Over-the-counter spot treatments seem downright miraculous, claiming to zap pimples in a matter of hours. As it turns out, that isn’t how anything works — and if you break out all over your face, selectively treating a few spots is, at best, a pretty inefficient strategy.

Coconut oil is great for your hair, and some people use it on their skin, too. But it seems as though every time I see somebody singing the praises of moisturising with the stuff, their very next complaint is that they just need to figure out how to get rid of their stubborn acne.

Few skin conditions torpedo self-esteem the way acne does. As it turns out, a face full of painful lesions — not to mention unsolicited, tone-deaf advice from family and strangers alike — has a way of driving people into hiding. Throw in a whole internet's worth of unverified anecdotes about banishing acne for good and you've got a recipe for disaster.

If there’s one makeup technique that separates pros from amateurs, it’s complexion work. Convincingly faking perfect skin with makeup requires a working knowledge of colour theory, lighting, skin types and cosmetic formulations — not to mention a lot of experience.

I have extremely oily skin, which I choose to see as a plus: Sure, I spent my 20s fighting stubborn nodulocystic acne, but maybe all that extra oil means I'll age more slowly than my dry-skinned peers. Unfortunately, any anti-ageing effects are probably negated by the grimacing I do when someone insists my skin is oily because I don't moisturise enough. Sorry - "reactive seborrhea" is full-on bull.

Zits are unfair. We didn't ask for them, we certainly don't deserve to have them into adulthood, and it's especially insulting when you finally get a giant pimple to go away and then it comes right back a few days later.

Shining a magenta light on your face to tame acne sounds like more of a gimmick than science. But it turns out products like Neutrogena's Light Therapy Mask may actually be effective, although they aren't for everyone.

Pimples are annoying and they tend to pop up at the absolute worst time. Before you try to pop them, though, check out this video for some better ways to get rid of acne.