In a workshop on dermatopharmacology, acne must be one of the major topics to be discussed. While it is not the leading cause of incapacitating dermatologic morbidity, it is definitely the most common skin disease seen by the dermatologist in practice. Almost every teenager has some degree of acne at some time, and the often stated comment that acne clears at the age of 20 to 21 is not true in many cases. Particularly in women, acne may persist into the twenties and thirties. Because of the prevalence of acne, it is rather obvious that only a small percentage of those with acne are seen by a dermatologist, and millions of dollars are spent yearly on OTC acne preparations.