how to get blemish-free skin

[#1]

Hello, I have combination skin with an oily t-zone that can get easily dried out (seems strange that it's both at the same time).  I have fairly consistent acne.  It's not too terrible.  Usually it can be covered with concealer and light to medium coverage foundation and it doesn't look too horrible.  I have blackheads around my nose and forehead and a few enlarged pores on my cheeks (also covered fairly easily).  My current skincare routine is the following:

Morning (decided to list everything I put on my face, including makeup):

-Splash of water (usually in a rush in the morning)

-PTR Complexion Correction Pads

-Spot treatment as needed

-REN Keep Young and Beautiful serum

-Boscia black gel moisturizer

-Hourglass Veil primer

-Urban Decay concealer

-Josie Maran powder foundation

Night:

-Alternate every night between using the Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser with my Mia and the Boscia Purifying Cleanser with my hands.

-Fresh Soy Exfoliator (twice a week, carefully avoiding any areas that are broken out)

-Spot treatment as needed

-REN Keep Young and Beautiful serum

-Perricone Deep Moisture Therapy

Each of these products were separately and slowly introduced into my skin regimen.  So I know none of them are really making anything worse, but they're not really helping either.  The newest products in my regimen are the Perricone moisturizer and the Fresh exfoliant. 

I just went into Sephora looking for a new toner. An SA recommended (and so I purchased) the following:

-Kate Somerville Detox Cleanser

-AmorePacific Bamboo Mist

-PTR Spot/Area Treatment (this was my own purchase, not recommended by the SA)

After reading about these products I purchased, I'm concerned...I wasn't looking for a toner to spritz on my face throughout the day.  I was looking for a toner to use post-cleansing to balance the skin and remove any residual impurities from cleansing.  Hoping to have it be alcohol-free also (I think the alcohol in the PTR pads are drying out my skin).  I went in curious just about toners.  Specifically, the Murad Clarifying toner, Kate Somerville toner and Boscia Clear Complexion toner, but the SA said they weren't right for my skin.  (On a side note, she said we had similar skin types and her skin didn't look all that flawless, which doesn't help with my worry about these products). Seeing as how the AmorePacific doesn't look like what I need, I'm now also concerned that maybe the Kate Somerville cleanser wasn't a good recommendation either...

Really, I want what every girls wants...blemish-free, flawless skin.  I want something to prevent my acne and maybe even rid me of my blackheads.  However, I'm scared to try an entire line specific for acne because, as I said at the beginning, my skin can get dried out easily if I use too many products that are designed to strip oil.  Was I recommended the wrong products today?  What should I do?  Help???

[#2]

Hi lili586,

I know how you feel I have a tendency to get rouge breakouts and had very large pores.

I'm obsessed with Kate Somerville's ExfoliKate. It's an exfoliating treatment that fights and prevents acne and blackheads while polishing the skin for a refreshing glow. I use mine about 1-2 times a week in place of my daily cleanser. Since then my breakouts have been minimized dramatically. The secret is the formula's fruit enzymes, which remove the bacteria that can cause breakouts. My face always feels really hydrated after using this.

I also started using a Clarisonic, which has not only minimized the size of my pores, but deep cleans the skin to also reduce breakouts. The deep clean also allows my skin to absorb skincare products that I use on a daily basis better. What I like about the Clarisonic is the fact that I can still use a lot of my favorite cleansers in conjunction with it, rather than buying a ton of extra products. It really enhances one's skincare routine.

[#3]

Two things I have to add...one I'm not big on toner so maybe eliminate a product or two, you may be using too many products. I know my face gets mad about that. Second, I'd add a Clarisonic to ur regimen, maybe at night to wash the day off.