Proactive is the best! I swear by that stuff!! Tea tree oil extract directly on the pimples works great. Warm compress on the face. Check out the Acne Perscription book by Pericone. I think that's the spelling. Good luck. I have compassion for you, i've been there many times. Also you can ask your dermatologist to inject a solution in the painful bigger ones and it will be gone in three days.