A few things I've figured out with my own acne are...
Pre-squeeze (but not too aggressively, of course) problem areas before you actually get acne breakouts in those areas. This actually does work effectively because it forces the stuff out of there and before the pore can get clogged up and trap it in there to fester and become a huge 'abscess' (cystic acne are abscesses not just typical pimple sores). Yes, I'm well aware of the 'professionals' saying not to do this but they're full of it on this score. I personally would rather a very small little cord-like strain (or else whitish fluid not yet even a cord-like composition) of crud coming out of my pores and without blood and scar-tissue potential than to let all of those alone to become the visible nasties. For me, doing this does not cause more acne but actually reduces it (e.g. my problem area is around my nose and my chin, so those are the areas I do this with).
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Use a small amount of it on your face every day just like you would lotion (NOT washing it off but rather to allow it to be completely absorbed - so you might want to do this a little while before bed) and stop using commercial moisturizers. The oil molecules in this are too large to enter your pores, but it contains a lot of antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals, which is why it is a very good method of not just moisturizing your face, but also in helping to combat acne bacteria. Also, if your skin is dry (mine is a combination these days), it has no defense against bacteria. Sebum when it is balanced (not too little or too much), is supposed to prevent bacteria from getting inside of your pores, keeping it trapped within itself to be washed away. So if your skin is too dry, you will actually get more acne from that than if your skin was too oily. But don't think you can just use any cooking oil, you can't. The rest absolutely will do the opposite. EVOO is the only one that should ever be used on your skin (not even mineral oil, as a matter of fact).
Wet shaving. Now we're really getting into it here. There is a proper and an improper method for this to mitigate acne and also to promote more of it (although most people aren't aware they're promoting it... skipping aftershave is a big one). As a quick aside, wet shaving itself is one of the absolute best exfoliation for your skin so if you shave in the mornings you don't have to exfoliate with a cloth or whatever else also (just do that in the evening instead).
1. Use warm water on your face before you shave to open the pores up.
2. Shave with the grain or on the side of the grain but not directly against the grain (directly against the grain can and does promote razor burn and which in turn can provide a perfect condition for acne bacteria to set up shop. Every time I unintentionally shave against the grain on my neck, I get razor burn and then I get acne there).
3. Use as cold of water as you can stand immediately after you are done shaving to close the pores.
4. Use an aftershave with antibacterial ingredient (e.g. alcohol) to sterilize all of the little abrasions that shaving causes even if you can't see them (acne bacteria, just like all bacteria, is opportunistic. This halves its likelihood of developing into full-on acne after a shave. The slight burning is a good thing). Rinse the aftershave off, it's done its job and doesn't need to be left on and absorbed. Get a cologne instead to use more towards your chest or on your clothes if you want a scent to hang around. You do not want to leave the aftershave on too long because of the alcohol and which will just dry your skin out and as already stated, dry skin causes more acne than oily skin.
5. Use the EVOO after your aftershave is washed off to moisturize and to soothe.
For some unknown reason to me, I seem to get much less acne when I actually just let myself get scruffy than when I'm "clean shaven". I know that's a contradiction to most sources but for me that's jut how it goes, so I shave less often (as much as I can get away with anyway).
Oh, also... when you're using a wash rag on your face you do NOT need to vigorously scrub to get the job done. That will actually make it worse by irritating your skin. You should also always use a new rag because if you keep using the same one over a couple of days, there's bacteria there. That's what you don't want.
Another thing, I only use Dove soap. Both the bars for my face and the 'for men' body washes because it contains the least 'soap scum' which can, again, also increase acne.
Perhaps the absolute biggest problem with acne is... touching your face. You may not realize this, but your hands are only second to your mouth as the most bacteria-laden area of your entire body. Wash them before you touch your face if at all possible (keep some Purell or such handy).
To wrap this up, I've only had to resort to the clindamycin phosphate (1%) topical solution and only in certain areas about five times after employing these methods. They actually work. There really is no need to buy expensive products (and by the way, most commercial solutions contain chemicals and other such additives that should never be metabolized by the body in the first place. Natural remedies are always superior to commercial and a hell of a lot less expensive besides).
