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The introduction of topical antibiotics for acne vulgaris has ushered in a new era in the treatment of this troublesome disorder. Tetracycline, erythromycin, and clindamycin can now be prepared in lotion form in vehicles that are capable of carrying the antibiotic into the follicular canal, where the primary lesion of acne occurs. Topical antibiotics are practically as effective as oral antibiotics in treating acne and are particularly useful for mild papular acne of puberty and early adolescence and papular-pustular acne of adult women. Use of topical antibiotics avoids the possibility of the adverse effects of systemic therapy; the side effects from the formulations reported here are negligible. Above all, antibiotic lotions do not produce the dryness and scaling that occur with most other topical acne preparations.