Hey all. I've been a silent reader of these kind of posts for ages and I thought I'd finally start my own one. Mainly because all of the other people using Differin whose posts I've read have/had proper inflamed, red acne (which brings us nicely onto the background on my skin).
Well, I'm 17 and I've had really good skin all my life, all through secondary school (mostly). No spots, no dryness, no flakiness. I do have slightly oily skin though. It's literally been this past year where I've been getting those little nasty under-the-skin bumps. Started on my forehead, and has since moved down to cheeks and jawline. Well if I look closely, some of them have little indents in the middle of them and when I squeeze them, either a little clear 'seed' pops out or a white string of whatever it is comes out. Nice, right? They're skin-coloured, do not hurt one single bit but sometimes turn into little pustules. I get the occasional red, sore under-the-skin lump near my period. It's really just a cosmetic/aesthetic issue I want to deal with. They're literally just 1-1.5mm in diameter but there's lots of them, so it looks horrible in certain lighting conditions. From far away, it looks like I have perfect skin (when I have makeup on). Funnily enough, on one side of my face, the bumps just occur where I normally put my bronzer. Looking at the ingredients, the first one is talc? Which I'm guessing also could be a factor here. The only place that is free of the bumps are the centre of my face (not inc. the forehead), my eye area, part of my lower face and tops of cheekbones.
Me, being as I was, decided to search on the internet for a diagnosis for what it could be. The first thing I ran into was milia. I did think it was that at first but looking at pictures, my bumps did not look like that. The next thing I found were closed comedones. This is the closest match I could find to my skin. Hell, I even thought my bumps were due to a fungus at one point (molluscum contagium) but again, my bumps didn't really look like that. I also tried numerous high street exfoliators and AHA/BHA treatments and while most made my skin feel so, so smooth, the bumps were still there. I use those at night so when I wake up, my skin looks smooth but the bumps come back after a while (false hope everywhere). The closest thing I could find that helps my skin is the Olay Regenerist 3-point super serum (which is a niacinamide treatment).
So on the 14th January, I went to my local doctor's for my teeth (don't ask) and because the doctor I was seeing was also, conveniently, a dermatologist, she took one look at my cheeks and diagnosed me as having closed comedones. She then prescribed me 0.1% adapelene cream which I have been using since then.
I guess I'll start from here then.
14th - 21st January | 1st week
I apply the cream at night after my shower; I generally try not to use scrubs during this time unless I feel like I really need to. During these first couple of days, I didn't really notice a difference except that when I woke up, my face felt softer. Mid-way through this week, my skin started getting very flaky where I applied the Differin; I think that was down to using too much. So I toned it down. Still flaky. Also so many more breakouts towards the middle-end. Would wake up with several new spots, where some of my previous bumps were. Sometimes I woke up with clear skin and by the end of the day, there would be spots ready to pop in those places. These spots aren't big by any means. It's so weird. By the end of that week, my skin is less flaky but more bumpy.
22nd January - Now (25th) | 2nd week
Beginning of this week was basically like last week, except the spots are now popping up near the outer areas of my face. Don't care for these ones, seeing as my hair will cover them up during the daytime. Yes, I do pop them unless they look like they really don't want to be popped. Yes, I still wear makeup because there's no way on earth I'd go out with none on. With the Differin, I definitely notice a change in my skin, not a very good one at the moment, but it's still doing *something*. I guess it has made my skin more softer, and actually more glowy, in the places that don't have old hyperpigmentation. My forehead's the place that looks the best at the moment. I feel like there are more under-the-skin bumps on my cheeks than I originally started with, and if they *were* already there, they have definitely become more pronounced. Skin has gotten a little bit more sensitive but not by much at all.
