your hands unless you know your hands are clean). Don’t lean your hand under your chin. Don’t pop or pick a pimple because it can prolong the healing time and increase scarring. And don’t rest your head on a public table or anywhere you know may not be clean. The less bacteria you introduce to your face, the safer. Even if you touch your face less often, wash your hands throughout the day.

Clean and disinfect your cell phone and/or home phone often. Try not to lean the phone against your shoulder (so that it presses against your face) if you get acne around your jaw or side of the face. Or get a cheap headset to keep the phone off your face completely.

Change your pillow cover regularly.

If you get acne above your eyes or around your forehead and wear hats, keep your hat clean and take it off if you are wearing it for long periods to give your head some oxygen to breathe. Same with sun- and eye-glasses- keep them clean and give the bridge of your nose some time to air out.

Use clean towels on your face. Don’t use wet towels or ones that have been sitting in the bathroom for a week. Change shower towels every few days or sooner.

It doesn’t hurt to exercise and keep a good diet. It’s a myth that eating chocolate or bad food causes acne, but staying in shape and eating right will only benefit you.

Baking Soda Tip:
Do this one at your own risk (effective, but may irritate some skin types): Whenever you see a whitehead coming (it must be tiny and have puss in it, not fully red), get your face wet rub a pinch of baking soda on the affected area in a circular motion (and add a bit of water to make it paste-like). The baking soda acts as a kind of exfoliant but it is not abrasive or harsh. This makes the pimple usually “pop” or release the pocket of goo and get smaller. I find it quickens the healing time and there is no blood or anything harmful (if you go easy) like when you traditionally pick a zit. Make sure you use baking SODA (sodium bicarbonate), not baking powder. Baking soda is not something that will get rid of acne all by itself. This trick works for spot treating tiny pimples on the surface to minimize breakout time.

I have to give credit to acne.org and the forums for offering plenty of helpful information about acne and treatment. Much of what I learned is over there. I have fine-tuned it and tweaked it a bit based upon personal experience and further research.

Update

I picked up some industrial 10% BP over half a year ago. It had larger granules and it included jojoba oil and kiwi extract. I reduced my usage to only nightly, then after forgetting a couple days of applying I noticed I didn’t have to use it every day and only as needed. Since then, I’ve had very few problems.