I am beyond frustrated. I've been having constant issues since late November. First, my pores were getting pretty clogged, leading to at least one badly clogged pore on my face at all times on either my chin or forehead. That has gotten better, but it's still something that could happen at any time IMO. Now my left cheek has been breaking out. I have a couple under the skin that still need to go away, but the others are gone now, but I have zero faith that it won't get bad again. I've also had some issues with pimples along my jaw, right under my face. Those are getting better also though, but they're unpredictable as well. It may seem like everything is getting better, which may be the case, but something else is going to go wrong on another part of my face (Likely my forehead.) just as soon as it seems to be getting better overall, and therein is the problem.
My skin is very unpredictable and seems to do whatever no matter what I do to it. My typical stuff is very mild; just Cetaphil cleanser in the morning and early evening and Clean & Clear .5% salicylic acid lotion at night after I shower. I used to use very potent 2% salicylic acid astringent, the lotion, and 10% benzoyl peroxide cream at night, which were extremely strong and caused my skin to redden and at times peel, but it worked very well until early fall 2011 when I started having issues with my left cheek. (It's always my left cheek that gets breakouts, not my right. Weird.) Its effect got even more inconsistent last spring, when I started having issues similar to what I've got now. I ended up quitting it with no negative effect, but nothing I have tried since, not even returning to my old stuff, (Which is far too strong anyway.) has worked very well. My skin is still pretty much constantly having something go wrong with it. It's strange because I had very few skin issues at all during adolescence, but once I got to be eighteen/nineteen, it started having issues, and now it has been getting about as bad as it ever got when I was fourteen. That makes no damn sense! Shouldn't it be getting LESS acne as I get older? I eat healthy, I exercise, I drink lots of water, I try to keep my face clean, I don't put my phone against my face, and I try to sleep on my back. I guess it's hormonal, aging, or something, but I still don't understand it. Granted, it isn't like my face is completely covered; just a few here and there; but it shouldn't be like that! Anyway, here is a list of stuff I've tried and the resulting effects:
.5% salicylic acid lotion: Works good for what it is. Quite weak, but it's something. I like it quite a bit.
1% and 2% salicylic acid astringent: Used to work, now too strong and mostly ineffective.
10% benzoyl peroxide cream: Used to work well. May still work somewhat, but when I tried it this weekend, it tore apart my skin. Good exfoliating agent I guess, but not something I can use regularly.
10% glycolic acid: Keeps pores unclogged okay, exfoliates, and fades scars, but not really an acne treatment. Reddens skin too. Useful though.
2% salicylic acid face wash: About the same as Cetaphil. I guess it's okay. Doesn't do anything of note.
Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner: Horribly overpriced. Works to an extent, but not nearly well enough to justify the price. Mediocre.
This is really annoying me. I'm admittedly very vain when it comes to my skin, but it's not even the acne that bothers me as much as it is that I don't understand why it exists or how I can get it to go away for good. I miss when I was younger and I knew that if I applied certain stuff and avoided doing certain things, my skin would stay clear almost all the time. I think my skin has changed a bit since then though. Anyway, any advice would be welcome.
