I have come to the conclusion that no products used on the external will prevent acne - that acne is an outward manifestation of an internal problem. That being said, there is no point in externally 'treating' acne... just use a regimen that won't aggravate the problem or damage your skin.

When I first started breaking out several years ago, my initial strategy was to use harsh, chemical filled, irritating drugstore acne products....like BP, SA, various astringents, toners, scrubs.... non of which improved my skin despite meticulously following the directions. They all made it worse - flaky, dry, red.

Next, I experimented with prescription products like benzaclin, retin-A etc.... which further irritated, flaked and reddened my skin without stopping the breakouts.

Then I finally decided to put an end to all these harsh treatments and began experimenting with natural, healing products......products containing ingredients like emu oil, jojoba oil, low concentrations of various essential oils. And I must say, out of everything I've tried, the "natural" stuff has been the best. They tend to be much gentler, soothing... Haven't had any horrible reactions. The skin surrounding my spots is glowing instead of splotchy and irritated and red marks disappear faster than when I was using drugstore/prescription products. I have sensitive skin so it's obvious I should be using products that are gentle. Duhh!

Anyway... I ran out of my usual natural cleanser (which was awesome, by the way), so I decided to try a new one: Thera Neem - facial complexion botanical cleansing bar. Wow! I just fell in love again. This stuff is super soothing! My skin is just crying "thank you!" http://www.organixsouth.com/theraneem.html

So that's my rant! I wonder what I can "fix" on the inside to finally kill this acne thing.... My acne is pretty mild, just stubborn as hell!