A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology set about a comparison of several popular acne treatments -- benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, clindamycin, and a combination of these.
The benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid combo (popular in many OTC acne treatment products like Proactiv and The Pimple Clinic products, as well as prescription treatments) worked faster at clearing breakouts. But after 10-12 weeks the benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin combo (think BenzaClin or Duac) caught up, and there wasn't a difference in results.
The combo treatments did work better than using each treatment alone, probably because combo treatments hit acne in different ways.
Source: Seidler EM, Kimball AB. "Meta-analysis comparing efficacy of benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide with salicylic acid, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin in acne." Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010; 63(1):52-62.
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