Battling Acne for 15 Years Now...Kansas City, MO

I'm one of the unfortunate ladies that has battled acne for most of my life. I haven't seen 100% clear skin since age 10 (I'm 24). I had severe, Grade 3 acne by age 12 (the scale only goes to 4). At age 14 I got a free trial of Proactiv, fully expecting it to gather dust in my drawer with the dozens of other products that failed miserably to make even a dent in my acne (I had tried "everything"). I was pleasantly surprised (to say the least) that it turned out to be my personal holy grail of skincare. Proactiv eliminated 90+ percent of my acne. I know it sounds cheesy, but it really did change my life.
Fast-forward ten years, I moved from Sacramento, CA to Kansas City, MO. I've lived here several months now. The climate here completely changed my skin; I'm dealing with some unknown beast. Proactiv doesn't cut it anymore. It's not as bad as it was when I was a teenager, but it's definitely out of control.
I was prescribed Retin-A way back when, but I was never given any real instructions about how to use it. I did all the things you aren't supposed to and suffered the consequences. I had all the side effects and reaped none of the benefits, and discontinued it after a couple weeks. It gathered dust in the aforementioned drawer.
I was reintroduced to Retin-A here on RealSelf, and I'm quite eager to give it a try again! Now that I know what to do and what NOT to do while using Retin-A, I am feeling pretty optimistic that it will give me a handle on my acne (and perhaps smooth away some fine lines and scarring).
I got a prescription for the off-brand 0.025% tretinoin gel for $10 with my health insurance (full price is approx $75). That is already less than I pay per-month for Proactiv.
Today is day one! :)

It's been almost a week! I have been taking photos on my phone but haven't had the opportunity to upload yet. I will though!
First off, I am happy to say I have not been experiencing the side effects this time like I did before! When I tried Retin-A the first time (over a decade ago) I used it alongside my other products (containing benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid) and basically did everything you're not supposed to. I had no idea I was sabotaging myself! My skin peeled like a reptile - I would literally have these scales falling off my face by the afternoon, exposing raw, pink and *painful* skin underneath.
This time the peeling is much more minimal and not at all painful or inflamed. I've discontinued all other skincare products except sunscreen and a mild moisturizer, and I wash my face with Cetaphil. This took a huge leap of faith for me... But I appear to be reaping the benefits! The blemishes I had before I began treatment are about halfway healed; however there are still new ones surfacing, just not as many. It's sort of a 2-steps-forward-1-step-back deal.
I'm not sure if this is from beginning Retin-A, discontinuing Proactiv, or just from the weather, (or maybe a combination) but my skin has been a lot oilier this week... And I had a very oily complexion to begin with. So that's annoying... But I would rather have more-oily skin that is clear than less-oily skin that is full of acne.
I haven't noticed any changes in my scars or fine lines yet, but I'm sure it takes plenty of time to see change in that level of the skin. I can be patient!

Tomorrow will be the end of my third week on Retin A. Hate to admit it, but my acne has gotten worse. I'm even breaking out on my forehead and hairline, and even my eyebrows - Areas I very rarely saw a zit before. My cheeks and chin are worse too...
Side effects are minimal, and I'm applying Retin A every night. I experience some mild peeling on the bottom third of my face and sometimes mild discomfort on my cheeks, but nothing compared to my first time using it.
I'm considering calling my doctor to talk about increasing from 0.025% to the 0.05% strength medication... But then I'm not sure if this is normal? I don't know if my skin is just "purging" or "acclimating" or whatever, or if I should be reconsidering my dose.
I've read a lot of confusing (conflicting?) information regarding this medication... I read that you can't use anything with benzoyl peroxide if you use Retin A because the two actually like "cancel" each other out - So you don't get the benefits of either but you get all the horrible side effects. But then I read about people who were prescribed Retin A in combination with something else containing benzoyl peroxide, or maybe salicylic acid... I've also read that you don't want to apply anything else to your skin at the same time as the Retin A because any moisture will increase side effects, but then I read other doctors talking about applying a moisturizer before Retin A to decrease side effects...?? It's all so confusing... All I've been using is sunscreen (spf 50) and primer in the morning, Retin A at night, and washing my face twice a day with Cetaphil.
I feel like I have to figure all this out myself, because my primary car is the one who prescribed and I... am not convinced he's very well-versed in this stuff. No disrespect.
Perhaps it's time to consider requesting a referral to an actual dermatologist...