I've been dealing with acne since I was around sixteen, so for the past eight years, my skin has been a real struggle. Cysts here and there, juicy peoples around the forehead and the chin, and the blackheads are my favorite part because they're so fun to extract. But fun or not, they're not good looking, and only in the past six-eight months did I finally manage to get my acne under control.

And I didn't just magically find something that cleared my skin. I've tried all sorts of pills, and nothing worked – not long term, anyway. My dermatologist also prescribed me dozens of topical creams, and guess what? Nothing worked. Nothing. At. All. And it really sucks when you're told that something is going to work, and you literally believe it until you realize, a few weeks later, that nope, did not work.

Before I get into the products that have really worked for me – finally! – I want to say that birth control pills can help a lot of you're a woman. I know that changing my pill to a stronger one helped a lot to reduce my cystic acne, but the products I will mention later almost cleared my face completely. But yeah, birth control isn't just for...controlling birth. It helps with acne, cramps, and so many other things. But if you're not into that, then that's completely fine as well. Nobody is forcing you to put your body through more hormones.

The one brand that has made miracles on my skin is Uriage. This French brand is very gentle and made with thermal water. It's super gentle, dermatologist-tested, and surprisingly very affordable. I'm not sure if you can find it in the States, but in Canada, you can find it at Shoppers Drugmart and Jean Coutu. And probably any other drugstore.

(Side note: words in bold are actually links!)

So, starting from the basics – face wash. The one that has completely changed my life this past year is the Uriage Hyséac Cleansing Gel. It's surprisingly very gentle even on sensitive skin, but it leaves your skin tingling, and it completely removes dirt and oil. Also, it's a very thick gel, so you don't feel like you're drying your skin out, but you also don't feel like you're adding oil to the mess. It just cleanses so well.

Next is the Uriage Thermal Micellar Water for combination to oily skin. I use it as micellar water in the morning and as a toner at night, and even if you've just washed your face, the little cotton pad you use to apply your toner is going to pick up so much dirt. This micellar water is like a magnet for oil residue.

My favorite moisturizer in this brand is the Uriage Hyséac 3-Regul Global. It's very strong and tends to leave my face itchy and red, so I only use it if I'm having a particularly bad breakout. But that cream – oh my God, it's fantastic. Your pimples literally disappear overnight, and your pores are beautifully smooth right after applying.

Then, there's the Uriage Hyséac SOS Paste that is an absolute miracle for cysts or really big pimples Basically, you apply it at night after washing your face and all that jazz, and you only apply it directly on pimples. It's a thick paste, so you might want to put a towel on your pillow for the night not to stain the fabric (it washes off really easily, though), but it dries out your pimples in a matter of hours. It's seriously the best spot treatment I've ever used, and it's the cheapest one on the market.

Changing brands, my favorite scrub at the moment is St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub, which is probably the cheapest scrub you can get. It's super gentle, but it gets into those stubborn pores and leaves your skin spotless. It's so good that it's actually the only scrub I've been using.

As a daily moisturizer, I've been using the The Face Shop Calendula Essential Moisture Emulsion, which is just so hydrating and light. It leaves your skin really soft, and it's so light that it doesn't block your pores. It's also for sensitive skin, so it calms your acne and prevents redness. I just love it.

My eye cream is also from the same brand, and it's the The Face Shop Calendula Essential Moisture Eye Cream. It works on those annoying dark circles, it hydrates so much, and it helps with under-eye bags in the morning.

Treatment-wise, I have a few masks that I've been loving. First of all, can I just say how amazing the new L'Oréal Pure-Clay Masks are? There are three of them: Energizing & Brightening, Purifying & Mattifying, and Exfoliating & Pore Refining. They're not cheap, but they're under $15 so that's good. And wow. All three of them have made such a big difference in my skin. I can't even pick a favorite. They do exactly what they claim to do.

Then there's the Pür Dirty Girl Detoxifying Mudd Masque that has made miracles on my skin. That one is expensive, but it's the biggest tube of mask I've ever seen, so I think it's totally worth it. It tightens your skin like crazy, and it sucks all the oil and dirt out of your pores. It's a pain to wash off, but it's truly incredible. I also sometimes use it as a spot treatment, which has been working great.

Last but not least, when you feel like your skin is really dehydrated despite all that oil greasing up your face (tasty, yeah?), the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask is absolutely magical. Once again, it's on the expensive side, but it's 70 ml so who cares? You use this as your night cream once or twice a week, and your skin will change forever.

So yeah, this is my routine, and I can't believe how well my skin has been responding to these products. Every skin is different, and these might not work for you, but they work for me and I think they're worth a shot.

Let me know in the comments if you try any of these, and let me know which one is your favorite!