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By now, almost everybody has seen the late night and early morning acne infomercials with Jessica Simpson and Sean "Diddy" Combs. I guess they figure, if a celebrity trusts something, then so should you. The promises made for the product sound surreal, and yet for many people it may be just the cure they're looking for. Even so, it may not be for everybody.

One of my daughters who had acquired a bad case of acne in recent years, tried the infomercial solution, and it didn't work on her at all. Being a young teenager, she was beset by acne breakouts and needed a solution fast. But unable to find a quick solution, we ended up going to the local dermatologist for acne information and answers. The doctor gave her a prescription for a cream and an oral medication. After following his instructions for a couple weeks, her acne had virtually departed. This was the right solution for her, but it may not be for you - because we're all different.

Here are some general tips that I've discovered over the years:

If you have oily skin - it's best to take a medicated acne product or one in gel form.

If you have dry skin - you'll probably do better with the acne cream form and medicated products with benzoyl peroxide or salycic acid.

If you have both oily AND dry skin (combined type) - you will probably need a combination of oily skin gels and dry skin acne creams to apply to different parts of your fact according to the skin condition there.

If you have sensitive skin - you will more than likely need less intense concentrations of either dry, oily, or combined-type treatments.

If you have skin pain because of acne - you should get personal attention from a dermatologist.

So many people struggle with skin afflictions on a regular basis. With the advances in science, you'd think that the acne problem would have been solved long ago and that acne would be a pale memory. Unfortunately the age-old confidence destroyer is still around and going strong.

Today, reaching middle age, I find myself in a new situation when it comes to unsightly blemishes. Now I find that my skin tends to be a bit oily and I have acne breakouts after moisturizing my face. One of the few things I look forward to as I get older is the absence of acne.