Dead skin EVERYWHERE! Help?

Ok, so I have never had the need to exfoliate before. I've noticed lately that there was a part of my skin I had scratched at and it left the marks from where my fingernail had been. Keep in mind I'm pretty picky about touching my face. The skin was not flaky, but I'm sure if I would have rubbed it hard enough it would start balling up and peeling.

I decide to exfoliate using baking soda. Testing it one night before to make sure it didn't irritate my skin. So I let it sit on my face for 5 minutes and as I expected, there was dead skin just EVERYWHERE. All over my face. My sister, who is in the medical field, took a look at it and said that it was multiple layers of skin, about two. Although I hate doing anything to irritate my face I had a choice: use a cloth to peel off the dead skin gently or let it sit there. Obviously, I peeled it off, but I just can't figure out why I had such incredible amounts of dead skin on there?! I've tried all sorts of stuff to cure acne, and I think that this is surely the root of the problem.

Now that I got that dead skin off of there, my face feels much smoother as if it can breathe. Anyone know what in the world is going on? I would dunk my head in the tub while I was peeling it and there was literally flakes from where it was coming off everywhere.

How long does it take with things to notice differences?

What I mean is with some new method you are trying at any given time whether it is face wash, or anything external you are applying to your face. I'm trying a new toner that is supposed to work great and it has only been a week and one day how long should I give it before I can know FOR SURE if it is helping?

Need some help? Lookie here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkCFeNeqyHk

This isn't my video, but awhile back i came across this on youtube. sometimes i would be so hurt about something, it would bring tears to my eyes. no matter what, it always makes me look ahead a little bit.

i saw a post on here that had an over the rainbow song, so i figured id put this on here for extra help

the people that watch this video may not all have acne. they may not have anything close to it. but we do share something, and that is a struggle.

Choice... be a vampire clear OR have acne no vamp?

lol just for fun I'm curious what you guys will say.

No, I have not seen that teenie vampire movie.

Your choice is if you could choose to be a vampire and have clear skin or be normal and have acne. hmmm...

I'm not quite sure what I would do. I mean, it'd suck having to suck people's blood. Social life would be awkward lol.

And you can whine about how this is a what if. Idc. In the world of acne, everything is what if. What if this or that works?

What has worked for YOU?

If something has worked for you to rid you of acne for a long time, what is it?

If not, what have you tried?

Face washes, pills, slapping a sammich on there? Anything.