I went to a skin care specialist affiliated with a dermatologist and got a wonderfully simple, inexpensive routine that really cleared up my face! She recommended Purpose cleanser, and gave me the tip that in the evening I should do two washes with it--the first for only about 15 seconds or so, and then next for a full minute. Then I used a Solvere pad (they contain both BHA and AHA). In the evening, I then just use a gentle green tea moisturizer, and in the morning, I don't use a separate moisturizer, just Banana Boat Dri-Blok sunscreen. It REALLY cleared up my skin, and is wonderfully simple to maintain!

I know everyone just wants to find a "miracle" product and for the acne to instantly go away (even me) but you reallly have to be patient. I have tried almost everything on the market with no real sucess so I gave in and went to the demotologist and I am so happy I did I promise its thebest option available. The first visit he recommended me to use a face wash by the brand La Roche Posay (yes it's french)and Im using the Toleriane- Creme Moussante Purifante (Purifying foam cleanser) for Combination to oily intolerant skin. Its AMAZING! The first time I used it I was hooked (I also got my mom and aunt using it, because its not speciffically for acne but he told me that sometimes the best cleanser for acne is not targeted for acne just get a really good cleanser that really cleans out you poors) After that in the morning I use Aczone cream(perscription) and at night I clean my face then use Epiduo(perscription cream) and take Solodyn (perscription pill). And my skin as improved so much! Haha this kinda sounds like an advertisement or something but its not Im just basically saying that the best option is probally to see a professional so he can recomend what best for you skin(:

I had cystic acne from 15 to 22. Proactiv worked at first, but then I moved on to BenzaClin/Tetracycline, and then eventually had to do a 6-month course of Accutane, which totally fixed my acne. Now I just use a Neutrogena oil-free face cleanser and Purpose moisturizer/sunscreen. Warning to people considering minocycline: it can cause the medication-induced form of lupus. My doctor never warned me and it took a few month to figure out why I was feeling so achy and fatigued.

Neutrogena oil free acne wash (the green one), clinique clearing moisturizer, it has benzol peroxide and clean and clear spot treatment.

Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel! Hands down. With immediately results, and also improved pore visibility and skin texture all around.

-Zinc vitamins help counteract inflammation and help skin heal and can stop a cyst in it's tracks! -An aspirin mask is a great exfoliator and cheap and definitely helps with hyperpigmentation -Mandelic acid is both antibacterial and an exfoliant. It's expensive, but it's especially good at getting rid of stubborn clogged pores and keeping them clear, evening skin tones, and spot treating most blemishes.

I have stuggled with cystic acne for eight years, and I finally have it under control. 1) Diet is so important when it comes to skincare - eat healthy and it will show on your skin. Personally, I have found that cutting out all chocolate has stopped my breakouts. Junk food and foods high in sugars and carbs can also feed bacteria that cause acne. 2)Stay hydrated - drink eight glasses of water a day (tea counts!). 3) Always wash off make up at the end of the day. Use a cleanser with benzoil peroxide or salicylic acid (personally I use one in the morning and the other at night) and a toner to clean and close pores. It is optional to use a cream with benzoil peroxide or salicylic acid, but it helps. 4) always moisturize no matter how oily your skin is. If you feel your skin gets too oily, it may be because your skin does not have enough moisture (ie: dehydration or lack of moisturizer) and produces more oil to compensate. 5) One trick I have found to help soothe acne: Crush up some Aspirin pills and put them in honey and slather on your acne for about 15 minutes. The Aspirin is basically salisylic acid, which soothes redness and irritation and helps clean skin, while honey is a natural astringent.

I have had acne since I was 12 and now I am 25 and still deal with it. BELIEVE ME, I have tried EVERYTHING!!! I have taken Accutane 4 different times and still have problems, Proactiv, topical tretments, benzoyl, salicilic acid, etc, etc. What worked best for me (to keep it under control) has been Accutane and birth pills. Yaz is really good. I am now doing chemical peels to improve the appearance of my scars...Lucky the girls that have nice skin!!

I use Queen Helene Mint Julep mask when I'm breaking out. I do my whole face 1-2 per week for twenty minutes. When I have a really big pimple, I use the mask daily for 20 minutes as a spot treatment. It drys pimples out really quickly. It's also really cheap!

