I started a strict skin care regimen almost three months and while my acne scars have faded drastically and my skin texture has improved Im still getting new acne. Some of them are turning into whiteheads and going while some of them are turning into the cystic pimples (the ones that are under the skin and hurt) . I wash my face with a washcloth and use dove Shea butter bar soap to cleanse my face. I then use the 3-in-1 maximum strength oxypads , after that I use Dickinsons pore perfecting toner and finally moisturize with Cera Ve daily moisturizing lotion and rose hip oil. I also exfoliate once a week with the ordinary peeling solution aha 30% + bah 2%. As stated I do the same thing morning and night except for the exfoliating which is only once a week. Should I stick it out longer or change my regimen???
After you cleanse, the skin is very vulnerable and sensitive , especially if you use a cloth. The first thing you™re using on bare skin is very strong medicine and the pads are also rough (those pads have texture to help exfoliate). I think you™re aggravating your skin a lot. I™ve had acne over 30 years and one thing I™ve learned for sure is if you™re aggressive to your skin, it will never be the calm, chilled out skin you want. You are destroying the skin™s natural moisture barrier every time you use those harsh ingredients. The skin will try to heal it because that™s it™s natural state it wants to be in but using harsh ingredients is like ripping the scan off a wound and never letting it heal over. That wound will just stay angry, like your skin.
Honestly, I would pitch those pads. I have never seen them really work for anyone. My friends boyfriend always used them while we were in university and instead of having clear skin, he had a red, peeling forehead (where he used them) and pimples that were always just about to crop up.
Lose the washcloth for a bit and if you like the Dove soap, continue using it with just warm water (never hot). Dove bars are not really œsoap so they™re more gentle to skin. Try just using your fingers to cleanse and then rinse with plenty of water and pat your skin dry. While your skin is damp, use something very hydrating like a hyaluronic serum. If you like The Ordinary, they have a Niacinamide + Zinc serum that is AMAZING for acne, and redness (my daughter uses it or Hylamide™s Pore Control and it™s unbelievable how well they work, especially the Pore Control (Hylamide is a sister brand to The Ordinary)). Then use your CeraVe moisturizing lotion. Maybe hold off on the rosehip oil for now. You™re skin won™t be as close to as dry as before so you may not need it. After 2 or 3 weeks, add it back in if you like and see how your skin reacts. I cannot use skin oils. It ends up causing me breakouts. I™ve tried rosehip oil, marula, hemp oil, chia seed oil, watermelon seed oil, etc, etc, etc and they all do the same thing. The one oil that seemed to be the most helpful though was blue tansy oil. That regulates sebum and is very light. Maybe try that one? Acure has a blue tansy oil that is very reasonably priced. As for your The Ordinary 30% AHA 2% BHA. I would recommend that be used no more than every couple of weeks and only keep on for the minimum time it will be effective. Because skin is supposed to turn over approximately every 27-28 days, I personally would only use that once a month to ensure the skin cells that have shed gets removed instead of staying glued to the skin (that™s a big problem for us with acne). A gentle rice powder or enzyme solution once a week would make your skin much happier.
And that™s the name of the game. Using effective products but making your skin happy. It wants to have a healthy moisture barrier and without it, your skin won™t react the way it should.
I know the patience thing with acne is very hard but at the end of the day, you need to help your skin live as it wants to. You can still use products to keep acne at bay but always remember that it can™t compromise the skin™s barrier or you™ll be in that cycle of irritating the skin, it flares up with breakouts so maybe you go harder, the skin is angry and the cause is even more breakouts.
What you™re doing now isn™t working that great, so the only thing to do now is try something different and may give you much more success. You™ll find it, I™m sure of it 
Oh, just wanted to mention a great spot treatment. Those dual-layer pink sediment type of spot treatments work great. They have calamine and zinc in them so they soothe skin but the sulphur with the calamine and zinc acts like a œpoultice and helps pull the pus and oil closer to the surface so it can heal faster. You can get them from Mario Badescu, Fourth Ray (ColourPop™s skincare brand available on ColourPop™s website) and Amazon carries several brands. It lasts quite a while as only a little is needed and since you need to use cotton swabs with them, the solution is kept clean of bacteria, etc.
I make my own now (I make a lot of things like body butter, eye creams, lotions, shampoos, etc) so I never have to worry about running out. I add a little bit of moroccan clay to mine and find it works even better than the brand name ones.
Heyl! I really know your struggle, ive been dealing myself with something similar for as long as i know. Since aprilive been drinking a detox tea for skin, and the results are really amazing! All this products( creams, cleansers, masks) are treating the symptoms of our acne, not the cause. Which makes sense, a skin problem appears because something inside your body is not right..
I love this detox tea because it treats the cause, like its healing your body from the inside. I dont know if its gonna work as good for you as for me, but its only natural ingredients. After 2 months everything was so much better. Maybe we have different skin types, but id suggest you give it a try and integrate it in your skin care routine.
Here's the link [mod edit: link removed]
Hope this helps you! If you want to talk about it im here for you!