I used half a mix of castor oil and jojoba oil on my face yesterday to see how much gunk was in my face (I have used this method before) and there was a lot of black stuff that came out of my face this time. So nice to have something substantially 'wet' on my face (you know the Differin makes your face feel dry and itchy). I also feel like those spots I've been getting are clearing up so much faster, and it's helping with my hyperpigmentation too, but out come more spots once those ones are cleared up, like a cycle. It's not really a massive problem for me though, as I was kind of used to it before I started Differin. Yesterday I had a breakout on the bit between my upper lip and nose. Those spots are gone now. Also have a medium sized under-the-skin lump on my chin, and one on my forehead. I haven't touched the one on my forehead, I have just applied Differin and it seems to be going away. Some places also do feel a bit rougher. Does this count as a IB? I have just started and everyone says it takes at least 3 months to see a significant difference so I still have a long way to go, so let's see if this works for me.
Will update soon, I guess
Day 12 | 2nd week
Woke up today, went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, pigmentation looks to be reduced slightly but that is probably because of the lighting. On closer inspection near window lighting, there are still red marks but they look ever so slightly fainter. Two new very small spots, one near my right eyebrow and one near the top of my right cheekbone but I saw them coming last night so not really surprised. Nose looks clear, as always, and my forehead looks a bit clearer of those bumps (just a clear patch right in the middle of my forehead). Feels smoother in the places where there are no bumps, and slightly rougher in the places where there are. Weird sensation, but felt nice when washing my face. Absolutely no flakiness at the moment, think my skin is becoming accustomed to the Differin. The medium sized under-the-skin lump I had on my forehead for 2 days has completely gone. The one on my chin is going, it's just a very small lump now.
EDIT: I also want to add that my skin now looks like it did before I started Differin, on one of its better days. Skin is healing from the breakouts I got all of last week
6:02pm
Have had several small spots surface since this morning: they are definitely going to come to a head before I take a shower tonight. Still weird, never had spots that come and go so bloody fast.
Day 13 | 2nd week
Feel like I woke up with my marks being slightly more red, some bumps on my cheeks looking bigger and redder, but still staying as under-the-skin bumps. Bit more itchy on my jawline. Bit of dryness where my previous spots were but nothing too noticeable. No major new spots, although there's one at the side of my nose that is forming. My forehead is the only place that feels more smoother. Really feel like I need to moisturise today more than any other day. Will update later, I guess
5:35pm
Been to sixth form and back - my face felt a little less oily today than it normally does, which (again) was weird considering it was really sunny and most of the time I was walking towards the sun. Checked my face in my phone screen (normally unflattering) when I was facing the sun (double-y unflattering) and I felt the bumps that I would've normally seen were slightly less in number and smaller in diameter. Spot forming on my left cheek that wasn't there this morning: feels like it's gonna be a big one, and the bumps feels rougher.
Day 17 | 3rd week
Face was good yesterday, however woke up today and I have another breakout on my left cheek (5 of 'em) and two spots on the left side of my forehead. By no means large, they're still quite small to be fair. Right side of my face clear of spots. Both sides still a bit bumpy and got a little dry flaky patch on my (left) side of my mouth. Overall, not terrible but not great either. Got a half day at sixth form and a party tonight so will update later 
Good for you! Stick with differin. If you're not getting severe irritation pr allergic reaction from it then i really suggest you continue using it. I had mild to moderate acne 4 years ago then i used differin after 4-5 months i noticedy face cleared up 90-95% . i was even surprised myself that it worked fast and so was my derm. Acne usually requires long term treatment though (something i ignored and now regrets lol) . i was clear for 2 to 3 years without using
anything. but after 5 months really bad sleeping and eating habits my acne came back but not as bigger as before but still pretty bad. I can't use differim
anymore since i developed an allergy to it (probably my fault due to compromising my immune system) . im now trying epiduo (since last night) and already made my face red the next morning. Keep us updated on your progress and if you like you can read my post about my journey with acne on my profile. Goodluck!
