Most acne treatments seem to fall under the category of "shitty beauty hacks and bad advice".
If I could have all of the money back that I've ever spent on acne treatments, I'd be able to buy a large beachfront house-- in cash.
The bad advice starts when you hit puberty. The clear skinned parent who tells you to wash with dish soap... that other parent who claims your "bad attitude" is causing it... that relative to tells you proactive is the cure... the multiple online forums that include people who push product after product on you.
Bottom line, in my opinion, is this: if you have a skin issue that doesn't go away with tried-and-true common sense treatment, go to a doctor for it. Even then, this is a crapshoot, as many doctors are useless when it comes to skin issues. If that is the case, find a new doctor. I'd say even if you have no insurance, you're better off paying out-of-pocket for one visit to see a physician versus spending $200+ plus at (insert beauty store here) for some "miracle cure". You're better off getting a cheap antibiotic or topical prescription that has a chance of actually working. Some pharmaceutical companies offer sliding-scale payment programs for uninsured people, so you might be able to get legitimate brand name acne prescriptions for a lower cost if you income qualifies you.
There are also legit dermatology apps online where physicians can give you recommendations based off photographs. I've actually had pretty good luck with these, believe it or not. At least you can show them what the problem is at the time the issue is flaring, versus waiting a few weeks-- and then the problem magically goes away-- only to reappear a day after you've seen the doctor.
Some "acne" is actually seborrheic dermatitis, some "acne" is rosacea, some "acne" can be a sign of some other serious disease. Some "acne" could be cancer! You often need a physician to really pinpoint the cause.
Of course, if you're a woman, people will eventually tell you to go on the pill. If you are a freak like me, even the mildest birth control pills will break you out even more, make you bleed 24/7, and make you gain 10 pounds in a week. They might be worth a try, but STOP them if you start getting bad side effects.
When all was said and done, I needed to take Accutane three times as an adult to get rid of my acne. Even now, I have to use topical spironolactone to keep it at bay (and that was after I took the pill version, which gave me hideous side effects). Luckily I don't have severe cystic acne, and luckily I have many stretches of time where my skin is clear (knocks on wood). The only bright side is that my skin hasn't wrinkled too much even though I'm now officially "middle aged".
Most of the "miracle cures for acne" that are thrown about online make me seethe. This is one of those conditions I truly believe is genetic and can't be "fixed" with any tricks if it's not treatable with run-of-the-mill face washing and the occasional benzoyl peroxide. I often think it's an autoimmune problem for people, but there doesn't seem to be much research on it since it's not "fatal". I suppose the disease reaps more profit than a cure ever could.
