Adapalene / Benzoyl Peroxide (Epiduo®)
Results
Side Effects

Usually known by its brand name Epidu®, this topical treatment is a combination of adapalene, which is a type of medication called a retinoid that reduces inflammation in the skin and helps promote skin cell turnover, along with benzoyl peroxide, which kills acne bacteria and dries/peels the skin. 

It is usually applied once a day before going to bed.

3.7
579
Read All About Adapalene / Benzoyl Peroxide (Epiduo®)
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5
38.2%
4
27.3%
3
11.1%
2
8.6%
1
14.9%

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August 23, 2011

Pros:

-lightweight
-dries quickly
-helps reduce redness
-helps scars fade
-clears skin

Cons:

-takes awhile for it to take effect
-a bit pricey
-makes you break out for the first couple of weeks
-you have to be patient

When I had moderate acne on my forehead and chin, my derma prescribed to me Acanya. I used it for about 5 months and nothing really happened and my acne got worse and just spread all over my face and they grew bigger. I felt so gross, ugly, and embarrassed to be around people because I hated the way I looked :/ I cried and prayed that God would take my acne away and He did when this happened! ---> I got really frustrated and went to the derma again and he gave me samples for Epiduo and told me to wash my face twice a day with Cetaphil and then apply a pea sized amount of Epiduo every night. The first 2 weeks of using it were HORRIBLE. I got the biggest most ginormous zits on my cheeks and forehead the I couldn't even cover up with makeup and my face got really dry. Some people said that Epiduo made their face sting but mine didn't sting at all so I am thankful for that. I read the reviews on this website that said that the medicine works that way: that you breakout the first couple weeks because its taking all the bacteria out and then your face starts to clear up. This is true! After those 2 weeks my face really started to clear up. I have been using it for about 2 months and my skin looks so much better!! My scars have constantly been fading, my big zits are gone, and my self confidence is way better than before (: If you are starting to use it and you are doubting whether it will work or not, just be patient! I know that you wish it would just start working right away but trust me, if you wait and keep using Epiduo, you will get great results. Thank the Lord for giving me Epiduo haha (:
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June 30, 2011

Pros:

really easy to use
works fast
don't dry out face
tube last a long time

Cons:

price 55 bucks

I didn't know what to do anymore. My face had so much acne, I was considering Accutane, the Dermatologist gave me Benzaclin I used it two months and nothing. Also did the acne.org treatment and nothing. I didn't know what to do anymore, so I went to my general regular doctor " I didn't want to see the Derm any more to expensive" and he gave me Doxycycline and Epiduo. OMG one week later my skin was looking good!!! now 4 Weeks inn and I'm so happy. I have a couple pimples but I can live with this, even if I never get flawless skin. But good news my Doc told me its only going to get better. I use it once a day at night. In the AM I wash with cetaphil face wash and apply cetaphil sunblock that's it, o yea and one pill 100mg Doxy. In the PM wash face Cetaphil, let dry then apply Epiduo and take 100mg Doxy. My Doctor says not to wash face more then 2X a day "You don't want to wash off all the healthy oils" That's fine with me as long as it keeps working. I LOVE EPIDUO
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September 6, 2014
Epiduo - this product delivers
I was obsessed with this site while I struggled with my adult acne so I wanted to leave a review for the product that ultimately saved my skin. I never had acne as a teenager but for some reason around 25 years old I began having problems with my skin. At 27 I was mortified to still have this problem. I work in a very professional setting and its difficult to feel confident when my face was covered in painful blemishes. I tried every over the counter option I could get my hands on and nothing worked. After two years of trying to fix this issue myself, I finally went to a dermatologist. Frankly, I wish I had just admitted I needed professional help with my acne in the first place. It would have saved me so much heart ache. Anyway, she proscribed me epiduo along with a three month round of oral antibiotic (to help with the first few weeks when epiduo may cause flare ups). My acne did not get worse in the beginning (I think this was due to the antibiotic). My face did feel raw during the first month and the skin where my acne was the worst (chin/mouth) would get flaky and peel. I used cetaphil gentle cleanser and moisturizing lotion and this really helped alleviate those initial symptoms. I started noticing actual improvement around week four and by week eight my confidence was already coming back. My acne had really diminished and what bumps I did have could be covered with bare-minerals foundation. Finally I am at week 16 and I don't have a single blemish on my face. I haven't been blemish-free in two years but today my face is totally clear and has been for a couple weeks now. This product isn't an overnight cure...those don't exist and anyone who tells you they do is lying/selling something. I tried too many products with those promises and wasted so much time/money/disappointment. My advice to those of you searching this site for answers: go to your dermatologist. Go. Seriously. Now. Get your regimen and stick to it. No it won't work overnight but it will work in time if you keep up with it. You'll be so glad you did.
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March 10, 2011

Pros:

Removed blackheads, dried pimples, lessened breakouts, clear skin appeared after dryness period, decrease inflammation of breakouts quickly

Cons:

Dry, flaky, irritated, burning of skin. Skin becomes very sensitive.

