(Image credit: Future)

If you’ve ever woken up to a giant, red, throbbing pimple the morning of something important, you already know the drill: panic, throw everything you own at it, and hope something works. As a beauty editor—and someone who has dealt with breakouts for years—there’s one ingredient I always come back to when things get particularly angry: benzoyl peroxide . It’s definitely not the newest or trendiest acne treatment on the market, but it remains one of the most reliable. Whenever I feel a stubborn zit brewing, chances are benzoyl peroxide is one of the first things I reach for.

If you’ve had the pleasure of dealing with acne (sarcasm very much intended), then you’re probably familiar with the ingredient already. Benzoyl peroxide is the main character in some of the best spot treatments , cleansers , and even lotions because it’s basically an acne-fighting powerhouse.…