stuff i've learnt about acne and some of my thoughts regarding the subject. 

-researching acne is 100% important when trying to "cure" yourself.  there is different types of acne. all have specific treatments. (some skin problems are not even acne)

- it important to educate yourself on post acne marks & acne scars + how to treat them. it is easy to mistake post acne/ skin damage for active acne. 

-sodium lauryl sulfate (aka "SLS" for short) is an ingredient in most acne soaps but should be avoided if you have sensitive skin as it causes redness/irradiation.

- get out of the mindset of thinking acne is solely a top layer skin problem which needs to be scrubbed or washed away. this mindset leads to unnecessary skin damaged  and lines the pockets of the companies which were created drain our pockets with their "cures".

-aspirin topically, over night, works well on under the skin acne lumps. research aspirin masks health and safety before using (under the skin acne lumps are caused by a mix of blocked pores, hormones and poor diet.)

-exfoliation is important but should not be over done. (lightly rubbing your face a simple towel works well)

-poor diet /binge eating normally has a delayed reaction, in my experience it shows up in the skin within 2 days. - in my experience exessive sugar and fizzy drinks are 100% bad in respect to acne.

-sometimes we cause our own misery. you can not expect your skin to be clear if your constantly picking, over washing and attacking it with soaps/washes. -cut your fingernails short and limit your time in front of the mirror.

-vitamins can often greatly help improve redness,acne and promote skin healing.

-benzoyl peroxide cream (BP cream) should only at 2.5% or 5%. 10% is too strong. also worth noting BP cream can cause redness and drying. so should only be used in a very small amount to initially "kill" a spot and not used after that. - BP cream can also prolong post acne marks.

-doctors / gp's have very little time for acne. they will often just hand you a bag of pills. your have much more success in using research via google or acne.org forum than just solely trusting your doctor.

-no one, male or female, should be ashamed of using makeup. imo your goal should be to dull down the redness of a spot or lump not try and hide it. (simply dulling down a single red spot on someones face can greatly improve your overall look) 

-excessive touching your face can cause spots

- never blindly trust anyone or buy into hype of a "cure". what works for one person might not work for you.

and lastly, some advice i once heard from a bodybuilder on youtube which i think can be applied to acne.. never compare your self to others, you should only compare yourself to yourself. ie is your skin better today than it was last week or last month or even a year ago? (for me,now i dont have bright red, sun burnt type acne. mainly due to info on acne.org forums )