What can I do for my acne? I have tried nearly everything….?

Question: What can I do for my acne? I have tried almost everything….?
I am 20 years old and have had problems with my acne since I was 12. At first it was all over my face and my chest, and it was always very humiliating to me. I didn’t wear make up to cover it, I knew it would make it worse. I started taking Orthotricyclen Lo when I was 15 and my acne disappeared completely, with maybe one or two small blemishes around my period. When I turned 18, I went off the birth control for a few months, and my acne immediately returned. I realized that the birth control really was helping my acne so I went back on it, but it did not continue to help as my breakouts got increasingly worse.

I have combination/oily skin with moderate to severe acne heavily located in my cheek area including pustules, blackheads, and whiteheads. My T-zone gets very oily through out the day. However, my cheeks and chin area tend to get very dry and flaky, so most acne products I use tend to dry out my skin. But, if I use a moisturizer for dry skin, it clogs my pores and makes my breakouts worse.

This is the regime I am currently using:

Morning:
(In the shower) Clean&Clear Sensitive Skin Deep Action Cream Cleanser (Oil-free formula with added moisturizers)
St. Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish & Blackhead Control
MaryKay Purifying Freshener Formula 2
MaryKay Blemish Control toner Formula 3
St. Ives Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer (All Skin Types)

Makeup:
Neutrogena Under Cover Concealer Stick
Neutrogena Skin Clearing Foundation
Mary Kay loose mineral powder

Night:
St. Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish & Blackhead Control
MaryKay Purifying Freshener Formula 2
MaryKay Blemish Control toner Formula 3
St. Ives Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer (All Skin Types)

I am not unhappy with my regime, as it keeps my skin relatively soft and hydrated except for in my cheek areas. I have tried many products such as the full Mary Kay line for acne, Proactiv, Murad, Caudalie, Boscia, and countless drugstore brands that have either not worked at all, or my skin built up a tolerance to the product in just a couple of weeks.

I don’t consume that unhealthy. I don’t consume fast food very often, maybe a couple times a month.I drink a lot of herbal teas and I might have a soda once each couple of weeks. I don’t like drinking water but I try to make myself finish at least one bottle a day. I stay active all day long at work, I’m always on my feet, but I don’t exercise daily.

Does anyone have any recommendations for what I can do for my skin? I have been to a dermatologist but he didn’t really seem to know what he was doing. He didn’t listen to me when I told him that any product he gave me was either too oily and was not working, or it was drying out my skin and making my skin look very irritated, so I stopped going to him.

Also, to add to the red blisters and blackheads all over my cheeks, on the sides on my mouth and chin I have tiny white bumps that when squeezed produce a string of white pus. No matter how much I exfoliate or what spot treatment I use, they don’t go away. Any recommendations for this too?

Thanks in advance for reading =)

Best answer:

Answer by Cookie
Try Proactiv or Clearisil. I use Proactiv and its great at treating my acne

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