I Thought Acne was a Teenager Problem. Guess Not...

I feel like people say "oh when you hit your late 20's that goes away" or "just wait til you creep up on 30." Well I'm 27 now and some things are getting worse.

I love infomercials. Seriously. It's an addiction. I feel like Proactive is targeting me right now. My TV KNOWS that my acne is out of control. And not just on my face. My shoulders and back are a HOT MESS. I've been swimming with Avery, hoping the chlorine will help dry my skin out. It's not working yet. And I cannot TAKE IT!!!!

I thought this would stop when I turned 25. I thought that 25 was like this magic number where acne went away. I feel like I need to start moisturizing to prevent wrinkles or something but I can't because I'm afraid that if I moisturize, I'll break out more. I finally stopped using the benzoyl peroxide (white overnight acne medicine) because my face was peeling and dry and I still had zits underneath. It was awful.

I've been using Demalogica. The moisturizer is nice because it's light and doesn't feel like it's caking on my skin or oily. But my face is still gross. And I feel like it's this vicious cycle.

Zit ----> wear make up to cover it all day ----> makeup doesn't allow it to dry out ----> zit doesn't heal ----> more acne from clogging pores with make up

I'm convinced the make up industry and the acne industry are in cahoots together.

If someone else suggests Proactive, you are all in big trouble. I did that route for a bit and it worked for a while, but it also BLEACHED OUT all of my towels, shirt necks, pillow cases and tops of sheets. They don't tell you THAT on the commercial!! They totally should.

Anyone have a skin regimen that they can suggest that works and won't break the bank? I'm getting desperate. I should not have skin that looks like a pubescent teenager.