Day 18 | 3rd week
I got home at half 12 yesterday (I should actually say today) and apart from being a bit oily, my skin looked great, even in flash photos that were taken at the party, even with my breakout sesh on my left cheek. Still felt really confident, granted, that was probably because the lighting was in my favour.
Got to sleep at half 2 (obviously after getting all the make up off and putting Differin on) and woke up today with nothing left of the breakout except a few red patches. Can notice more of a reduction of bumps and face feels nice again. Seriously impressed so far.
Yes, even my derm said differin (adapalene) really helps with hyperpigmentation. i remember using differin as a spot treatment when i get pimples on my chin from shaving after 3 days to a week the marks were really less noticeable. i kind of feel bad right now i still haven't found the right med for me lol
i experienced that too when differin still worked for me. I wake up in the morning without expecting bumps on my face. the good old days! lol
Hyperpigmentation marks make acne look worse than it really is. But i'd take them anyday over breakouts.
Acne sucks! i wouldn't even wish it on my worst enemy.
yes i get them on my chin mostly ingrown hairs that would grow into zits but they were really seldom. like once every 3-4 months if i wasn't being careful but mostly i dont really get them.
I tried benzoyl peroxide before, that cleared me up but i dont want to use it alone i dont think it will help me long term. Epiduo is making my face red i applied it for the second time the other night and my face is still red and itchy right now. even my left eyelid is itchy so i dont know if this is the normal irritation or allergic reaction (like from the differin) anymore.
i've been on Azelaic acid for almost six weeks now and even my derm said something is still missing. have you heard about it before? she said it also helps with marks due to its whitening effects.
I feel bad looking at the differin tube on my drawer haha. i really want to use it
haha
Yep,I would too because hyperpigmentation is so much easier to cover! It's redness mainly that makes the skin look bad! And yeah, even if I have one spot in the middle of my face, I'm so much more self-conscious that day, I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a face full of them!
Really? I've only heard good things about BP (apart from the fact it makes you peel, but then again, doesn't everything) but I guess your skin will build tolerance to it after a while
Have you read other people's experiences with the Epiduo? It's another retinoid and you've only applied it twice, it was like me with Differin for the first week and a half: bad skin, bad skin everywhere! Also my face did indeed feel itchy and dry. Maybe it is just the normal reaction but saying that, if you developed an allergy to the Differin, you might also be allergic to Epiduo too?
I've heard of Azelaic acid, yeah, it's meant to decrease production of keratin and it does reduce inflammation 
How do you know it's the Differin you're allergic too?
i think girls are luckier when it comes to dealing with hyperpigmentation marks , you can just cover it up with make up haha not that i want to though haha.
Yes, i read great things too about benzoyl peroxide. It's even considered as the most effective acne treatment out there, not really sure. but i alao read about how your acne can comeback if you stop using it (like any
other medications) , and that its going to leave you with a bad skin tone. is that true? haha have you tried it before? i know im not really supposed to be concerned about "skin tone" as a guy but after acne taking away the little self esteem i have, i dont know if i can still take that hahha.
i also used BP lotion before when i had a mild breakout few weeks before my graduation pictures. BP cleared it up fast. That was also the time differin started making me red. If i used it as a spot treatment for more than 3 days, the mark would get red and itchy so i stopped and then stuck with BP alone.
Yes i read logs about epiduo. They say redness, itching, drying and peeling are normal. But i didn't get those when i was using differin 4 years ago. Nobody could tell that i was on any medication, not even me. No redness, flaking just a little drier than usual. i even use more than recommended amount on my face. Probably pea size for every part of my face that has acne. My derm didnt even make me use moisturizer and i was still good.
Did differin make your face red when you first started using it? how bad was the itching? while on epiduo now, mine would come and go and would make the redness worse. Even putting on azelaic acid in the day stings so much now.
I tried differin again for a week last october. My derm said to apply it everynight like the first time i used it. My face peeled like crazy and turned really red. When it has subsided i went to see My derm again and she said i probably developed an allergy to differin. man that sucked.
probably putting a lot of moisturizer after epuduo would help?? i just dont know which brand to use, im not particularly fond of the one she gave me in october, too greasy.
