Just posting this in case it helps someone. Have suffered terribly with my skin for the past 5 years or so. Painful cysts on face and back.
I've tried every over the counter remedy and all the topical lotions my doctor could think of, retinol, plus two types of oral antibiotic- nothing has shifted it.
I went to a dermatologist who said she would prescribe me a course of roaccutane for a year. Before I commuted to roaccutane and the side effects I wanted to really think about it.
This coincided with me upping my water intake from.around 1.5 litres daily to 2.5+ litres daily.
In a couple of weeks my skin improved so much and no new spots. I got lazy and stopped drinking so much and skin broke out again. Been back on 3 litres daily for a month now and skin is the best it has been in years.
I know how disheartening it is when people say their miracle cure (and you've already tried it), but for anyone who hasn't tried this before it's well worth a shot.