There are 4 main issues that cause acne and that are:
- Excessive sebum (oil) production
- Presence of a bacteria called P. Acnes on the skin
- Continued inflammation of the skin cells due to sebum leaking onto the skin cells
- Excessive production of cells clogging up the pores
Any lifestyle factor can trigger off any of those 4 issues, causing acne. Thus, I wouldn’t label one as “reliant” on acne medications. Just like we have to eat everyday, but we don’t label ourselves as “reliant” on food.
It’s important to examine every part of your lifestyle to find out what is the cause triggering it? Is it your late sleep? Your fingernails picking at your skin? Hormonal changes? Clogged skin pores? Etc.
Hope that answered you on a deeper level rather than superficially treating symptoms and signs.