Adapalene (Differin) Reviews

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Prescription summary (1,381 votes)

How well it works

:):):)
3.1/5
Agreeability

:):):)
3.3/5
Affordability

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

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Aliass, UK
Sep 14th, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):):):)
Pros:Meh, it worked well with medication I guess
Cons:Didn't completely stop acne
Made me VERY oily
Gave me red marks
Bottom Line:Meh it's ok. You'd be better off with BP.
Recommended:No
Usage:Aliass has used this item for a few months.
Acne severity:light
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Emily, Minnesota
Sep 13th, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):):):)
Pros:It makes skin soft, is minimizing black heads, is starting to clear up pimples, helps heal and minimize scaring, dries out moderately dry skin.
Cons:It is taking FOR-EV-ER for this stuff to work... But I was told it takes a month to ACTUALLY work. I read on here that a lot of people were told to use it as a spot? I use it all over.. So I don't know is that makes a different.
Bottom Line:If you have the patients to wake for the effects, be prepared for a month until you see clear skin... I am still waiting but I can see it already helping in a lot of places.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Emily has used this item for a few weeks.
Price Paid:20.00
Acne severity:moderate
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Wade, Australia
Sep 12th, 2009
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):)
Pros:Works, My severe acne is finally clearing up
Cons:Very slow, Rather expensive compared to other treatments.
Bottom Line:Ive been using differin for about 3 months now, and my swells of acne on my chin and cheeks are finally clearing up. I mix it with a dab of st ives night cream so my face doesent feel dry, after about 5 minutes it doesent feel like you have got anything on at all.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Wade has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:30.00
Acne severity:moderately severe
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EllaAnne, USA
Sep 9th, 2009
How well it works
:)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:)
Pros:My skin didn't peel off as horribly as with some other topicals.
Cons:It did nothing for my acne, dried my skin out somewhat, and was expensive for some reason even though I have good insurance.
Bottom Line:This treatment was worthless for me.
Recommended:No
Usage:EllaAnne has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:40.00
Acne severity:moderately severe
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Anonymous
Sep 8th, 2009
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):):)
Pros:Removed closed comedones, blackheads, and milias
Smoothed bumpy skin
made pores look smaller
Cons:Initial Breakout, Takes about a month to do the job
use an exfoliation scrub to help it
expensive if insurance doesn't cover it
Bottom Line:I have adult acne, age 26, mostly closed comedone and milia bumpy acne on both cheeks and my chin, looked like a disgusting orange rind. 2% salycillic acid toners did nothing. In addition, my skin is so thick that I had a 20% salycylic acid peel a few weeks before I started using the differin and it did nothing to my face. didn't even make it red right.
I use the differin every night, and you have to be patient. It made 4 or 5 zits appear within the 1st week or two of using it, but don't stop the treatment!
After about a month I started noticing the comedone bumps were rising higher to the surface of my skin, so I went into the bathroom and did an at home dry exfoliating scrub which made my face a little bit red, and all the closed comedones seriously fell out.
It's been a few days since I did the exfoliation scrub and my face is still smooth (still using the differin).
Differin did the trick for closed comedone type acne, but it needed an exfoliation scrub to clear th
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for about a month.
Price Paid:220.00
Acne severity:moderate
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2 of 2 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Anonymous, San Francisco, CA
Sep 6th, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):)
Affordability
:):):)
Pros:Removed the acne I had before I used it
Cons:Itching, drying, peeling, made me break out more than I ever had!
Bottom Line:I was prescribed with differin since late June and I have been using it for more than 8 weeks. I was told that this product would clear up after 8-12 weeks. This is my 12th week and I'm just starting to see it clear up. My face is much softer now but the worst thing about this product is that IT had made me break out more than I ever had. I had moderate acne and it wasn't that bad but since I began using this product, so much more pimples shown up and caused so much redness and big bumps on my skin! I'm starting to see it calm down now but I've have seen it clear out parts of my skin. My forehead, temples, and chin have sort of cleared up, but I still have a lot my cheeks and a few on my jawline. My face is really gross now but I'm glad that I'm starting to see some goodness in this product. I guess I should be a little more patient with it but I can't stand how bad my face has gotten. Mainly this product is to make you face the ugly before the beautiful I'm just waiting.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:20.00
Acne severity:moderately severe
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Anonymous, ca
Sep 6th, 2009
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):):):)
Pros:-definitely helps fade red marks faster
-gets rid of blackheads
Cons:-slow
-can only be used for spot treatment
-sometimes leads to breakouts
Bottom Line:my dermatologist prescribed me differin mainly for my red and brown marks that were left over from acne in mid-July. it helps fade red marks fairly fast (in about two months), but it doesn't help brown marks as much.

I use differin mainly on my temples & to get rid of some marks near my mouth. i don't get acne on my temples anymore (yay!) and the differin has not caused any new ones but has reduced my redmarks, so on that area the differin as been largely successful. however, around my mouth, i feel that the differin creates a couple pimples. the only good side to that is the differin still helped fade a couple redmarks.

so bottom line: i gave this 4 stars because it did what my derm said it would. but i suggest you use it only where you don't get pimples any longer, but where you still have red & brown marks.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:20.00
Acne severity:moderate
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Bekka, LA, California
Sep 5th, 2009
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):)
Affordability
:):)
Pros:it cleared up all my acne and i had no more oily skin
Cons:it dried up my face ALOT and made it burn whenever i apply makeup or lotion or even wipe it with a towel
Bottom Line:first i had mild acne and it wasnt that bad until i used this product and it made me break out like crazy but it cleared up my acne really well after a few days but it peeled my skin and made it burn but after all that was gone my skin became really clear
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Bekka has used this item for a few months.
Acne severity:very light
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Jess, Chicago il
Sep 2nd, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):)
Pros:makes skin soft after application
Cons:doesnt help with whiteheads, makes skin more oily
Bottom Line:Ive been using differin for 6 months. At first my skin got alittle worse, but after that i thought it would get better. I dont have insurance so my derm gives me samples because its too expensive for me. I've also been on doxycycline 75mg once daily. I honestly think that only the pills are working and not the differin cream. The differin makes my skin much more oily and doesnt help with my acne marks either. Doesnt work on whitheads either.
Recommended:No
Usage:Jess has used this item for a few months.
Acne severity:moderate
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Melissa, NE
Sep 1st, 2009
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):):):)
Affordability
:):)
Pros:- cleared up most acne after a few months
- like the tight feeling after it dries on your skin
- gentle enough for my sensitive skin, not really drying
Cons:- I seem to be dependent on it
- suuuuper expensive
- stopped working after a few months (other factors involved though?)
Bottom Line:I used to be on this with the oral doxycycline, and they made my face about 10x worse the first few months, but then I stopped taking the oral after my second refill and my face started to clear up nicely. However, after a month, it all started coming back again. I tried using it with different cleansing/moisturizing products to no avail.
However, now I am using Cetaphil bar cleanser, Neutrogena On-The-Spot 2.5% BP, CeraVae moisturizer (THE single most amazing lotion that I have ever used), and actually yogurt masks almost every other day. I am also drinking A LOT of water, taking a multivitamin that contains sufficient amts of vitamins A, C, and E, exercising, eating healthy, and hardly touching my face. It is starting to clear up again, you guys!
Usage:Melissa has used this item for about a year.
Price Paid:90.00
Acne severity:moderate
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