Acne.org Products
Topical Retinoid / Topical Antibacterial
Efficacy
67%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Topical Retinoid / Topical Antibacterial
Side Effects
Low-Medium
Topical Retinoid / Topical Antibacterial
Acne.org’s Real World Take
A way of using benzoyl peroxide in combination with the topical retinoid, adapalene, that studies show works a bit better than benzoyl peroxide alone. Comes with side effects for the first weeks and can bleach fabric. Note: When used correctly, benzoyl peroxide on its own can completely clear the skin.
Topical Retinoid / Topical Antibacterial
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Adapalene / Benzoyl Peroxide (Epiduo®)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
August 18, 2012
Cons:
-may burn
-may irritate
If you have acne and you want to get rid of it use Epiduo. I recommend it to everyone because it worked for me. I used it the first time like 2 years ago and I fell in love. It cleared up all my acne and stopped using it. This year my acne came back and I instantly went back to using it. And its only been like a week or two and its already clearing my face. And yes it might burn your skin and feel irritated but it is worth it. Plus you are not suppose to put it constantly on in areas where you have no acne!
July 15, 2012
Pros:
-cleared up 90% of my acne
-lasts a long time (a little goes a long way)
-haven't had a major breakout in months
-easy to apply
-dries fairly quickly
-makes skin feel smooth & clean
Cons:
-takes a long time to work
-causes an initial breakout
-dries out skin for the first month or two
-burns & tingles when applied on the first month
If you're going back and fourth on whether or not to buy this product, I hope this review will convince you to. I'm 17 and i've struggled with acne since 13, and NOTHING has seemed to work. I've gotten topicals, oral medications, facials, peels, you name it, and none of them worked. I went through times where i would just cry due to the frustration of the acne on my face. Thankfully, I came across Epiduo, and it has seriously been a life saver. I got a compliment on my skin the other day (which never has happened) and i seriously cried, i was that happy. I was always known as the girl with the terrible skin, i even got my own nicknames! Now they have nothing to say, cause my face is extremely clear.
Don't get discouraged if you don't see results quickly, it took 3-4 months for my acne to finally settle down. It will dry your skin out at first, but moisturizer will fix that problem. I used it the first week and it caused me to break out a bit at first, which made me think about not using it at all... Thank God i decided to stick with it.
I'm a little mad at my doctor for not telling me about it sooner, it would have helped during my earlier high school years. But to whoever is reading this, go RUN to your doctor/dermatologist and get this product, you won't regret it :)
September 19, 2011
Pros:
Everything. This product is amazing.
Cons:
Initial breakout was tough.
Dry skin and flakiness in the first month, but the skin soon acclimatises.
I would recommend this product to everyone! It is amazing. Combined with Cetaphil Sunscreen Moisturiser (marketed by the same company) my skin has never looked better! I am finally acne free!
July 22, 2010
Pros:
- See a big improvement in a day or so
- Dries up your acne, makes it "fade away"
Cons:
- Burns SO badly (makes you CRY)
- Dries out your face a LOT
- May give you an allergic reaction
I've had TERRIBLE acne for a few years now, and it was so life-changing, in a horrible way! I'm still using Epiduo (been using for 3 days) and it really seems to be working! The only 2 TERRIBLE things about this stuff is that it gave me a MAJOR allergic reaction (on neck and jawline) and it stings after you put it on for about...20 minutes. I see a HUGE improvement though, and would defineltey reccommend this to somebody with bad acne.
July 19, 2010
Pros:
- Clears acne almost immediately!!!
- Makes your skin feel soft and smooth
- Fades acne scars
Cons:
Nothing so far.......
I honestly consider Epiduo a miracle drug. I have been using it only for a week, and my acne is almost completely cleared. I was a little skeptical at first about this product, but after numerous research I decided to give it a try. And it was the best decision that i've made. I've used proactiv for 5 months and were not completely satisfied with the results. It cleared my skin a little, but it was never 100%. Epiduo has been the best thing that has happened to me. Being a perfectionist, I couldn't have acne. My look is a huge part of who I am, and with acne it messed with my confidence. But Epiduo has brought it back. I would advise anyone to give this product a try. If it worked for me, i'm positive it will work for you. Only con I have about this product is that it can be a little expensive. The retail price was $241, but with my insurance and a card my doctor gave me, I only paid $35 just like it was advertised. Goodluck to all!!!!
August 19, 2009
Pros:
I just started using it and it cleared up a huge cyst I had on my chin real fast. I think it 's because it has the benzol peroxide in it. Using a retinol alone only helped me with future breakouts.
Cons:
Stings a little when you first start using it but after a while it goes away. I haven't used a retinol in a while.
I think this med is great because of the combination of the retinol and the benzol peroxide. It's great that the company has a coupon so that you only pay $20 in case you don't have insurance.
November 30, 2017
Give it some time
I started using Epiduo this August after fighting my acne for about 5 years. It was the typical teenage acne, and when I look back at pictures I feel bad because I didn't realize how bad my skin actually was. It got better with the years, but never really completely clear which bugged me. When I got a huge breakout in August I felt that I'd had enough (as so many times before) and contacted the doctor. He prescribed me Epiduo, and I was a little doubtful because of the fact that it was a topical. At this point I never thought a topical could do something about preventing pimples, only treat the ones that are already on the surface. But, I started using it, and spent hours on looking on reviews of it. In many reviews it said to give it a good 3-4 months, and I remember feeling inpatient, I couldn't wait that long? After the first month there was really no change. I got dry, but used masks and moisturizers to help that. Month 2, still no change. I started losing hope of the product but remembered the reviews that told me to keep using it. Today, three months later, my skin is clear almost all the time. The times that I have gotten a pimple is when I stopped using Epiduo because my skin was clear, which shows that you have to be persistent. By now, I use Epiduo about every other night and it still keeps my skin good. As a summary - try Epiduo because it works! Be persistent and don't give up even after one to two months.
The dryness will also disappear after a while, I now that can be a struggle. I was bright red for the first few weeks haha.
Good Luck dear acne-friends!
September 21, 2017
It does work
After trying everything to get rid of my angry red acne I tried epiduo. After 3 days of applying I already saw a huge difference! Only thing is my skin got sooooo dry and my skin would sting when I put it on and when I moisturised. I also noticed my eyelids and under eyes got very dry.
If you moisturise well it's not too bad though. At first it got rid of every spot. However after 3 months I do get a few pimples but nothing in comparison to before.
Really recommend trying it and sticking with it for at least a month.
August 14, 2016
Miracle cure so grateful
I had suffered from spots on forehead for years to the point where family and friends would comment and I'd be so embarrassed and self conscious. Antibiotics would help but after the course the spots.would.return. But recently I started epiduo in February and not a single spot since then. No joke this personally is my miracle cure and I'm so confident I won't get any even when my skin gets oily after a long day of exercise or in the sun. People have even commented on my skins improvement and are amazed how my skin transformed. Really recommend this to anyone struggling with spots. I've finished my antibiotic course and just use this now and it's become a lifesaver. Can walk around make make up free and feel good about my skin for the first time in years. Thank you so so much to those who recommended this. Wish I started using it years ago.
July 17, 2016
a light cream!
my derm gave me this and it works wonders!
after i apply it i can feel that my skin (where i applied it onto) gets a little heated, so i know that the cream is taking effect.
my pimples would be a little more dry when i wake up.
recommended!
Pros:
-clears up all acne
-works fast
-leave skin perfect