Stop using harsh shit on your face. Drying your skin out will do absolutely nothing but cause your skin to create more oil to compensate for the oil you just stripped out of your pores. The more you do this, the more oil your skin will produce, which will prompt you to wash your face even more and your skin will hate you for it and show you exactly how much it hates you. Skin likes to be left alone as much as possible.
BE GENTLE. Use your hands and fingers to wash your face. You don't need the manual exfoliation of a washcloth - when it comes to manual exfoliation (as opposed to chemical), we all tend to overdo it. Overdo it and your skin will become irritated and angry.
Use a gentle cleanser. My sensitive, acne-prone skin prefers either an oil cleanser (half olive oil/half castor oil) or a nice, handmade bar of goat's milk castile soap (much different than mainstream "soap"). Oil cleansers, which are just oil, gently dissolve oil and gunk in your pores. Most people with acne have been "trained" to avoid any oil at all costs. This is just a marketing gimmick and is a load of crap. Regardless, most people are not open to the idea of cleansing and/or moisturizing with oil and I'm not looking for a brawl
, so if you want more info on this, PM me and I'll send you one of my articles on it. As far as soap and cleansers go, hand-processed/handcrafted soap is much different from mainstream soap. Hand-processed soap generally still has the glycerin left in it, while soap produced by larger corporations generally have the glycerin extracted (huge money in glycerin). Hand-processed soaps made by home crafters are usually made with higher quality ingredients and no fillers. They tend to be less drying and less irritating. If you can find a lavender, tea tree, goat's milk soap, that might be your best bet. Lavender and tea tree oil are excellent for acne or unbalanced skin while goat's milk contains lactic acid, a gentle chemical exfoliant.
Exfoliants. Chemical and manual. I, personally, never recommend manual exfoliants. It's simply far too easy to overdo it without realizing it. Chemical exfoliants work by breaking down the bonds between the dead skin cells so they can be easily and evenly flushed away. Look for a mild alpha-hydroxy acid to clear away the outermost layers of dead skin. Apply a mild beta-hydroxy acid to exfoliate deeper, within the pores to clear out the accumulated gunk. You can use both of these products, but never together. Alternate - one in the morning, one at night. If your skin dries out, you're using too much, too frequently, or too high of a potency. Your skin should be comfortable, save for maybe a slight sting during application if you have any spots.
Disinfecting. Sometimes, we have an imbalance of "bad" bacteria. You can take care of this in numerous different ways. People who prefer more earth-based methods will find happiness in tea tree and/or lavender essential oil (NOT fragrance oils - must not be synthetic). If you're not interested in more natural methods, you'll find some help with the use of a peroxide lotion (Oxy is a biggie that comes to mind).
When you use chemicals (well, anything, really), always start with the lowest possible does/potency and work up until you find something that works. Don't start from the highest and work down - you'll just make your skin angry.
Moisturizers. Your skin should never feel tight or dry and if it does, take action to fix your skin before your skin is forced to fix it itself (which will lead to overcompensation for oil loss). The most natural and best thing you can put on your skin is oil. I'm not talking about an oil slick, but a mere drop of oil rubbed between damp palms and patted over or gently massaged into your skin. Again, this isn't a popular thought, because of mainstream acne marketing techniques. Your skin produces its own oil and with proper internal hydration, that is the best moisturizer there is. Extra virgin olive oil is always an excellent choice because of the anti-oxidant properties, but some find it a bit heavy. Grapeseed oil is a nice, light oil to try in this case. Some people also like jojoba because it is chemically similar to our own naturally produced sebum.
Diet. Skin is your largest organ. One of its many jobs is to help expel toxins through the pores. You need adequate hydration (WATER!) and you need good nutrients from your diet to feed and nurture your body (including your skin). Drink lots of water to help flush toxins out.
If you need to draw some impurities from your skin (say, T-zone area), try unflavored Milk of Magnesia. Sounds odd, but it's one of the very best things for drawing gunk from your skin. Very powerful and a nice plus to that is that it is VERY soothing. Apply a very thin layer to a spot or area that needs a bit of help and let dry for 10 minutes. Rinse off and moisturize if the area is tight.
Work with your skin, not against it. Problems arising in your skin indicate a problem elsewhere. Whether it's an internal problem (hormones, diet, etc), an external problem (bacterial imbalance, harsh cleansers, no moisture, etc) or a combination. Everyone's skin is different and different things work for everyone. Whatever you do, treat your skin like you love it (even though you hate it right now) and it will eventually love you back.
Anyway, I hope at least some of this information helps you or someone else.