I've always had clear skin. When I was a teenager, I had the occasional pimple or two, but I've never had acne or a bad breakout.

Then I moved to Tennessee for graduate school. I'm not sure if it was the change in geography or the change in my stress level, but last winter, I got my first breakout. A friend told me to change my skin-care routine.

SPEND: According to the commercial, it can take weeks for some Proactive users to see results. My forehead cleared up in two days. Instead of using any facial cleanser, I contacted Mary Kay and purchased its entire TimeWise line-up for combination skin. This kept my breakouts at bay through spring and summer.

Then fall semester arrived, and my acne returned. My forehead and T-zone areas were covered with zits. Even the TimeWise line-up couldn't keep my breakouts under control. I was desperate and devastated. I turned to Proactiv.

Every one has seen the Proactiv commercials. But unless you suffer from acne, you probably don't give them much thought. According to its infamous commercials, Proactiv was created by two Stanford-trained doctors who joined forces to battle acne. Their three-step system, which includes a cleaner, toner and lotion, is endorsed by both celebrities and average Joes who say it gives you clearer skin in weeks.

I hate to purchase products that are sold on TV (I've been duped before), but I was desperate, and they were having a special. Plus, their customer service representative swore up and down that my money would be returned if the product didn't work for me.

Spend: According to the commercial, it can take weeks for some Proactiv users to see results. My forehead cleared up in two days. I was completely zit-free in about a week. I've been using Proactiv's three-step system once a day every evening. I haven't had a single pimple since.