Too funny, Christine - I was going to recommend the exact same two Mario Badescu products! The MB drying cream smells pretty bad but I swear by it. In the interest of offering an original comment on dealing with acne, I would add that it's very important that those with oily/acneic skin use moisturizer (oil-free, of course). It sounds counter-intuitive but it helps keep your skin balanced so that it doesn't start over-producing sebum (oil) in order to get the moisture it needs. I started doing this some years ago and my skin is much better now. The other item that I love is the Murad Acne Treatmenrt concealer. It is the only concealer I have found that actually does help dry up pimples while offering good coverage.

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel is a very good product for people with Acne. It sounds worse than it is. If you're not familiar with it - it's like a glycolic treatment so it has two little canister thingys, each containing 30 saturated little pads. You use one from the "step 1" can, leave it for 2 minutes, then use 1 pad from the second can. It's $80 at Nordstrom and worth every penny. Also, they say that is a 30 day supply but I think that is just a marketing ploy to get you to come back and buy it once a month! I use it 2-3 times a week and it works miracles.

Since I use facial soap for sensitive skin, I have not broken out. I use Olay Foaming face wash for sensitive skin. Its cheap and with my clarisonic it does the job done.

I'm a teenager with pretty sensitive acne-prone skin. What I've found about painful, icky acne breakouts is: -Skin, particularly the acne-prone kind, needs to be babied, not blasted with 3657 different acids and peroxides and whatnot. I use a foaming cleanser from Aveeno that's designed to keep skin clear with gentle cleansing, and an alchohol-free toner from Neutrogena. I find that drugstore products don't contain a bunch of fancy-schmancy ingredients that the higher-end brands charge you for, but hey - it's personal preference. - Always always ALWAYS moisturize. Yes, you, too, oily-skinned girls. I use a water-based moisturizer during the day and Olay Regenerist Micro-sculpting cream at night. Personally, I have combination skin, and even though the Olay cream has oils in it, I find that it actually helps stop overproduction of oils on my face. Oiliness, believe it or not, can actually become present when skin is dry. Your skin will produce excess oils, trying it's hardest to moisturize the skin, but only resulting in a shininess that we, as beauty fanatics, despise. Therefore, hydration is KEY! -Sunscreen is your best friend. Seriously. During the school year, I'm out on a tennis court at least 1 1/2 hours in the blazing Texas sun. My coach suffered with skin cancer, so he makes sure we ALWAYS wear it! Trust me, being sunburned and having an ugly breakout is neither fun nor attractive. :P -If you don't need to, don't wear face makeup. Letting your skin breathe for a day or two will benefit it, trust me. We all have imperfections; it is our flaws that make us beautiful, so don't be afraid to be fresh-faced. We've all been there! -DO NOT pop your breakouts! I, myself, am horrible at this one, I'll admit. But really, it makes them bleed and scab, and... yeuch. Enough said! -If your acne breakouts persist, see your dermatologist. It really IS the best investment you can make when it comes to skin. Trust me, these people KNOW what they're talking about! -Aestheticians (the ladies who give you facials in spas) DON'T always know what they're talking about when it comes to your skin. In fact, the sad truth is, a lot of the time, they're trying to sell you products. Don't feel pressured to spend $892637 on skincare if you don't want to! These are a few things I've learned through personal experience and research I've done. We've all been there when it comes to acne, it's nothing to stress over. Just try different things and trust your judgment. We're all on the quest for perfect skin, and we're all different, so trust yourself. Remember, no matter your skin problems, you are beautiful! :D

I have had moderate adult acne for the past 5 years, but I started using Neutrogena Acne Grapefruit Scrub and I have been acne free for 2 months!

The Clarisonic! I've found my big angry breakouts have steadily improved since I started using mine twice a day. I also found that Dermalogica has the best products for my acne-prone skin, though I do have to put the time into cleansing properly, which is where the Clarisonic comes in. Also, find the RIGHT moisturiser, one that makes you feel moisturised but not greasy. You shouldn't settle for tight, uncomfortable or dry skin after moisturising even if you're oily. And don't strip your skin and mistreat it with harsh treatment because you think it'll make a difference. You're trying to make your skin BETTER, not worse. (I know it sounds obvious, but the number of times I've heard about people squeezing their skin to extremes or having it burn after their toner, etc, I just find it scary..) Also, taking care of your insides... Remember, the cause of acne isn't dirt or germs, or else children would get acne. Its an internal process (Usually triggered by excess toxins or hormones) that simply results in the glue-like sebum that clogs pores and creates a bacteria-friendly environment.

