I wrote a response to a topic in the adult acne section of the forum and have since got to thinking that it belongs here. So... here goes.

There are people who have liver problems, digestive problems, and immune system problems who don't have acne.

if anything, acne indicates your immune system is working vigorously.

There are bodybuilders taking huge amounts of synthetic hormones who don't have acne. Maybe they get one ramping up or coming down, but they don't have acne problems.

Now, all of the above factors can contribute to acne trouble but none of them are necessary to the condition.

I've had acne issues for years. And I've tried a lot of treatments. And I've come to believe that, in most adult cases, acne is caused by a structural problem with one's skin.

Somehow, on an afflicted persons face, the natural barriers - structural or mechanical barriers - aren't keeping bacteria from entering the skin.

This could be that the oil one naturally produces is missing a key component. It could be that the larger capillaries that feed the skin come too close to the surface and are accessible to invading bacteria, or it could even be that the afflicted person sheds dead cells too quickly and leaves slightly immature cells exposed on the surface of the skin.

It almost doesn't matter why. The takeaway here is that bacteria are able enter the skin of acne people.

Further, I have come to believe that, in most cases, it is bacterial intrusion that cause pores to clog. Not clogged pores that offer a home to already present bacteria.

In my experience, treatments that kill acne are ineffective. Even as they slowly kill existing infections they can do nothing to prevent incoming bacteria.

People who, as a meams of treatment, are trying to unclog pores, usually exacerbate their problem because exfoliants and cleansers just strip more of the already inadequate skin defense away.

I believe, the best acne treatments form a barrier between one's face and the germ filled world.

This is the way most acne cases should be treated.

I personally use a modified version of the regemin. I use warm water to wash my face. Use the 2.5 PB from this site. And finish with cetaphil daily moisturizer 15spf.

I have used this system for over ten years. I use much less BP now than is recommended, but once your acne is gone, you don't need much in the moisturizer to maintain the barrier.

And it is the barrier that is important, far more than the killing power of any treatment.

I hope this post helps a few acne people keep their treatment methods and objectives in a useful perspective. My advice won't help everyone, but I'm convinced it will help most.