Hi there,

I'll add my advice based on having had acne since the age of nine and still having to

Control it now I'm 41!

I've had pretty much every kind of spot you can imagine, blackheads, whiteheads, large pustules, deep set red mounds that stay for weeks, infected wounds that look like Halloween makeup.... I've suffered in my teens terribly and had to listen to idiots telling me it's just a phase, you can't do anything about it, just leave it etc. Load of rubbish, it is a big deal and you can do plenty about it.

I went through all the medical treatments and commercial products, Benzoyl peroxide reduced the infections and the spots, but only a little. It also caused a bit of nausea endlessly drowning my face in that chemical. After that I went to the doctor and got special face wash and antibiotics. The antibiotics were effective for a while, as was the wash. Gradually my spots seemed to devlelop an immunity to both and came back with a vengeance. The doctor took me off the antibiotics as it's bad to take them long term.

Over many harsh years I had find out what really works for me.... I hope this works for you too! Spots can be fought on two fronts, on the outside - your skin, and the inside - your diet:

1. Diet... I discovered in my late teens that if I ate a lot of plain vegetables and drank water, it made a huge difference. I had to give up all greasy foods, like burgers and all fried foods and most sweets. The worst food is pork, bacon etc. if I eat ham even now, it is spots the next day for sure. The most effective food to eat is spinach. I eat a whole can of spinach (spinach in water, no salt) most days and it has a huge effect on keeping my skin clean. I have the canned one because the raw version has too many pesticides and cooked spinach is less effective.

2. Skin... After I started shaving I noticed my chin was having much less spots than anywhere else. I realised it was actually the shaving foam. I started using it daily morning and night across my whole face. I have to leave it on for at least 5 minutes before rinsing it off, it is more effective and gentler on the skin that anything the doctors ever gave me.

Note that you'll need a gentle one with aloe, it took me a while to find a brand that is effective but not too harsh.

If you sweat, at the gym etc, use the foam immediately after when you shower.

So the two things that have changed my pizza face to perfect skin.... Spinach and shaving foam.

Good luck to you, I hope you don't have to endure the skin horrors I've had to.