Adapalene (Differin) Reviews

Reviews home, or write a review for this item.

Prescription summary (1,397 votes)

How well it works

:):):)
3.1/5
Agreeability

:):):)
3.3/5
Affordability

:):):)
3.4/5
Common brand names: Differin

Read reviews

Anonymous
Oct 18th, 2009
How well it works
:)
Agreeability
:)
Affordability
:):):):)
Pros:none
Cons:burning skin, redness, it doesn't work
Bottom Line:the worst product I've used, i used this stuff for long time but never worked for me, produce redness and irritation, burns my skin, and never saw good results, this stuff sucks
Recommended:No
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:30.00
Acne severity:moderate
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

1 of 1 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Anonymous, Virginia
Oct 14th, 2009
How well it works
:)
Agreeability
:)
Affordability
:)
Pros:No flaking, but that's the best thing I can say about Differin.
Cons:I had a terrible allergic reaction to Differin and also to Epiduo (adapalene & benzoyl peroxide). I tried each about 3 times. My entire face became swollen, red, blotchy & horribly itchy. My eyes swelled completely shut, were red & itched like CRAZY.
Bottom Line:I am 43 years old and have had acne since I was 11. I have used just about every acne product there is and this is the first time I have ever had an allergic reaction to a topical acne medication.
The strange thing is that the reaction was delayed until the following day. I used just a tiny amount, as directed by my derm who raved about both of these medications, applying 30 min. after washing my face. In the morning my face was unchanged but by noon my face & eyes began to itch, swell, and turn red. The swelling, redness & itching continued for 3 days. I had to take Benadryl to get to sleep and my eyes were completely swollen shut in the mornings. I looked like I had aged 20 years overnight. The redness and itching spread down my neck as well, even though I hadn't gotten the Differin anywhere near my neck or eyes. Once the swelling resolved, then the skin on & around my eyes began to peel.
Horrible experience for me. I'm glad others have had better luck.
Recommended:No
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for an inconsistent period of time.
Price Paid:20.00
Acne severity:moderately severe
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

Linda, Fresno, CA
Oct 11th, 2009
How well it works
:):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):)
Pros:it wasn't good at all. When i used it, it didn't make a difference to my face and if i remember right, i think it made my skin a bit worse. But not scary worse.
Cons:didn't see a difference, made acne worse.
Bottom Line:Wasn't for me, probly not for you.
Recommended:No
Usage:Linda has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:15.00
Acne severity:light
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

Lisa, Rockford ,il
Oct 9th, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:)
Pros:It helped my skin look good for about 5 months
Cons:Stopped working after a while :( The price was rediculous!! My insurance wouldn't pay for much of it.
Bottom Line:When I first tried this medication, my skin was red for about the first week. After a few weeks, it started making my skin look more clear than it had ever been before! I thought it was a miracle. But as with everything I've ever tried, the effects lessened and my skin went back to normal. I still recommend this because it might work for someone else better. I wish it would have worked longer for me.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Lisa has used this item for about a year.
Price Paid:180.00
Acne severity:moderate
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

Anonymous, Canada
Oct 7th, 2009
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:)
Affordability
:)
Pros:Slowwwwwllllyyy clears up acne,
easy to use
Cons:Dryness, peeling (gone after about 2-3 weeks)
Initial breakouts were horrible for me.... my acne got so much worse
Bottom Line:It eventually will clear it up after a few months, my doc prescribed me 100mg minocycline along with night time differin gel, im on my 4th day of both, and things are looking pretty good...

If you can get past the initial breakout, you deserve an award, its terrible but its worth it, All the crap is flushed out from deep in your pores.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for about a month.
Price Paid:62.00
Acne severity:moderate
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

Who's asking?, U.S.
Oct 7th, 2009
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):)
Affordability
:):):):)
Pros:Used consistently, and in moderation, Differin gives you desired results.
Cons:Sunlight sensitivity, initial increase in breakouts, redness/dryness/peeling
Bottom Line:If you choose to use this product, you MUST commit to it. There is no way you will achieve results if you use the product once or twice a week. The product is very effective when used correctly. For myself, I would wash my face in the evening, apply the ointment before bed, then wake up in the morning to wash my face. Initially my skin became more red & irritated, a few more pimples popping up, but within the first 6 weeks it began to settle. There was 1 month's time in which I had a consistently severe series of breakouts all over the front of my chin. Through frustration, I aggressively applied more than suggested, making the appearance of my skin blatantly worse. If and when you do use this product, use it as consistently as possible to reap the ultimate benefits while keeping the "violent" stages to a minimum. When your skin appears worse, DO NOT apply more than only a small portion which provides a thin layer over affected areas. Use oil-free lotion/sunscreen to counter sideffects
Recommended:Yes
Price Paid:40.00
Acne severity:light
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

