Unless you are very, very lucky, many women spend tons of money and time in the pursuit of perfect skin. No one seems to stop buying products, and new treatments continue to come out, so it would seem nearly no one achieves the goal.

Dr. Ellen Marmur, chief of dermatology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, recently went on CBS’s “The Early Show” to talk about the subject, and some of her tips were very surprising. The first issue (which we’re all guilty of), is in fact treating the problem too much. “Many women and men use too many products, like exfoliating way too much,” says Marmur. In the end, she suggests, if you don’t know what the product is going to do for you, then chuck it. Which also debunks the myth that you have to spend a lot on fancy creams and lotions: “You can do that for 100 bucks a year. That’s less than 50 cents a day.”

It might not be for everyone, but it’s worth a try to dab a bit of Neosporin on a pimple before bedtime. It’s best to use for whiteheads that have already broken the surface and possibly ruptured the skin. Because it’s an antibiotic ointment, it will help prevent infection, and might also help to minimize scarring (nobody likes an acne scar on their face). Easy, and best of all, it’s cheap. [$7.99, Drugstore.com]

There are some things that you would think wouldn’t follow you into adulthood. Fear of the dark, a love for Disneyland, jelly sandals. One of the more annoying ones: acne. Seriously, isn’t that supposed to be one of those things that just scars your high school experience? Waking up to see new pimples when you’re in your 20s? Gah!

If you’re like me, you’ve been plagued with acne since a teenager, and while it’s not as severe as say, those scary Proactive commercials, it’s an issue that’s persisted into your adult years despite your attempts to solve the problem. Considering Accutane? Read on to find out about my experience.

Back in the day when we had severe acne, our dermatologist would tell us to keep our hair off our faces after he prescribed topical meds and antibiotics. We walked around with a ponytail for about two weeks before realizing that if we stopped using pore-clogging hair products we could let our hair down. Too bad Kairos’ Acne Care hair care line wasn’t around then because it could have helped us fight acne while keeping our hair looking perfect. The trio of products includes shampoo, conditioner, and an oil-clearing treatment, but Kairos also sells styling gel, hair spray, and hair glue that promise to pull double duty—healthy hair and clear skin. [$60, Kairos]

If you’re like some of us, the only way to get bone straight, silky hair is via an hour long cream relaxer process. For ages, brands like Dark & Lovely and Organic have been popular for their healthy, easy to use relaxers, but now they’ve got competition: Dr. Miracle’s. Since launching a few years back the company, created by a husband and wife team, has surged in popularity. But today I’ve just discovered that Dr. Miracles signature “Feel It” formula, which tingles and refreshes the scalp, can also be experienced in an acne care line. It’s called My Goodbye Acne System and comes with an exfoliating skin cleanser, regenerating toner and a repairing mositurizer. If you’re skeptical about a hair line debuting an acne treatment system, well, we don’t blame you. Then again, it worked for Garnier. Plus, the product has already gotten a hugest stamp of approval from the fashion and beauty industry’s leading publication, Women’s Wear Daily when it won breakout beauty product of the year. I don’t know how I’ve managed without it. Log on here or visit your local Walgreens to buy it.

Getting skin, “clean, clear, and under control” can be more than a little complicated. To simplify the process, one of our fave skin care brands, Dermalogica, has launched a line called Clean Start. The eight product range is appropriate for all skin types, but targeted specifically at teens to rid skin of blackheads, pimples, and other impurities. The line doesn’t rely on peppy commercials or packaging to get it’s point across, just quality ingredients and attention to detail—like a backwards spraying skin toner which can be spritzed on your face or your back. Best of all, the products contain no artificial colors, fragrances, or allergens. You can buy the cleansing gels, toners, and moisturizers separately. [$16 - $36, Clean Start]

You either love it or loathe it. For me, many, many years ago, Accutane was a life (or should I say face?) saver. A new college graduate, I was supposed to be past the age of weekly (and daily) breakouts, but somehow, my body didn’t know that. Go figure. So, after trying everything else in my derm’s arsenal, I finally succumbed and let the doc put me on Accutane, with its monthly blood tests, three gajillion forms of required birth control backups and insane drying effects. (Let’s just say I should have bought stock in Aquaphor. I’m still, closer to a decade later than not, trying to finish off the tubs of it I bought for my constantly chapped lips.) But at the end of it all, I ended up with some pretty decent skin. But not everyone had the low-resistance path I did—side-effects included depression, mood swings, extreme dryness…one guy even tried to use the drug as a defense in a murder case. So, when I heard the makers of Accutane were taking it off the market, I was a little surprised (despite the side-effect claims).

Is a pizza face staring back out at you from the mirror?  Your skin isn’t just freaking out because you fell asleep with makeup on—you could have a strain of drug-resistant super-acne on your hands.

I mean, your face.

Antibiotic acne meds were once the salvation of the spotted.  But just like the germs which develop a resistance to the widespread use of anti-bacterial hand lotions, the bacteria strain P. acnes bacterium is getting stronger and resisting the antibiotics commonly prescribed to kill it, dermatologists report.  Doctors are increasingly seeing drugs are no match for super-acne, says MSNBC.  In 2001, a French study found that 50 percent of samples of P. acnes bacterium were resistant to the acne antibiotic, Erythromycin.  Eeeeek!

But don’t let this news stress you into another nasty breakout: Doctors are changing tactics to fight the war on zits!  A derm may still prescribe antibiotics in conjunction with another medication to squelch La Resistance!, or prescribe antibiotics for a limited time, so the body can’t build up a resistance. [MSNBC]

OMG. Scientists think they have found the cure for acne. The drug SMT D002 supposedly can reduce the flow of sebum, that nasty oiliness that makes you break out, by 90%. Right now it’s only offered in pill form to treat some other condition, but they’re hoping to turn it into a cream that can be easily applied on skin with moderate to severe acne. This is a much better optipon than, say, Retin-A, which totally makes people suicidal. Where the hell were these doctors when I was covered in pimples all through junior high and high school?! [Telegraph U.K.]