This is my current skin care routine. I taped it to my wall, where I see it every day from my bed. I look at it twice a day every day, and it reminds me of how far I've come.

From the ages of 15 to 27-ish, I had horrendous, painful, and fiery red cystic acne. I couldn't stand the sight of my own face. I faced a daily battle as I sat down to reconstruct a new face with (non-comedogenic!) makeup each day. During these years, I tried EVERYTHING - antibiotics, prescription-strength creams, Proactiv, Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, Mary Kay, tea tree oil products, scrubs, birth control pills, birth control patches, peel-off masks, toners, and, unfortunately, "home remedies" like baking soda and water mixtures. I tried everything from the gentlest to the harshest for months at a time, and none of it did any good whatsoever. I knew I needed Accutane, and the fight for that lasted several years, but I got it . . . then got pulled off of it, then fought for it again, and barely managed to finish the entire 6-month treatment.

But my acne was still an issue. Granted, it was exponentially better than it was before, but it was still a problem. So a doctor put me on Spironolactone. My skin was crystal clear within weeks. Two years later, another doctor pulled me off of it because of the potential for birth defects.

My skin stayed stable for about a few years after that, but now it's a battle again. I'm back on Spironolactone - and on a higher dose, too. I'm mostly clear, but I'm back to that point where things could still be better. That's when I started coming here, to this subreddit. I needed to learn more and try to expand my efforts. I 've had to fight just to get my hands on the products I use now, but I did it.

• The hyaluronic acid, Niacinamide, Mandelic acid, and moisturizer are all from The Ordinary.
• The sunscreen is Coppertone Pure & Simple (the alcohol in other sunscreens cause cysts)
• The double cleanse is Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil Cetaphil.

My routine probably isn't as advanced as others out there, but I have to get the best products I can with my tiny budget in mind. I've been doing this routine since October. I haven't seen much of a difference yet, but I don't think I will until I hit the 6-month mark. I am also dealing with some hormonal issues that may be a contributing factor, but my seasoned endocrinologist is stumped (Repeat PCOS testing has been negative). I also need Fraxel treatments to deal with scarring, but all I can really do is just continue to fight for what I need. It's frustrating, but at least I'm not in my pre-Accutane days anymore.

Thanks for letting me vent. I hope this helps someone!