>my pediatrician told me that acne is just something that happens to teens
Certainly not... https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/acne
> Clinical trial data revealed that approximately 50% of women in their 20s, 33% of women in their 30s, and 25% of women in their 40s suffer from acne
>which could have some pretty intense side effects
Your site recommends benzoyl peroxide which has similar or worse side effects compared to tretinoin.
It's also a lauded product on both r/SkincareAddiction and r/30PlusSkincare. Not something recommended for kids, but for adults with persistent acne it is worth trying, especially over antibiotics and alongside BP.