I use fruit of the earth aloe vera on any acne right before I go to bed at night. It dries up the zit without drying out my skin and there's a noticable difference in the morning when I wake up and wash my face.

Seems to work so much better than anything with chemicals, at least for me.

Neutrogena oil free acne wash at morning & night, and clearasil tinted acne treatment cream during the day under my makeup works well for me. I also use BareMinerals makeup instead of a liquid foundation and that has worked wonders. However now that I'm 21 I don't have as many skin issues as I did when I was in my teens, but I'm still looking for a solution to my impossible blackheads on my nose.

I use Mario Badescu stuff pretty exclusively. The enzyme gel cleanser and the yellow toner (can't think of the name) do a pretty good job of staving off the onslaught of serious zits, and I manage the ones that come along with the Drying Lotion (anything that has a head) and the Buffering Lotion (anything red or cystic) at night. I minimize scarring and spreading with the Healing Cream during the day, which has pretty much replaced my daytime moisturizer...it's really a wonderful product.

I found all of these by filling out the consulting questionnaire on their website and getting a haul of free samples in the mail a few weeks later. The Drying Lotion, Buffering Lotion, and Healing Cream may seem a little expensive, but each is enough to last about a lifetime.

I used to have bad skin and kept using products for oily skin, which didn't really help. In the end I found my skin was just really sensitive, not oily, and using good basic skincare products, nothing overly fancy, like Clinique, Clarins etc. gave the best results.

I've tried many remedies for zits but the one that seems to work for me is Mary Kay Acne Treatment Gel. The zits just disappear overnight -- no drying, scarring or evidence that they were ever there.

To cover them up, I've recently tried Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage. It seems to do the trick.

But the main thing is to avoid them: wash, tone and moisturize face every morning and evening. Put on a warm washcloth to open pores and rinse with cold water.

Now, my real problem is blackheads. Maybe we can discuss this next time!

I have always had bad skin. I am constantly looking for the perfect product. The one i always come back to is St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I used it 10 years ago, and I still use it today. Now they even make a medicated version.

And like everyone else, I have huge problems with blackheads. It's really awful.

wow! you all are giving such great advice so far!

and i wanted you to know that, as promised, i am working on starting a segment called Melissa's Blackhead Attack! because like those of you who've voiced that as a concern, i have dealt with those stupid things since my teens! so get ready for (hopefully) some great info for battling the blackheads. ;) though i do need to give some products time to "work their magic" or not.

and in the meantime, continue to let us know about acne helpers! we LOVE your feedback!

I do theatre and wear heavy pancake makeup. Mario Badescu (either Botanical or Enzyme Cleansing gel) gets the makeup off gently and thoroughly. In the evening I wash my face with Lush Coalface soap, and in the morning I use Proactiv cleanser. This regime may be a bit harsh for really sensitive skin, but personally, my skin looks flawless and blemish-free…and considering the wear-and-tear it goes through with stage makeup, that's saying something! (I don't bother with the entire Proactiv regime; I've heard the cleanser is the best part.)

I have T-zone type skin but with minimal breakouts and lots of blackheads. I have used Philosophy's Exit Strategy before with pretty good results, and then decided to try an Origins product which I think is nearly pure salicylic acid and it seems to make things worse. Sometimes I just use a Q-tip and dip it in some rubbing alcohol and dab it on the zit and in the morning it's usually much smaller. Stings like crazy though, and if you're skin is sensitive, you probably shouldn't try that.