Aww haha, ya know guys can wear make-up too (mineral/powder makeup probably best, unnoticeable) but if you're not into that kind of thing then I understand 
You should watch gossmakeupartist's videos on YouTube, he had a problem with acne too and he's done a 'program' on how to clear your skin (uses 2.5% BP) ->
Cannot vouch for its effectiveness as I have never tried BP but it seems to work for a lot of people?
Hmm, maybe your skin's just gotten much more sensitive over the years... are you still eating and sleeping poorly? Maybe that is/was a factor. Other than that, I have no idea. Unless you've been going out in the sun without an SPF? Is it the 0.1% or the 0.3% one? Cream or gel?
Ooh, I just read your post back, maybe you're not meant to use too much BP with Differin? Both can make you red, it might've been the BP making your skin sensitive. And haha, I think BP has whitening effects and makes your skin flaky, but that's pretty much all I've heard
Yeah, it did, in the places where I had my bumps: my skin would be red (especially after taking a shower/bath at night), but it was mainly on my cheeks, because that's where I have the majority of my bumps. It did go very flaky, for me anyway, because I normally have oily skin (and the fact that I had a cold at the time so my nose area was flaking more than usual, nice ey) but it subsided after a week and a half. The itching wasn't *too* bad; it was mainly the dryness and 'tight' feeling that made me itch but I always moisturised with something, even a serum in the mornings which helped.
I still use my Olay Regenerist 3-point super serum with niacinamide in the mornings, which I swear has been helping with my skin texture and redness, I don't know what my skin would be like without it: it makes your skin feel so soft. And then I use my Clean and Clear dual action moisturiser (oil-free) with salicylic acid straight after that. I've not been having any problems with redness and flakiness since. Sure, sometimes when I wake up, my skin would either be nice and (fairly) skin-coloured, or it could be slightly red - you just never know with these anti-acne treatments but the products I use alongside the Differin help majorly.
Also, I found that I got more flaky if I applied the Differin STRAIGHT after I got out of the shower. Because you know all these beauty Youtubers I watch say that a product (like a moisturiser) is so much more effective if you apply it when your skin's still damp/warm from the shower? Yeah, figured that would make the Differin work more effectively. It probably did (hence all the flakiness), but I couldn't deal with the amplified side-effects. So now I wait at least 10-15 minutes after getting out of the shower before I put it on. I don't use a lot either, I find less is more for me 
Day 20 | 3rd week
Yesterday I had the same amount of bumps and my face was redder. If I looked closely, loads of bumps had bigger 'indents' in them, so in my experience, that means something's ready to come out of them, most likely a 'seed'. So I went to work on extracting them. I do it gently, making sure not to make myself bleed. Might as well, as they probably will turn into spots if I don't. Had two little bumps on the right side of my face, still have them today but I'm betting that they will turn into spots by the end of the day. I swear my face is like a bloody maths equation - what is done on the left hand side must also be done on the right!
Anyway, woke up today with my face unusually soft and smooth. Extracting seemed to pay off: even after washing my face (where the remaining bumps would reappear), there were less than there were before. The bumpless patch on my forehead is growing. Needless to say I'm excited (I always am now)
Looking closely there are more indents in the bumps. I'll probably do them tonight, after my bath. (I always use the Neutrogena 2-in-1 face wash and mask now, because I feel like it helps to calm my skin down and make it less red. Also it works on drawing impurities out of the skin. Every little helps, right?)
i'll go watch that once i get the chance to use the computer. i get overwhelmed when i see and hear about make up my sister has tons of them and spends
hours everyday trying them out and putting them on haha and she doesn't get acne.
yes, exactly. i was thinking about my skin becoming sensitive over the years too. differin was the first acne medication i used back then so my face was tougher at that time haha
Even if i use differin alone, it would still turn my face red. BP alone didn't do that.
