If the idea of constantly rubbing a layer of skin off your face with fine grade abrasives in order to force your skin to clear itself appeals to you, then perhaps you will be fine with the idea of using of Benzoyl Peroxide.
For this is exactly how the product works.
As a peeling agent which burns away the top layer of skin, the product forces the body to produce more fresh layers underneath.
The 'positive' effect, and that on which the sale of the product is based, is that as the skin grows underneath, it in turn pushed up the older, infected layers of acne-affected skin.
This means a cleaner (yes - it's new skin) brighter (baby-faced new skin look again) looking skin, especially yearned after by young women who don't know any better, and who are unable to perceive the long term dangers of constantly stressing the skin production mechanism on their faces.
On the negative side, just as your doctor would probably not condone your removing layers of skin by scraping it off with a blade or abrasive, it is hard to understand how your doctor can with a clear conscience encourage the use of a product which chemically burns away the top layer of the skin on a regular basis.
Side effects can be dryness, peeling of the skin, feelings of warmth (well, hello - this is the skin telling you it is being burned) and other far worse symptoms which require medical intervention by your GP.
Continually applying a product which in reality burns your skin away can be harmful, and lead to long term problems as your skin responds to the stress of constant refurbishment.
You don't spend hours getting burnt in the sun - so why would you do it using a cream?