Hello! I’m writing here hoping to find some answers & receive help because I am in desperate need. I (20F) have been struggling with acne for about 3/4 years now. It started as blackheads on the nose & occasional pimples. Now I mostly get nodules and pustules around my chin and cheek area, rarely on the nose or forehead (almost never). After the pimples go away (I have the habit of popping them), they leave a red mark (even if I did not touch it) and it takes a very long time to fade away which makes it look like I have a lot of pimples when in reality only 2/3 are active. My skin type is oily/combination, but it can get dry around nose/nostrils in winter. I’ve tried niacinamide serum by the Ordinary, succinic acid in the past. My skin had a period where it was almost clear October 2023-February 2024, but recently it’s gotten really bad. Back then I was using Azelaic acid by the Ordinary, Salicylic Acid Cleanser (Inkey List), The Ordinary HA moisturiser, occasionally their AHA&BHA & then introduced Inkey List Retinol twice a week. In my current routine I use the CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser, Biotrade Triple Active cream (I am serbian so this is a local brand) and Avenè Cicalfate. I stopped the previous routine because the moisturiser kind of didn’t feel moisturising enough & by the end of finishing the cleanser the pimples started coming back (wasn’t sure if it was working) & I concluded it might be purging from the retinol (I stopped using it two months ago and my skin still continues to get worse). I think the Azelaic Acid helped me the best (it is an active ingredient in the Biotrade cream - 10%, along with Retinol - 0.5%, and Niacinamide). By the way, even before I still had pimples in the same areas. Did the switch in routine worsen it? Should have I continued with the Retinol & waited to see if it was just purging? Do you think switching back to the old routing will help my skin to go back to what it was? What helped you deal with acne? What might be causing mine & the sudden change? 

Need advice on how to deal with chin & cheek acne & PIE