I started to get acne in my 20s (vulgaris) and had all manner of long term antibiotics and dianette which I still take now in my ahem middle to late 30s. I also had retin a gel which does help by drying out the skin but I used it so much that I had what were effectively bleeding open burns on the tops of my arms as I was so desperate to get rid of the spots as I had them face, neck chest, back and the tops of my arms.
I was offered roaccutane a very intense treatment but was too scared to take it so carried on with other treatments, my acne is still there but kept under control by the dianette and now yipee I have mild rosacea too, I've really struggled to find something to help that and I have loads of skin reactions, lumps, bumps, blisters spots etc, I was given yet more anti biotics from the GP for rosacea and something called I think metro gel which I didn't find really helped.
I've tried so many different skincare brands and find that very few help and many make the problems worse. I am a natural skincare fan though but my eyebrow plucking incidents and sore areas saviour is lucas's papaw ointment, it takes down redness in the skin amazingly well, I bought the non-petroleum based paw paw salve but the beeswax in it etc make my skin worse so as much as it pains me to say it the petroleum version of this is much better probably becasue as OP said the petroleum is completely inert.
I use it at night as its not practical for the day but it really helps to soothe and heal - amazing stuff and cheap too.
My sister uses simple face wash and ponds hydro nourishing cream, she is 40 and has lovely skin (she does however say having my niece helped sort out a lot of her hormonal skin issues too).
