Background: Acne vulgaris is a common dermatological condition with significant physical and psychological impacts. This study aims to compare the efficacy of topical clindamycin versus combination of topical clindamycin and topical benzoyl peroxide gel in treating mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

Methods: A randomized, patient-blinded study was conducted over twelve months, involving 130 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris. Patients were treated with either clindamycin or a combination of clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide. The primary outcome was the change in inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne counts using the Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) scale.

Results: The combination therapy group showed a more significant reduction in both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne counts compared to the clindamycin monotherapy group. By the 3rd visit, 83.33% of patients receiving combination therapy had "0 to 3" inflammatory counts, compared to 35.29% in the clindamycin group. Similarly, there was a noticeable reduction in non-inflammatory lesions in the combination therapy group.

Conclusion: Both clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide are effective in reducing acne lesions, with combination therapy demonstrating superior efficacy. The study also highlights the role of patient-specific factors in treatment response, underscoring the importance of personalized acne management strategies.