The best way to use these solutions is to wash your face at night, then put the lotion onto the affected area(s) before you go to bed. When you wake up, any spots, lumps and redness should be reduced considerably.
For a while and before I knew any better, I used Dalacin T, a topical antibiotic. You only need to dab this onto the affected area(s). This works really well, but I didn't want to be using this solution long-term. So now I use a natural remedy instead.
15% tea tree oil lotion used in the same way is cheaper and works just as effectively as the topical antibiotic. I rub the lotion into the affected area(s) gently. The only downside is that it's a little more drying than the topical antibiotic. It will cause flakes of dry skin to be produced. Tea tree oil lotion may also cause any spots that haven't yet broken out under the skin to break out more rapidly.