The Best Acne Treatments Ever

Here's my list of the best acne treatment ever, so far! Feel free to weigh in on your favorites. This list is actually comprised of three separate lists:
1) The Beauty Insider's Picks: My own personal list of the best products in that category, in no particular order
2) The Popular Vote: The results of a poll I did of over 1000 beauty-savvy consumers, in order of popularity
3) What the Pros Chose: These are the top picks of the beauty experts who appear in my book, also known as The Beauty Bunch. (You can learn more about this genius team of experts by clicking on the About the Book tab, and then clicking on "Who are the Beauty Insiders?").

The Beauty Insider’s Picks
1. ProActiv Repairing Lotion: This light lotion has an elegant texture. When I was a teenager, I avoided any product that claimed to be gentle—I wanted to beat my acne into submission. This product is proof that my approach was all wrong: it’s soothing, gentle enough to use daily, and extremely effective. $39.95 (as part of three-step acne treatment system)
2. Origins Spot Remover: This is the best spot treatment I’ve ever used—even my husband is hooked. One tiny dab of the salicylic acid, oregano, and clove formula zaps blemishes virtually overnight, and since it’s clear, no one needs to know you’re treating anything. $10
3. ZapZyt Maximum Strength Acne Treatment Gel: This budget-friendly product employs ten percent benzoyl peroxide to kill bacteria and keep skin smooth and blemish-free. Plus, it’s invisible, so it’s perfect for daytime use. $5
4. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion: This classic pink potion looks a little bit like calamine lotion, but it’s designed to quickly dry up pimples and whiteheads almost overnight, without irritating the surrounding skin. $17
5. Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel: This overnight treatment is an acne triple threat: it sloughs off dead skin cells, soaks up excess oil, and fights bacteria. Salicylic acid and tea tree oil keep skin blemish free with regular use. $31 (approx.)
6. Payot Pate Grise Anti-Bacterial Treatment: I spent much of my recent month in Paris trying to track down this elusive product. I tried every single apothecary, pharmacy, and parfumerie I passed, to no avail. It was sold out everywhere. I eventually returned home and ordered it online, from a French pharmacy. This thick grey ointment has earned legions of devoted fans for its ability to easily eliminate skin eruptions. $21
7. Jan Marini Skin Research Benzoyl Peroxide 5%: I use this clear, lightweight treatment gel daily, as directed, as the final step of my skincare routine. It keeps breakouts at bay without drying my skin out. I love the dry, invisible finish. $25
8. Peter Thomas Roth BPO Gel 5%: This silky, easy-to-use gel makes an effective, yet gentle, all-over acne treatment. With regular use, it clears up existing blemishes while preventing the formation of new ones. $22
9. Yon-Ka Emulsion Pure/Juvenil: Yon-Ka’s luxurious, aromatic acne treatments are spa-like, not boring or medicinal. Emulsion Pure is an oil-free liquid infused with five essential oils that’s designed to be used as a compress (my esthetician recommended using gauze pads), but can also be dabbed on all over to prevent blemishes. Juvenil Deep Acne Fluid is for deeper, more problematic blemishes, no matter what your age. It’s antibacterial, antiseptic, and never stings or leaves skin dry. $40 (Emulsion Pure); $38 (Juvenil)
10. Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment Vanishing Formula 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide: Troubled skin that is easily irritated will benefit from this mild solution, which packs enough punch to clear up skin without leaving it dry or inflamed. $6

The Popular Vote
1. Clean and Clear Clear Advantage Daily Acne Clearing Lotion, $6.69 (approx.)
2. Paula’s Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Liquid Solution, $13.95
3. ProActiv Refining Toner, $39.95 (as part of three-step acne treatment system)
4. Retin-A Microgel .1%, $125
5. Neutrogena On the Spot Acne Treatment, $6 (approx.)
6. Origins Spot Remover, $10
7. Avon Clearskin Invisible Blemish Corrector, $5.29
8. Tazorac Cream .1%, $200 (approx.)
9. Accutane, $800 for 20 weeks of treatment (approx.)
10. Acnomel Acne Medication Cream, $9 (approx.)

What the Pros Chose
Clearasil, approx. $4-10: Wende Zomnir, Meredith Green
Kinara Spa problem skin products, $35-55: Julie Hewett
Avance Algae Deep Gentle Cleanse, $29: Dee DeLuca-Mattos
Catherine Atzen AM-PM Purifying Gel, $46: Vanessa Talabac
Aveda Balancing Infusion for Oily Skin/Acne, $18: Shauna Raisch
Enessa Clove Oil, $25.50: Michelle Ornstein
Peter Thomas Roth problem skin treatments, $22-45: Peter Thomas Roth
Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel, $45: June Jacobs
ProActiv Solution, $39.95 for three-step system: Mala Elhassan
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, $17: Hara Glick
The Vital Image Acne No, $12: Linda Deslauriers
Cosmedix Clear Medical Clarifier, $36: Shan Albert, who chose it because it’s “chirally correct, meaning that it provides the finest results with the fewest possible side effects.”
Facials: Danielle Browning
Yon-Ka Crème 11, $40: Gabrielle Ophals, who likes that “Yon-Ka’s philosophy is that problem skin needs to be treated as gently as possible, and that the primary goal is to reduce irritation. The Crème 11 is known in our spa as Cream ‘911’ for its ability to bring down inflammation.”