new skin regimen

now that my hair is doing a little bit better i am able to focus on another problem so i don't obsess over it so much. the skin that used to get me compliments in high school for being flawless has turned on me with a vengeance. a nasty one, mind you. i have tried lots of stuff - proactiv, retin-a, over the counter stuff and what not, with minimal results. for about a month or two i have been using the oil cleansing method (OCM) and it has been ok but i still have a few persistent blemishes that refuse to leave me alone. so what is a girl with good health insurance to do? use it! i went to the dermatologist today, a really nice guy who i like even more because the product samples are free-flowing. no seriously, i left with a grocery bag full of stuff. i got some things i have heard of before, but also one that i had no idea what the heck it was, so along with my new regimen i will post what i found on it.

OLD REGIMEN
morning: rinse with lukewarm water.
evening: apply honey/EVOO/baking soda mask. followup with ACV/water/lemon juice toner. moisturize with shea butter.

NEW REGIMEN
morning: wash with facial cleanser or moisturizing soap (olay, dove). followup with clindamycin pads. use moisturizer with spf (currently purpose with spf 15). doryx tablet.
evening: wash with facial cleanser. apply thin layer of retin-a micro. moisturize with shea butter.

honey: excellent antibacterial that kills germs that cause blemishes in the first place.
baking soda: exfoliates to remove dry skin. also dries up some blemishes. very inexpensive.
ACV: used as a toner. kills off acne causing bacteria, balance your skin's pH, and absorbs extra oil on your skin.
lemon juice: rich in citric acid; good exfoliant. also lightens hyperpigmentation. best used with a sunscreen.
clindamycin phosphate: inhibits bacteria protein synthesis at the ribosomal level (the site of protein synthesis). basically, it is an antibiotic. can cause itchy/peeling skin.
doryx (doxycycline): oral antibiotic. may swell your baby's forehead if s/he takes it. don't ask.
retin-a micro (tretinoin): loosens and expels whatever is clogging your pores in the first place. less irritating that regular retin-a, which made my skin peel really bad. wish i had known that before i got my eyebrows waxed.

(sources: http://ezinearticles.com/?Natural-Acne-Treatments&id=213993, http://ezinearticles.com/?Clear-Your-Acne---Naturally!&id=59311, www.wikipedia.org/clindamycin, www.doryx.org, http://www.retinamicro.com/productinformation.asp)

i have taken before pictures, and will compare them to the pics i take when i go back to the derm in 6 weeks. you don't get to see them now, i'm not crazy.