[Personal] I tried everything just to find out that 50% rubbing alcohol worked

It's mostly a vent post, but I am so upset for myself not to try rubbing alcohol earlier. I could have avoided so much grief and pain if I just did it. I had acne since grade 5, and it got worse in grade 11 from time to time. It really hit my self-esteem very hard and just made my life worse. The only time I feel at little ok was grade 9 and 10 because it was the “best” it could have been on a more not that bad acne. But as stated before, gotten really bad in grade 11 and no one knew why. I have been trying for years, with different products, medical, retinols, cleansers, etc, but nothing really work or did really anything.

A couple of weeks ago I was at my wits end, because I was at an important event and have my senior prom and grad soon. I don't want so say how bad I was feeling, just that I was very close to being suicidal again and my looks wasn't helping it. During that time I was like I did care about anything and ran out of my toner. The closing thing to me at the time was a bottle of 50% alcohol due to me cleaning a wound that I got from a sport I do. I have always heard not to use alcohol on your face, but during that time I didn't care and wanted to throw everything away already, and I knew my face was already messed up. So I did, and continued for 2 weeks until I got my toner. And during those 2 weeks I saw actually improvement that made me cry.

So I continued after with my toners and moisturizers, and now my skin is looking way better, and now I just have small bumps. I fully believe that the rubbing alcohol is taking off the dirt on my face that is not coming off from my cleansers, making my products work better (My pus is smelling like the glycolic acid now and my bumps are actual going away). I don't wear makeup in fear of my acne getting worse, and I just see the cotton pad become so dirty after double cleansing.

My doctor saw the improvement, and we now change my routine and cut out a couple of items so my skin doesn't get upset. So now after I now single cleanses, I use the rubbing alcohol(thin layer), before my Glycolic acid 7% (2 times a week), Salicylic acid 2% (every day), retinols (2 times a week), moisturize (It's pretty heavy and mixed with SPF). I have an oily/normal skin combo and do a lot of sports, and my skin never felt so much better and not dealing with big painful bumps. By prom, my skin should be at everyone else level of acne. I am just so grateful to find something that is working at all, and it really truly everyone skin is different. I finally feel somewhat beautiful, and may be able to take pictures of my face and wear make up now.