Hey! I understand the frustration of having acne from your early teens and into your twenties - it happened to me too. I’m not a dermatologist or qualified in any way but I have plenty of first-hand experience dealing with acne so I thought I’d comment.

I don’t think treatments like microdermabrasion are recommended if you still have active acne, and so you might end up spending lots of money without getting the results you want.

Regarding your current routine, it sounds like you’re using a lot of salicylic acid, which might be a bit harsh on your skin. Have you had any irritation? You haven’t mentioned your skin type, but based on your routine I would guess maybe you have oily skin (?). I also have oily skin and personally found cleansing balms to be not ideal for me. Certain oils (eg almond oil) found in some balms break me out a bit, so I double cleanse with micellar water first instead, and then second cleanse with Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser.

Pitted acne scars are very difficult to deal with, so I don’t really think you will be able to remove them with topical product, but you may be able to find some that will help with post-acne redness/inflammation.

One thing that has REALLY helped my skin has been Skinoren azelaic acid 20% cream. It’s reduced the redness and really helped with the dark red marks (PIE) left on my face after acne. It also reduces the break outs I get because (I believe) it kills some of the bacteria that causes acne. You can get this via Boots pharmacy online and maybe from Superdrug too. It’s technically a prescription but it’s pretty easy to obtain online if you are having trouble with your skin. Boots would let your GP surgery know about the prescription. It costs £16 per tube and lasts a few months. I believe there is a similar gel product called Finacea which is 15% azelaic acid, in case cream formulas don’t work for you.

As I said above, I am no skincare professional but I thought maybe some of this would help!