Actually, you're not too young to start getting acne. I started getting acne when I was eleven. I assume in that past year or so you started going through puberty, so your hormones are probably going crazy. Pimples during your teen years are usually inevitable, and it's probably going to take a lot of trial and error before you find something that works for you, so it might take a couple of years to clear up your skin; or, it might not. My suggestion to you is to first, take good care of yourself. Eat healthfully (plenty of fruits and veggies), try and exercise daily (the right kind of exercise: I'll give you a link), at 12 years old, get 9-10 hours of sleep per night, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and try and minimize stress. All of these things should help your skin improve. Second, visit the dermatologist to talk about prescription medication options. They will probably start you out with an antibiotic and either retin-a or another topical like clindamycin gel. Third, educate yourself. Learn about your skin and what causes acne. Inform yourself about the possible treatment options. As far as the regimen goes, a lot of people here have had success with it, but I personally don't think benzoyl peroxide is very beneficial for your skin, and you're right, it can be pretty harsh on your skin. Ultimately, it is your decision whether or not you want to go ahead and try it. I suggest looking at the forum: it has been very helpful to me:

The sad thing is OP has better grammar skills than most adults.

Back to your acne, 12 isn't too young to start breaking out, but if you're already getting persistent moderate acne at that age, it could turn to be a big problem down the road and hit you really hard when you're around 18.

Schedule an appointment with a derm immediately, the best solution for a problem to to prevent it in the first place. It works easier when you're young.

Do you know if your parents struggled with acne? Ask them and find out, if they did, then unfortunately you're most likely going to struggle with it and if that's the case, accutane might be your only cure a few years from now (12 is way too young to be taking accutane).

I started breaking out around age 11, so unfortunately, you're not too young I would say to NOT do what I did, and that's avoid getting professional help for it. I am 32 and I've spent 21 years dealing with it by myself, trying everything under the sun. It's only gotten worse and worse. I was afraid to talk to my mom about it. Brushed it off when my doctor brought it up. I finally called my doctor yesterday and I have an appointment next week to discuss my skin issues. Most likely she'll refer me to a dermatologist. I wish I had done it decades ago. I would tell you to take good care of you skin and health. Gentle skincare, healthy diet. Talk to your mom or dad, find out if they had acne and what their experiences were like. That will give you a good indication of what you might be in for. And if after doing that, you may want to talk to your doctor. Again, learn from what I didn't do. I feel for you

I hate to recommend birth control but that helped me at your age. but when you go off it, it can be hell so proceed w/caution. also, candex is something that helped me a lot. its for yeast, but really helped. probiotics as well. good diet, exercise, and rest like everyone else said. don't get stressed about it, you're so young and have your whole life ahead of you. and you seem very bright