Cutting out Soda really helped I think. I always drank diet-soda throughout my teen years and had acne. Now that I don't drink soda anymore, I have been acne-free for years!

For me, switching to powder mineral foundation made a huge difference in my skin! Also, I stopped using makeup remover and switched to cold cream. I think I was stripping my skin's moisture so it was over compensating. Also, when you go on vacation, pack your usual regime. Last con I went to, my skin was fine till I got there and started using my mom's stuff. So many horrible zits! As soon as I got home, they cleared up. I hope that I remember this lesson.

I use both Philosophy's Microdelivery Wash and On A Clear Day Acne Foam wash in the shower! Then I use Proactiv toner, acne lotion, and Oil of Olay moisturizer for sensitive skin. (I can't stand Proactiv's cleanser by the way, so my Proactiv shipments are adjusted for 2 toners instead of a cleanser!) Then I use a few other miracle items that have cleared up acne scaring! My face has NEVER looked better!

Supplements like Vitamin A and Panthothenic Acid (B-5 supplementation) have worked really well for me. It does the same thing Accutane does, (reducing sebum), but without as many of the harsh side-effects. And I have taken Accutane, so I know what those are like...

Oh also EAT HEALTHY! My acne medication and this is what changed my skin. Drink LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER and the best thing is AVOID MEAT AND SUGAR. I became a vegetarian and I can totally see the difference on my skin. Sugar kills and that is the number one thing that will break people out. Only eat fruits and vegetables and guaranteed within a week your skin will be clear.

Go to the dermatologist. I cannot stress enough how important this is! Instead of buying products that word semi-well, going to the dermatologist gives you the acne medication you need for your skin. Ever since I got the acne medication from my dermatologist, my skin has improve by x1000000000. So please GO TO THE DERMATOLOGIST!

At one point I saw a dermatologist who prescribed this and that without much luck. So I sort of gave up and dedicated myself to minimizing the problem while investing in concealer. Then years later my gynecologist recommends clindamycin gel, which her teenage sons have been using, and writes me a prescription. I wasn't holding out much hope, and didn't even bothering filling the prescription for some time, but it worked-- it was the key. I still get an occasional pimple but my skin is completely different now.

I am a NW15 with combo skin and some red acne scarring. Nothing that can't be covered up with a light foundation, but it does bother me. For me, the best thing I can do is wash my face at night with a fresh washcloth and either Cerave or Cetaphil cleansing lotions. Then, I spot treat at night with a big ole blob of sulphur-based product. In the morning, I just rinse off my face (because I I strip off the night's natural oils, I will actually get more breakouts). To speed up healing time during the day and avoid a scar, I'll apply Neosporin cream to the blemish. Wish I would have known that 10 years ago! Has anyone tried the new Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector for red scarring? What results have you seen?

my two holy grail items!! love these products. 1) neutrogena on-the-spot acne treatment. treats and prevents blemishes. i've been using this for years! 2) neutrogena oil-free acne stress control 3-in-1 hydrating acne treatment. the salicylic acid in the product exfoliates skin thoroughly to fade scars caused by acne.

Hands down no questions asked - Hibiclens soap worked better for me than Accutane. You can buy it at Walgreen's. I sincerely hope this helps someone else!

Cut out dairy and cut down on sweets. Caffeine can cause acne as well. My derm says diet doesn't effect acne but I think otherwise from practice. The only thing that really got rid of my acne though was Accutane.

I went through acne early in high school. Thankfully my mom brought me to dermatologists quickly. The first doctor was awful. Tried tetracycline (commonly used then) which screwed up my stomach but did nothing else. He also tried something like dry ice. It did nothing either. We asked around and found a great doctor in the next town. She started me on Retin-A and increased the dosage over time. She watched me in her office and noticed I held my chin in my hands as I sat at her desk. She instructed me to stop doing that - to stop touching my face and to clean house phones daily with Windex. We discussed the birth control pill as an option - my mom wasn't all that thrilled with that option (I was 14 - I don't blame her). She said I needed to be very careful about washing my face (I was scrubbing too hard with a wash cloth) and applying products and makeup. Anything that caused a reaction or dried my face would cause the skin to over-produce oil as a response. I stopped using Oxy - I had BAD reactions to Benzoyl Peroxide (my face itched and when I removed Oxy, I had welts where it had been applied). Regarding makeup, she said if I was too tired to remove it before bed, I should stop wearing it. I have to give her a lot of credit. I'm now 36 and I can count on one hand the number of times since then that I've fallen asleep with makeup on. The Retin-A and her instructions worked absolute wonders for me. My school pictures the next year needed no touch-ups. Up until very recently, I still broke out when I was under stress or getting my period but, there just a few pimples. The real acne was gone. I still take skin care very seriously. I used Philosophy Help Me when I turned 31 and my forehead started breaking out again. My understanding is that it has one of the highest concentrations of retinol in an OTC product. Two other items: 1) I use water-based moisturizers for dry spots. In high school, I used the green bottle of Clinique moisturizer. I think they stopped making it or changed it to yellow and just note that it's water-based. 2) If you're using retinol or Retin-A - do not get frustrated if it seems you're breaking out more the first few weeks on the regimen. It's literally speeding up the process of skin turn over. You will likely look worse for a short period of time. Then very clear skin will emerge.

