I WOKE up one morning to an acne on my left cheek.

Needless to say, I freaked out.

That singular acne - faint, pink and mocking me - became my obsession. Now that I'm a botox jab away from a midlife crisis, the last thing I needed was something I fought so hard to escape during my youth.

According to msnbc.com, adult acne strikes adults during their 20s and for women, it may continue until menopause.

While hormones continue to be the cause of acne, stress and the environment contribute.

For women, it gets worse as they get older as it often flares premenstrually.

So it doesn't matter if you get the occasional acne or is still suffering from it - find products that will help.

Now, I have no qualms about using female skincareproducts.

Creams, gels, foams - bring it on.

Of course skin-care experts will disagree but, as long as it works for my skin type and it feels right to me, I'm using it.

So keep an open mind.

Take your time and try possible products.

Ask lots of questions and if the salesperson doesn't know the product, move on because that's unforgivable.

Of course, if skincare products are out of your price range at the moment, some people swear by products they used as teenagers.

And on that morning of my acne agony, I had nothing on hand that addressed that situation. So it was off to the supermarket to buy a blade of aloe vera.

I find the juicy flesh of this plant to be a miracle worker.

Just rub the flesh on any troubled spot and it seems to go away.

It worked for my rashes, a dry patch above my left elbow and, yes, that darn acne.

Uncorking the fountain of youth?
1. This is a face wash for men from Nugeno called the Double Action Refreshing Facial Scrub. And do you know why it works for me? It's selling at only $8.90. It cleanses while microbeads polish your skin and it's suitable for all skin types, especially oily/combination skin. You can buy a few tubes for the gym bag, your office and home.	2. Here is one when you feel that your skin needs to detox. The Cristalle 21 Skin Workout is a skin detox mask that cleanses and revitalises your skin. Also, the product claims to tone your facial tissues and muscles. And at $88.60, you can just buy and try without freaking out. From selected Watsons stores.	3. Elizabeth Arden is a brand women flock to for miracle creams and potions to retain their youth. So when its Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules ($126) was released, youth-seeking women went ballistic. I tried this product and, maybe it's in my mind, but I felt younger and glorious.
4. If you're getting older and still getting acne, this may help. ReVive Acne Reparatif combines anti-acne and anti-aging ingredients. It is at $215 but if it settles your skin issues, I think it is okay to splurge. Created by Nobel prize-winning plastic and reconstructive surgeon DrGregory Bays Brown, the products are used by Hollywood st-ars such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson. This product is only available from Sccube The Apothecary (Centrepoint or Ngee Ann City).	5. Now, when you're really feeling the need to start afresh, get the Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial ($265 per 75 minutes session). This is part of an anti-ageing system from Elemis which promises to improve skin smoothness by up to 91 per cent. It is available at St Gregory at Parkroyal on Beach Road, Marina Mandarin and Conrad Centennial Singapore. You can buy the products to use at home, but nothing beats a pampering facial. After the facial, my skin felt supple for a week.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Nov 16, 2008.