hahaha yes. my VERY poor lifestyle is probably one of the main culprit. but i've been trying to change/adjust that this past couple months.
my derm told me about that too, that your skin absorbs more medication if its damp.
i was also thinking about leaving the medication on for too long, cause when i first started differin i'd put it on around 10 or 11pm then i'd wake up around 5 or 6am for school then wash it off in the shower. thats like 6-7 hrs. now i sleep longer than that haha probably 8-10 hours sometimes. when you have acne you tend to come up with all these theories. haha
becareful about popping pimples though, putting too much pressure can actually lead to more inflammation and inflammation causes more breakouts. i do them sometimes but then i regret it right after. haha
yah, even my mom never wears make up, probably just twice a year. but she has near perfect skin. she doesn't use anything on her face, she washes it with regular body soap and never did we see her with a single zit. lucky her right? i feel like bad luck brian right now lol getting the worst genes while my sis gets the better ones haha
my face is starting too crack and peel right now. i applied epiduo last night. and now its still red and stings like crazy. i just remembered my derm telling me last week that stinging right after application is normal but redness lile this isn't. so i have no idea if this
is normal or what. im
thinking of getting through this week before seeing her again. i don't know what she'll put me into next time. BP? (i read posts here that said BP made their skin worse in the long run), Retin- A? (she's probably not a fan or she thinks its too much for me) Retinol??
is secondary school sort of like high school?
isn't it unfair that others have worse lifestyle and still have near perfect complexion while we are left to deal with acne lol
Gotta admit though, it *is* fun
Yeah, I don't squeeze them unless there's a head or if it looks like something is going to come out of my pores anyway. Of course making them bleed is a no-no too
Maybe that's why she never gets pimples haha, because she never uses anything on her face
And yeah, I know what you mean: both my brothers had problems with their skin when they were about my age and now their skin is so perfect, I'm hoping it'll be the same for me I'm 18 in a week so let's hope I wake up that day and my skin is all cured 
(Never going to happen but hey)
Hmm yeah redness is meant to go down overnight I think, it's meant to reduce inflammation, not make it worse
And ooh *wince* if Differin and Epiduo makes your face react like that imagine what will happen with Retin-A... I don't think she'll prescribe you with that tbf
Yeah, secondary school is from ages 11-16 (compulsory education) and then sixth form is 16-18. Hopefully off to uni this year! Good stuff
I know what you mean! My brother literally drinks and smokes so much AND doesn't get much sleep and his skin is still absolutely perfect. Granted, he's 23 but still
All the worst things happen to the best people 
Hey
I have been using differin 0.1 for seven months now, I'd say that I noticed steady results by the third months but things just keep getting better, I still have days where I think things look worse but now all I have left is some redness and scaring and the differin is helping with that too. It's a long process but I think it's worth it, what else are we gonna do? And in the long run a retinoid is so much better for your skin that benzoyl peroxide. I usually wait ten or twenty minutes after washing my face to apply differin and I always use a cream cleanser, rinse with a little warm water and remove the rest with a cotton pad, anything else just irritates my skin. Sometimes I apply my moisturiser after washing my face and only apply the differin before bed on top of moisturiser, this really helps with any dryness or redness, but my skin is pretty much used to differin now, I only hope things continues to get better, if you have any questions I'd be happy to help, I can remember starting out and how frustrating it can be sometimes
Day 22 | 4th week
Update! These bumps have been surfacing more and more, but not in spot form, more like the bumps have indents in the top and they're ready to be extracted (so I guess seed form). Not been having many spots at all, really: there were two places where really big bumps looked like they were going to form two days ago (a bit red and raised) but with Differin application, they've just gone right away. Forehead looks clearer of bumps and the cheeks even look more smoother in texture. The only spots I've really been having are around the outer area of my face, the bits covered with hair (so temple region). Not really bothered about them to be honest. Around my mouth has been a little bit flakier but again, that's easily fixed with heavier moisturiser at night.
