Hi everyone,
So this is this first time I have ever posted about my acne. I have been struggling with acne since the eighth grade and I am now 23. I have tried everything I can think of to clear it up...differin, retin-a,minocyclin,doxy and tons of different drug store products.
My recent routine has been mino twice a day and differin every other night but my face is so sensitive I've been experiencing extreme peeling and redness and on top of that I'm a compulsive picker so picking at the dry patches has now added to my daily picking. I have recently started to develop infections on my nose and I just don't know what to do. I feel my face is worse than ever. :-/
yo....i'm also 23....and believe me i have suffered a lot from having acne.... i mean i can take physical pain but the emotional damage that it has brought to my life is just hard..... i've had also a hard time in dealing with acne, but there is one thing that i would not do... i will never give up fighting and neither should you.....
personally i was put on 6months of accutnae and i switched from using a lot of products on my face to the mildest ones i can find.... i now only use cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer and i make my own green tea toner, and also use sulfur soap just once a day..... i think i've cut the chemicals i've been using on my face by at least 50-60% i've noticed changes in my skin that i've never seen then....
regarding with your compulsive picking, try to stay away from mirrors..... it has done an awful lot of good things to me...i too was a skin picker....i would feel my face and pick at it and then i'd regret doing it after...... so i just avoided mirrors.... Picking your skin will do more harm than good...... and that is a fact!!!!! get to a derm that will understand you and help you through all of this..... weigh all your options...research like crazy!!!
never give up!!!!!
hey, have you tried argan oil? I used to have moderate acne with scaly dry skin at times but now I am clear and rarely get spots. Even when i get a spot i rub some argan oil on it and it goes in 2 days and if im lucky overnight! 
I apply it as a moisturiser day and night and keep it in the fridge to preserve its freshness. It is 100 per cent natural so wont irritate skin. I bought mine from a website called fushi.
Also, I would recommend you to stay away from harsh cleanser with tons of ingredients in it. I would opt for on from Bodyshop's aloe vera range or a gentle foam wash.
It is POSSIBLE to get clear! But the key is consistency. Now that I am argan oil I will NEVER waste my money on any other supermarket products again! Plus argan oil is antioxidant and it got rid of the lines on my forehead that I developed after using medicated creams.
Best of Luck!