When I have a zit, I dab Murad's Clarifying Mask on it and leave it on overnight. It really helps to dry it up and get rid of it faster. I like Murad's entire line of acne products. They're pretty expensive, though, so I'd get the value sets rather than buying full-size products.

Steer clear of ANY cleanser, moisturizer or general skin care product designed specifically for acne. These can easily trigger more acne as they are generally quite drying. Plus, your face isn't one big pimple - treat your skin TYPE, not your skin ISSUE. Then use whatever spot treatments you like on the individual blemishes. Keeping the skin well hydrated also helps, both internally and externally. Washing linens on a regular basis, washing anything that touches your face on a regular basis, those are all things that will help. I'm using the Mario Badescue Drying Cream sample that I still have from a while ago, and it seems to work nicely on all forms of acne that I have. Calamine lotion can also work as it calms the skin. I would NEVER use Mario Badescue's Drying Lotion, simply because Isopropyl Alcohol is a main ingredient, and can definitely mess with your skin. Of course, check out reviews and comedogenic lists before buying a product!

I had the WORSE acne of all time! I pretty much had acne for 10 years, like starting in elementary school! :( It was terrible.. but I never went to the dermatologist until middle school. They started me off with this medication that seriously started to clear up the acne within a month :) ...it targeted bacteria under the skin... I used differin for about a year and it really helped further clear it up but not quite. As for face wash, I always used the "CeraVe" one which doesn't lather so it was very gentle for the face! When MOST of my acne cleared up I couldn't afford the derm anymore so I stopped going and hoped for the best lol. I've been using the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne CREAM cleanser for over 3 years now at night and it helps keep the acne away. In the morning I use Philosophy Purity Made Simple. THEN, I had an opportunity to try out "CELLNIQUE" and I have to say it really works when you stick to the regimen! My skin has been MOSTLY baby smooth since then <3

Cleanse, tone and moisturize twice a day. Salicid acid exfoliator or glicolic acid once a week (the latter is awesome for small acne scars). Never forget sunscreen, the sun seems to dry the spots but in the long term it is much worse. Always use very clean brushes for make up. And of course, non-comedogenic products. I love the products from Avène, and they are absolutely inexpensive (at least in my country, I haven't found them here in the US yet to compare).

My normal acne is tamed with the Dermalogica Medi-Bac line.(Green label!) Cleanser, toner, lotion, mattifier (which is the best mattifier I have found), spot treatment, and night time serum. But none of this tames my stress acne... Xanax clears that up. Ha ha. (Don't use Xanax without a doctors Prescription!) Now that I can't afford Dermalogica, I have found that the Neutrogena's New Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub works just as good!

Hand's down...Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion and Drying Cream! Christine, your review was a life saver for my face :) kuddos!!

I cleanse, tone, spot treat, and moisturize twice a day. In the morning I use a cleanser with salicylic acid, and my toner is alcohol free, my spot treatment contains 10% benzoyl peroxide and my moisturizer is oil free. At night, I use a different cleanser thats much less drying but still contains salicylic acid, the same toner, the same spot treatment, and a different moisturizer that it not oil free otherwise my combination skin would be really dry in some parts. I gave up fast food two years ago, and as soon as I eat some, breakouts appear. Other then that, I do get the occasional pimple probably from stress, or something along those lines, but nothing serious anymore, thank god. Now what I really want to get rid of is acne scars, no solution for that yet.

The Body Shop's tea tree oil skin care line and Mario Badescu drying lotion!

Tea Tree Oil from The Body Shop work really well! You just apply with a Q-tip to your acne spots on your face ( I use this at night because it has a very strong smell!!!). Overall, it zaps zits in no time!!!!