At the age of 26, both Specter's life and skin remain marred by acne. She's tried almost every drug on the market, from Retin-A to Cleocin ... substantially until after the age of 44.

In 2014, Teen Vogue published a piece extolling the virtues of retinol, an organic compound derived from vitamin A that was taking the skin-care world by storm. Two years earlier, Vogue had hailed it ...

"It’s absolutely safe to use Retin-A for acne when you’re young ... she said. Then, after applying, she tops with more ...