Clear Skin Regimen

A Cleanser: There are many good gentle cleansers on the market. Look for a cleanser made specifically for the face that does not overdry. You want something that cleanses but does not strip the skin. Avoid using bath soap on your face.

A Moisturizer: If you use as much benzoyl peroxide as I recommend you will need a moisturizer so you can keep your skin from becoming overly dry. It is vitally important that you begin moisturizing from day one on the regimen, even if your skin doesn't seem to need it at first. Moisturizing will help keep your skin in balance and will help prevent some of the initial drying/reddening effects of benzoyl peroxide. Choose a non-comedogenic sunscreen for acne prone skin that contains moisturizer.

Note: My absolute favorite moisturizer is Eucerin Skin Renewal. No other moisturizer come close to its ability to prevent flakiness. However, Eucerin Skin Renewal contains lactic acid, a very gentle alpha hydroxy. Starting with an alpha hydroxy moisturizer at the onset of a benzoyl peroxide regimen could cause stinging. But do keep it in mind for once you have been on the regimen for a couple of weeks. It is the best one out there by far. If you still experience severe stinging and are sensitive to alpha hydroxy acid, stop using it and try another moisturizer.
A 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel or cream: Several studies show that a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide solution actually works better than the overdrying 10% solutions. So why are most of the benzoyl peroxide medications on the market in 10% strength? Because this is the legal limit for over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide and marketers know that people will always buy "maximum strength" if they can. However, in the case of benzoyl peroxide, maximum strength gels and creams are not as effective as their lower strength counterparts. As it turns out, 2.5% benzoyl peroxide is just as effective in killing acne bacteria as the higher concentrations. With 2.5% you get all the beneficial effects of benzoyl peroxide without the excess irritation that can make acne worse.

It may take your face a couple of weeks to get used to benzoyl peroxide. For this reason, it is extremely important to slowly ramp up the dosage over the first few weeks on the regimen. If you have sensitive skin, start with one application per day for the first week.
A word of caution: about 3% of people are allergic to benzoyl peroxide and experience severe swelling and/or crusting. You may want to test a spot on your skin first. Also, benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabrics. Be careful about getting it on clothing that you love.

Tip: after you have squeezed out everything in the tube, you can still cut it in half and get quite a bit more out with your finger.