I am in my late 20's and have experienced acne since I was 13. My acne has progressively gotten worse over the last two years and have been using epiduo for approximately a month. During my first week of use I experienced irritated, dry, and flaky skin. My skin is normally dry so this made it even more dry. The morning after my first use, my face felt like it was burning and was red. I experienced several more days of extremely flaky and peeling skin. Wearing make up only made the flakiness appear worse, and my face felt itchy. After a week and half of dry patches all over my face I was very frustrated and almost gave up on using the product. I decided to give another week, and I'm glad I did. I started to see clear skin emerge and the dry, flaky skin started to decrease. Now, after a month I have better skin than I have in many years! My previous bumpy skin is now gone, I have very few blackheads, and much fewer breakouts. My skin almost seems to glow and my make up now seems to look so much better on my skin. I've only had one pimple pop up during that time of the month as compared to 5-10 monthly. I will say this product has made my face drier and sensitive to products that I wasn't before, however I am happy with results of clear skin. I recommend that if you try this product, use no more than a pea size on the entire face because it will burn badly if you do! A small amount goes a long way (at least for me it did). I got some samples from my derm. before getting the full tube so go that route first if you can. I also recommend taking a quality fish oil daily. It helped me significantly reduce my acne inflammation. I also moisturize on top with a non alcohol, oil free, sensitive skin moisturizer from Neutrogena. If you decide to give it a try, just be prepared that there may be some bad before the good. Good luck!
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March 20, 2011

Pros:

-cleared up my acne a lot
-didn't burn
-a little goes a long way
-inexpensive with copay

Cons:

-some dryness, fixed with cetaphil moisturizer
-horrible initial breakout (but worth it in the end)
-doesn't seem to be doing anything for the leftover pigmentation

So, to begin, I'm a 14 year old girl (with oilyoilyoily skin). I've always had a pimple here and there but around November 2010 it got a lot worse. I started breaking out all over my forehead and somewhat on my cheeks. It was really a self-esteem killer. My Neutrogena washes and spot treatments weren't working, I even bought the Proactiv refining mask (terrible mistake). I went to the dermatologist and she prescribed me clindamycin phosphate lotion and Epiduo. I had a REALLY bad initial breakout, but after about 2 weeks it was back to normal and then progressively got better. I just began my third month and the results are fgjfsg80kjnbsklvnsvkf AMAZING. I still get pimples sometimes, but DEFINITELY not nearly as much. I wash with Cetaphil facial cleanser, use the clindamycin in the morning and night and use the Epiduo on my trouble spots at night. 5 sample tubes from my derm has lasted me 2 months, since very little goes a long way. Though a lot of people say it burns, it was fine for me. Bottom line: I recommend it highly.
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December 3, 2010

Pros:

It cleared my acne completely. Huge increase in quality of life. Only apply once a day.

Cons:

Takes 8 weeks to really work. Dries out face at first.

This stuff worked spectacularly. For the first 8 weeks i hated it and tried to get my derm to give me something else because I didn't see any improvement. I literally was waiting for the day when I could get on this site and write a really negative review. But my doctor made me wait it out and after 3 months my face completely cleared. DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED AND STOP USING IT. I get a pimple every now and then but I feel like a completely different person.
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June 29, 2010

Pros:

-helped reduce the size of the acne
-toned the redness
-helps prevent new acne

Cons:

-if not used properly it will dry/burn skin

I've had acne severely for the past 3 years and nothing I have tried has helped. I've been to the dermatologist quite a few times, she wanted to put me on accutane but my mother read reviews and well... that's just not going to happen. So she gave me these samples of epiduo(so I could see if it worked before we paid $200.00 for it) that I have been using for the past 3 weeks every night and I have seen a big difference in my skin. It's slowly but surely going away it's just taking its sweet time. Hope this helped!
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April 12, 2010

Pros:

Completely cleared skin
Easy to use
Good value I think - you only need a little!

Cons:

Initial redness and then dry skin and flaking for 7-10 days.

I LOVED IT! I only had very mild acne, with a few recurrent pimples on my chin. But Epiduo cleared it all up, and now my skin is clear and smooth. The first week of redness and dry, peeling skin was hard to get through, but I am so glad I stuck it out because I have none of those problems now and my skin is clear after 3 weeks of use. Think it is good for those with mild acne.
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August 25, 2014
Epiduo - My Life Saver!
The first few days were so painful using this, my skin was bright red, flaky, blotchy, itchy, inflamed, and sore. It really was painful and a few months in my skin was still purging and I came out in the worst breakout I've had for a long time. The first few days I slapped it on which was why it was so sore so I DO NOT recommend doing that. Stick to the instructions. I then reduced the application to every other day because I was so scared about how my skin was turning out, however I was keen to get results and so after my skin started to get use to this cream I religiously applied this every night after washing my face with Cetaphil cleansers and then applied Cetaphil moisturiser. I made the mistake of putting the moisturiser on straight after applying the epiduo which was dangerous because I rubbed it all over my face even my eyelids! They went swollen and red and itchy, so my advice is to apply moisturiser either an hour after or wait until the morning after washing. Epiduo took from the end of March to August to see some impressive results, I still have scars and the odd pimple but I was not in as much pain and embarrassment as I was before, I can often leave the house with little make up on, just concealer and mascara and actually feel confident. My acne was one of the triggers for my depression, however Epiduo has saved me my sanity! I would recommend it to anybody who has tried countless topical treatments. I also took Erythromycin as my doctor thought I had acne/rosacea which is why my spots were so inflamed and this has defiantly improved them. If I do get a spot, it's nowhere near as painful as it use to be, I apply a bit of epiduo and before I know it is gone! Love love love this product, don't know where I would be without it to be honest! If anybody is debating weather to use this or worried about it then don't hesitate to contact me. I use to look at this website religiously before becoming a member to see other people's experiences and I probably wouldn't have stuck with it without other people saying to stick with it so I give the same advice !
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August 18, 2012

Pros:

Ance is gone
Keeps away acne
Slightly fades scars

Cons:

Stings

Yes. It stings. But you know what hurts worse? Being ashamed to go out in public with acne. Epiduo changed my life. Seriously. I haven't had a pimple in MONTHS. I used to have moderately severe acne. Only use this is your serious about clearing your skin and do not mind a little burning or stinging. It's not that bad anyways.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website