felicia jones, florida
Oct 5th, 2009
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):):)
Pros:the gel had my face glowing. everyone said your skin look good.
(one person stated he liked my texture)
Cons:face peels, sensitive to waxing
Bottom Line:it worked for me. at first i didnt like it, i thought it was making things worse, so i stopped uing it. Then months later i decided since i spent my money i might as well use it. I now am glad i did. I love what it has done to my face.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:felicia jones has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:40.00
Acne severity:moderate
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

Karen, Pennsylvania
Oct 5th, 2009
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):):)
Pros:I've noticed a difference just within the first two weeks
Cons:I did have an initial breakout when I started using it, but it didn't last long.
Bottom Line:As far as I can tell, this stuff really does work. I'm using it in combination with Clidemyacin pads and I'm really liking it. I apply the medication from one pad in the morning afte rwashing my face with a gentle face soap and then wash my face again in the evening, use one more pad and then put a pea-sized amount of Differin on the areas I break out. MY skin hasn't gotten dry yet and I can already notice a difference in my complexion. I do have moderate acne, so I'm not sure how well it would work for severe acne. I would definitely recommend trying it out though.
Usage:Karen has used this item for a few weeks.
Acne severity:moderate
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

Joanne Williams, Shermans Dale, PA
Oct 3rd, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):)
Pros:It did help a little bit for a while. I managed to keep my complexion relatively clear for a few months with it.
Cons:It took forever to start working, about 3 months to see any improvement. The first month to two months the redness and peeling is awful. Then, after a year it stopped working and my acne is much worse than it has ever been before (I am 23).
Bottom Line:While I have not found anything that works better than this yet, I would not necessarily recommend it. Taking 3 months to work is ridiculous, and the amount of improvement I saw with it was minimal. The fact that it took so long to work makes me question if it ever did, or if my acne just responded to my stress level being reduced. Even after 3 months I still had frequent pimples. The peeling will continue for about 4-5 months and can cause your skin to look horrific. After a year, my acne became worse than ever before. So I would not recommend this, it isn't worth the trouble and the wait for minimum improvement.
Recommended:No
Usage:Joanne Williams has used this item for about a year.
Acne severity:moderate
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

Anonymous, New Mexico
Oct 2nd, 2009
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:Seems to work well with drying out pimples and making them go away.
Cons:I still do get one or two pimples weekly.
Bottom Line:I have been using Differin gel along with minocycline (a smaller dosage tetracycline) for around four months now. Many people say that at the beggining of treatment acne gets worse but that was not the case for me. I guess it's just how it initially reacts with the individual. I did though notice that for the first couple of weeks using Diffrin, my skin got dry and flakey, but that went away after a while. Overall the product works fairly well for me. It dries out the pimple very well and makes it disapear within about one week (depending on size of coarse). I still do get pimples however, but for me it is pretty minor. Just use the gel every night on the affected area only and it should work fine. If you are dealing with the fact of not seeing results from Differin right away just give it some time. It will start to noticably make your face better, but you just have to be very patient
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for a few months.
Acne severity:light
Was this comment helpful? (Yes) (No) (Report as inappropriate)

Write a review

If you have a question about "Adapalene (Differin)", please visit our message boards. If you have tried "Adapalene (Differin)" and wish to review it, please do so below.

Rate from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) in the colored boxes below. Hover your mouse over each box for details. You may also optionally fill in your name, location, and additional fields below. Please check for accuracy before submitting your rating.

* Required:
How well it works
12345
Agreeability
12345
Affordability
12345

Name:
First name or Acne.org forum alias,
Blank for anonymous
Location:
USA: City, State (e.g. New York, NY)
Other: City, Country (e.g. Rome, Italy)
Pros:
0 of 250 characters used
Cons:
0 of 250 characters used
Bottom Line:
0 of 1000 characters used
Recommended:Yes No
Usage:How long have you used this on a consistent basis?
Acne severity:How would you rate the severity of your acne?
Price Paid:How much did this product/treatment cost?
For prescriptions, please enter your monthly costs.
$
 

We welcome your feedback for the reviews page.