Let's face it, acne affects millions of people all over theworld and because of that there is a ton of money changing hands for all kindsof pills, potions, cover-ups, creams and scrubs that claim to be the realsolution. If you're like me, you have tried many of them over the years.

To me, the most frustrating thing I have experienced is notthat many of these treatments don't work, it is two other things. (1) I findone that works for a while and then it stops working. The other thing is thatit can be really hard to find a product that doesn't irritate my skin.

One thing I have found, however, is that traditional acnetreatment medications, oil-control moisturizers, astringents, cleansers andsuch can work really well if used in conjunction with alternative treatmentsthat attack the root of the problem. Doing a simple Google search will revealseveral alternate acne treatments.

If you choose to mix a traditional treatment with an alternatetreatment, be sure to look for one that contains natural ingredients and areoil-free. Of course, combining this with exercise and a good diet may help too.

There are also so-called do-it-yourself treatments that canbe effective and far less expensive than prescription, over-the-counter oralternative treatments..

There are several do it yourself ways that you can try toease the severity of acne while you seek a permanent solution. Here are a fewof them:

1. Steam

Steam helps open pores. After accomplishing this, use a gentlecloth to clear and clean the pores without using soaps or oil based cleaners.

2. Exfoliation

After the pores are opened and cleansed the next step is to exfoliate.I find that something that works well is a mud mask. However, if you want acheaper solution, you can gently scrub away the affected areas with an exfoliatingbrush to remove the dead cells.

3. Medication

After steam and exfoliation, I have found that tea tree oilhelps to sooth and protect my skin from both bacterial and fungal infections. Teatree oil is said to have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties,plus it smells and feels good.

4. Moisturization

The final step in your home-based regimen is to moisturizeyour skin. Make sure to find and use a moisturizer that contains all naturalingredients and contains no perfumes or chemicals and has low oil content.

As I started out saying, I have tried lots of remedies. Somework for me and some don't. Also, some work for a while and then stop working. Differentsolutions work for different people - it all depends on your skin's alkalinelevel, its sensitivity and the severity of your acne. My best advice is tosimply try out different approaches and see which one works for you. Manypeople are reporting great success in clearing their acne with holistic andalternative remedies and approaches, so try to keep an open mind and do what'sbest for your skin and your wallet.