If you're one of those girls who maybe has had a couple pimples at the most, God bless you. I envy you. You should really thank your parents for some awesome genes.

I was plagued with such bad acne since I was 14 that I underwent three trials of Accutane (once when I was 14, another when I was 18, and my last at 20). Over the course of 10+ years, my mom and I have spent thousands of dollars on everything from new products from Murad to oxygen facials at the local spa to prescription medications. At 28, I am still getting the skin under control.

Now, there's not any one solution for everyone suffering from acne. However, if I can help anyone save the time, money, and heartache (let's face it, having acne as a teen is pretty rough), then I would feel that my endeavor for clear skin is not in vain!

So here it is, fellow acne-sufferers:

Acne (or at least a major part of it) is your skin's inability to combat bacteria. So, what exactly kills bacteria? Salicylic acid. Use a gentle exfoliating face wash, and follow that with a salicylic toner. I use "gentle" to describe the cleanser you should use because the last thing you want to do is dry out your skin too much (dry skin translates to dead skin cells clogging your pores, resulting in--you guessed it--more pimples).

Now I use two additional items to help me in my fight against acne, one of which I think everyone with acne should use, and the other...well, it's up to you. The first is benzel peroxide. This should only be used on the problem areas, as it helps bring the pimple from underneath the skin to the surface and then dries it. Benzel peroxide is a completely effective weapon in your fight against acne.

The second item I use is a lactic acid serum. I like it just because it helps to further kill the bacteria, and it has that "tingly" feeling. However, the salicylic acid should suffice in the killing of bacteria.

Finally, do not forget moisturizer (and no, you're not too young to use one with a high spf)! I know you want to dry out those pimples, but like I said, you shouldn't over-dry your skin because (a) the dry skin cell will clog your pores, and (b) when your skin is too dry, it will try to produce even more oil in response to the dryness, which can lead to more breakouts.

While this post has been all about things you can do topically to improve your skin, I'd like to stress the importance of eating healthy, taking a multivitamin, and taking zinc. "Zinc?" you ask. Yes. You see, zinc does more to improve your immune system's ability to fight off illness and bad bacteria than even Vitamin C. I kid you not, ever since I started taking a zinc tablet every day, I have not been sick AND my skin has immediately improved.

I hope you found this helpful in your own quest for clearer skin!