Acne medications and creams that have worked for me (prescription only):

Tretinoin Retinol – It is typically recommended for those with moderate to severe acne. I used this for a long while. It doesn’t show results right away and can dry your skin a lot! However, my Dermatologist told me Retinol is one of the best things for skin because it has properties that resolve more than just acne. It is said to have anti aging properties as well.

Benzoyl peroxide – I used this in a gel format that I had to keep in the fridge. Again, this product dries your skin out like crazy. It worked very well on drying out problem areas (huge pimples).

Differin – I haven’t used this one for long, but here is some information about it.

What is prescribed to me now:

Accutane Roch: The best medication I’ve used to date for clearing everything up. It’s an oral medication (pills) therefore it attacks every pimple from behind as opposed to a topical treatment. However, it is a very harsh medication with many side effects that may or may not affect you. Typically, it gets a lot worse before it gets better. I had blood and urine tests every month while I was on this medication. Also, it is imperative that you take precautions to not get pregnant on Accutane because it WILL cause birth defects. It’s not for everyone.

Stieva – It’s just a different brand name for tretinoin. It should be the same. I was told to use this cream and another (which I can’t remember and will add later) after I finish my Accutane treatment.