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
October 8, 2013
Great for moderate acne!
Cons:
Expensive
Smells horrible
I got epiduo when I was 16. My doctor prescribed me epiduo because I was getting moderate acne on my chin and T-zone. It didn't work very well the first two weeks or so, but it started working after that. The only reason I'm giving this 3 stars is because it's $70 WITH insurance, and it smells HORRIBLE, I don't recommend putting this anywhere near your nose, because you'll be able to smell it all day. Other than those two things, it's a great product!
September 26, 2013
cleared up my acne
Pros:
works well
Cons:
drying
I had moderate acne that responded pretty well to benzoyl peroxide, but the amount of benzyl peroxide I used never really cleared me up, and I couldn't use any more because of the dryness it caused. My skin isn't perfect, I still have a few pimples, but it's a lot better, and it even seems to dry out my face less than the benzyl peroxide. It's certainly the best treatment I've ever tried and I'm very grateful I found it.
September 20, 2013
Not Very Effective
Pros:
Cleared blackheads
Subdued Oily Skin
Cons:
Itchiness
Redness
I think Epiduo is very overrated. This was my second prescription topical gel I was given by my doctor. I used it religiously and hoped against all hope. I even used Cetaphil face wash like they recommend and used moisturizer. All I got from Epiduo was itchy, blotchy skin. I really thought this would work on my moderately severe acne, but unfortunately it struck out. Luckily I was able to get it with the coupon, so it was fairly cheap.
September 11, 2013
Great!!
Pros:
Cleared Acne
Good for everyday
Side effects go away after a couple of weeks
Cons:
Flaking
After treatment, my skin is red
I am 13, and for about a year or two I struggled with acne. I literally was obsessed with my skin. I was spending my free time looking up reviews of products and trying everything from cheap drug store products to expensive department store one and getting facials with my own money. All I can say is stop wasting your time and money looking for other products other than Epiduo. It took me a couple of months to start working and I'm happy to say that face is acne free. I was also using another product that I got from my Dermatologist called Ziana which was amazing also. I have to admit that my skin is a little more red than usual after using this wonderful product, but it can easily be concealed with a BB cream or tinted moisturizer. Please! If you are like me and have tried everything than get to your nearest dermatologist. It will change your life and give you so much more confidence. Epiduo Works!!!!
August 30, 2013
Good
Pros:
cleared my skin significantly
easy to use
Cons:
bleached clothes
some sensitivity
I used this in conjunction with Doxy, so this is really a review of both together (I will also post under that product). I saw improvement in my skin in a week, although it took about 6-8 weeks to clear as best it could. When I upped my doxy I saw further improvement. I am moving on to accutane, becuase I cannot use this on my back or shoulders due to bleaching, but if you only suffer facial acne I really recomend it as I am almost totally clear. I also recomend it for teenagers who may be suffering hormal acne - I am 26 and show no signs of clearing so really want something permanent., but for teens who may clear up in time, this is less dramatic than accutane and may be sufficient.
August 22, 2013
Temporary Relief
No. This cleared up my skin for about three months, and the acne started coming back. This product has made my skin so oily and dehydrated. I regret trying it... it's one of the products that started my long line of medications for acne.
August 20, 2013
Nope.
Pros:
Got free trial sizes from GP
Cons:
Burning, itching, peeling, redness, drying
Took about a month for my skin to recover
Can't tolerate with sensitive skin
If you have any degree of sensitive skin, please save yourself the pain and do not use this product. I should have predicted the outcome I would have with this medication because I can't tolerate BP. So, BP and retinol together....Nope. Not good. I felt like my skin was melting off my face. I had extreme redness, drying, itching, peeling, and burning. I was using this product on my forehead, so it must have gotten into the area around my eyes which hurt so badly I was in tears for days. No moisturizer could remedy the damage this product caused at that time. LIke I sad, bad bad bad for sensitive skin!
August 15, 2013
Too harsh on sensitive skin.
Pros:
BP does zap zits well
Cons:
intense burning/stinging
bleaches towels and clothes
severe rednes
This was the first topical my original derm prescribed for me - later, I left him because he would prescribe something new without asking me more details about what was going on (e.g. if my acne was related to my period, how sensitive my skin was, what products I had used before). BP alone is far too much for my skin, and adding more to it only made it worse. I stuck it out for a little over two weeks, until the pain even from just water touching my face was too intense. So though I blame my Epiduo fiasco partially on my derm, the product itself may have cleared my acne minorly, but the resulting intense redness and sensitivity weren't worth it.
August 9, 2013
Works Well - with patience
Pros:
Quick and easy to apply
Cheap (I live in Australia and a tube lasts about 6 months)
Very effective, especially after a few months of use
Cons:
Can bleach towels, clothes and sheets
Can cause a bit of redness in areas of face on ocassion
I had been using BP (as part of The Regimen) for over a year, but decided to switch to Epiduo to try and reduce the amount of time I was taking to complete my skin regimen each day. Because my face was already adjusted to BP I didn't have any reactions to Epiduo, such as dry skin or redness but I did notice a little bit of redness on occasion in the creases next to my mouth. When this happened I just skipped one night's application and my skin was fine by the following day. In the first few months I had minor breakouts (about 1 - 2 pimples a week) but this slowly started to reduce. I became completely clear at around month 5 and have remained so for over a month now. If you have not used Epiduo before, its important to build up slowly, applying only every few days, then every second until you are applying every night and your skin is adjusted. Its also true that less is truly more. Only ever apply a pea size amount. This is plenty to apply all over your face. If you use more than this, it just adds unnecessary irritation without making it work better. It takes a few months before you see the full effects, so patience is paramount. Plus its also important to moisturise to keep your skin balanced. I really like this product - its quick to apply, its a once a day application and it works so long as you have the patience to get through the first few months.
August 7, 2013
Horrible! Just horrible!
I am a 23 year old female. NEVER had issues with acne my entire life until about 3 months ago. Its in my chin region and nowhere else. I went to the dermatologist and he prescribed me Epiduo. It's been exactly a month today that I've been using it every night before bedtime, and it's only made my face worse. Whereas before I had about 4 large cystic pimples on my chin, after epiduo I now have about 12. They WILL NOT go away and are very painful. I do not recommend this product whatsoever. Makes your skin red, itchy, sore, and also makes you peel along with making you breakout even worse. I've read other posts and I know others say after about 3 weeks of using this product they started to see results. Well, not for me. Like I said...its been a month and it's still worse than ever.
Pros:
Clears acne