| 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 |
*—Water-based formulation.
Information from Drugs facts and comparisons. St. Louis: Facts and Comparisons, 1999:3031–68.
