I had the worst acne imaginable and it took me about 14 years to get it under control.  Most of it was discovered by trial and error and some was discovered by me reading books upon books.  But some simples steps that helped reduce the occurrence of acne.

* Keep my hands of my face unless they are clean
* Change my pillowcases / sheets daily and make sure they are white (I might be allergic to dyed sheets)
* Don’t over wash my face
* If I use a wash cloth to wash my face, make sure I use it once and that it is white
* Omit the use of fabric softeners when washing my sheets, pillowcases, and wash cloths.
* Disinfect everything that my face comes into contact with (i.e. headphones, telephones, cell phones, etc.)  
* Don’t pop or pick my acne
* Wear sunscreen daily
* If I breakout when trying out a new product, stop using it immediately.  It could be a sign that it is an allergic reaction


Also I have started taken taking supplements.  The supplements I have seen marked improvement in my skin are olive leaf extract and zinc (formulated for acne).  I tend to suffer from cystic acne and nodule acne.  A co-worker who is into holistic treatments and is a vegan ( for some reason I trust them in terms of holistic healing and the ironic this is that I eat meat O_o).  Anyway she recommended that I try liquid olive leaf extract to help with my acne since olive leaf contains powerful anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, so I’m told.  Unfortunately my local health food store was out and I ordered the dried version online.  In my opinion, this stuff is almost as good as the liquid.  But I should try the liquid to make that conclusion.  I also bought some zinc as per her suggestion.  The zinc tablets  purchase has a blend of zinc , vitamin A, C, E, B6, and some other blend of minerals and supplements. 

I also simplified my skin care routine and I try not to use many products that irritate my skin.  My skin care bible is called "The Skin Type Solution" by Dr. Leslie Baumann and I use most of the products that she recommends.  This book has saved me so much money and I can actually see improvement.  Hopefully this improvement will last.

What I suggest may not work for everyone and that is okay since we all have reaction to certain ingredients and skin types.  I tried almost  every prescription drug on the market, including Accutane, and the results doesn’t last for me.  I wouldn’t go back on birth control pills because I hate the side effects and antibiotics also, unless I don’t have a choice.  So I would only go to prescription as a last resort.  I hope this helps someone or serves as a guide or starting point.