Drenny's homespun guide to acne treatment
Step 0 - See a dermatologist.
Seriously. Dermatologists are medical doctors and will be able to provide you with more pertinent, acccurate information than any online source. If you can't afford one (it will be expensive) and don't suffer from sever acne (cystic acne), the rest of this guide will probably help you. A warning, though: I am not a professional.
Step 1 - Cleanse.
This should be preformed daily. Hopefully, this should not come as a suprise to you. Don't use regular soap; it will dry out your skin and make it flaky. Buy soap made specifically for washing the face.
There are multitudes of any facial product (including facial soaps) at the grocery store. I've had the best luck with the products that
are simple in name and packaging. For example, I use a Johnson & Johnson generic facial soap called Purpose (provides good results) rather than Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash (provides not so good results.)
Step 2 - Tone. (Exfoliate)
Removing dead skin cells from the face is called toning or exfoliating. Chemical agents (alpha-hydroxic acids, beta-hydroxic acids, and salicylic acid) are the active ingredient in most exfoliating products. The strongest alpha-hyrdoxic acid is glycolic acid (which has given me the best results); some others to look for are lactic acid and mallic acid.
Shaving does a good job of exfoliating, too. I recommend not using any toner on areas that you have shaved in the same day.
Step 3 - Moisturize.
Exfoliating and washing your face dries out your skin. Give your skin the moisture it wants with a mosturizer. You might be reluctant to moisturize for fear of clogging pores, but remember that water and oil are different things. And besides, dry skin feels crappy.
Also, finding a moisturizer with sunscreen built in is a plus (no one wants UV rays - or skin cancer).
Notes
It is possible to overtreat your skin. Start out doing these steps once a day, but try to find a frequency that works right for you. I wash my face twice a day, once in the morning and at night. Don't exfoliate more than once a day - in fact, once a day might be a little extreme if you have sensitive skin.
Remember that acne is caused by pores that are blocked (usually by oil.) Do everything you can to stop oil from getting on your face. Don't touch your face. Don't rest your face in your hands. Wash your pillowcases more often (this did wonders for me).
Make sure everything that goes on your face (this includes shaving cream) is noncomedogenic. This means that it won't clog pores.
You might also try products containing benzoyl peroxide. It kills the bacteria that infects your whiteheads, making them red. I recommend using it only a few times (or just once) a week, though, it tends to be very tough on the skin.
Stick with it. It will take a long time before your face is completely clear again. Your acne might start getting worse before it gets better.
Feel free to /msg me with questions, corrections or comments.