I am a 26F. I spent my teen years and very early twenties using only water to cleanse and Olay’s moisturizer with SPF. I didn’t moisturize at all at night. 

Last year I decided I wanted to take my skincare seriously. I started off with Cerave’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser and La Roche Posay’s facial moisturizer with SPF. Unfortunately, the SPF didn’t mix well with my  
makeup products and caused my foundation to separate, so I started using Trader Joe’s facial sunscreen. This was a fine product, but it made my skin feel super oily, so I switched my entire routine to where I was using Cerave’s Foaming Facial Cleanser (for excess oil), Cerave’s SPF/moisturizer combo, and No7’s Radiance+ Vitamin C serum. This was my morning routine. At night, I used Foaming Facial Cleanser and Olay’s Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Cream. 

My skin started breaking out like crazy. I stopped using the Regenerist and invested in some new skincare products. 

Here’s what I am using now:  
MORNING ROUTINE: La Roche Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser, Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturizing Cream, and Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen. I use the Vitamin C serum sparingly as I feel like that might be contributing to my breakouts. 

NIGHT ROUTINE: Same as above minus the Innisfree and Vitamin C serum. I have started using Retinol 0.5 in Squalane from The Ordinary very occasionally (2 nights a week at most). 

I never get acne on my forehead. My acne is always centered on my cheeks and chin. I have one extremely bad reoccurring pimple (see photo). This pimple always lurks under the surface. I’m resisting picking at it because I suspect that’s part of the reason it keeps coming back. 

So… what can I do to eliminate these breakouts? I would also like to try to minimize my pores (they’re very large and a huge source of insecurity!) I tried using a BHA exfoliant but my skin rejects that completely. 

My ultimate goal is to eliminate acne, minimize the appearance of my pores, and get a healthy glow! I would also like to tone a few areas of my face (eliminate the dark spots). :) 

Any suggestions are appreciated! 

Help! What should I do here?