So far so good, will keep updated
Day 23 | 4th week
I did not actually realise how much smoother my right cheek and forehead looks. It's absolutely amazing at the moment; they're nearly all gone. I have more spots surfacing but overall, I'm pretty pleased so far. Left cheek has a little bit of catching up to do though
I haven't been using my powder with talc in it so much, I wonder if that made a bit of a difference to my skin too?
@gkitten25 It won't let me quote you! But what kind of acne did you have? And how long did you break out for? Did you break out during the whole of the first 3 months or was it some good days, some bad days? And then after the 3 months was it all good?
Hey the worst of my breakout was on my left cheek with cysts and whiteheads, but I also had really small under the skin bumps on my chin and just generally my skin was red, large pores. I think it was due to stress and coming off birth control because before that my skin was really nice. Anyways, I didnt really get a breakout my skin was just the same, no better, no worse for the first months or so then gradually and slowly got better, it was a long slow process but comparing now to seven months ago, the difference is huge, so stick with it, it will be worth it!
Day 26 | 4th week
Spots kept coming over the last few days, still got one or two left that are just clearing up: these ones were a bit deeper than previous ones I had. Have one on my cheek area just below the eye area: that one is a bit of a pain in the arse at the moment but I think it's going now, just feels a little raised still. The ones on my lower cheeks are definitely clearing up and I think I've got one on my forehead near the eyebrow that is forming but I haven't touched it at all: I have just applied Differin so we'll see what that looks like in the morning.
In other news, today I made an egg white face mask - let me tell you those things are so fun to peel off! When I did, my face felt tight (probably wouldn't have left it on for as long as I did, especially because I'm on Differin) but redness was severely reduced and it minimizes the look of pores (I was never one to obsess over pores because I don't really have large ones/never really noticed them - maybe that's why I have these closed comedones instead of open ones?) and my face just glowed and felt smooth and soft. Temporarily, of course but still.
And on closer inspection of the remnants of the mask that I peeled off, I could see little yellow things and the occasional plug that the mask pulled out. Seriously amazing stuff, although I would keep it to once a week/whenever you feel like you need it because I can't imagine all the pulling would be good for your skin in the long run.
What I did:
1) Cleaned my face of all makeup/moisturiser products. Face has to be clean!
2) Took one egg and separated the egg whites from the yolk. Heard the egg yolk is actually moisturising and a source of sulfur and other nutrients however it can break people out so I didn't risk it.
3) Whisked the egg whites until frothy and foamy. Read somewhere that this makes it easier for the skin to absorb(?) Questionable as I haven't seen any evidence of this, but I went along with it
4) Applied the egg whites onto face using fingers (or an old foundation brush)
5) Took some 2 ply tissue, separated that so it became 1 ply and then tore it into strips and placed on top of the mask. Make sure to cover everywhere you've put the mask.
6) Applied more egg white foam on top of that. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until satisfied.
7) Leave on until completely dry. You will find that it tightens so much that you won't be able to move your face (botox, anyone). May feel a little itchy.
8) Then peel! Peel it off slowly for maximum satisfaction.
9) Inspect mask (again, purely for satisfaction - this step's optional but come on)
10) Rinse face thoroughly with warm water and pat dry.
11) Apply moisturiser straight after. Look at face in mirror and observe. Magic, yes?
Day 27 | 4th week
Today was possibly the best my skin's ever been since starting Differin (and even before starting). Everything just seems so much smoother, the bumps on my cheeks have been vastly reduced, only had one small spot on my cheek. Even the remaining bumps look like they're on their way out. I've never been happier to be honest. Only thing left is old hyperpigmentation to get rid of. If it did this in less than a month (just in time for my 18th birthday, yes), I'm excited to see what wonders it does for my skin in 3!
Will keep posted if anything drastic happens.
