snowy

That would be Accutane. My best friend is on it right now--I'm amazed at the difference it has made in his horrible skin. His face has completely cleared up.

As for your own skin, I recommend you become a bit of a girl about your skin. Have you tried some good ol' fashioned beauty remedies? Exfoliating with a facial scrub every few days is a good idea, as is using a mask with kaolin to bring out impurities. Using a gentle cleanser is a good idea--cleansing only does so much. Actually putting something on your face that stays there makes all the difference. If your skin can handle it, use a moisturizer with AHA, preferably glycolic acid. I recommend Neutrogena's Healthy Skin. Before the moisturizer, use a cotton pad soaked in witch hazel to tone. Use witch hazel throughout the day as necessary to cleanse your t-zone, especially your chin after eating. Make sure to wipe down things that come into contact with your face--telephones are a particularly good example. Don't touch your face if you don't have to. Change your pillowcase often. Use a 10% benzoyl peroxide on each blemish--apply with Q-tip. If you must squeeze a pimple, use Q-tips instead of fingers. Afterwards, apply either a tea tree treatment or Bactine.

Do not use products with menthol or eucalyptus oil--those are just irritants.

These are the over-the-counter solutions I would recommend as they are proven to actually fight acne. Proactiv is just an overpriced version of sulfur soap (the active ingredient) and can irritate skin. The amount of benzoyl peroxide actually present in any of their lotions is not enough to really make a difference in drying out or treating existing acne.

For more information on skin care and skin care products, I recommend you check out Paula Begoun's book, Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me. She does a good job of profiling nearly every skin care product out on the market. Good luck.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau