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
October 25, 2011
Cons:
Initial breakout
Itchy skin
Puffiness/redness
I have seriously tried EVERYTHING for my breakouts. When I was in my teens I used proactiv and it worked really well but then it just stopped working.
I have tried everything prescribed and all antibiotics. I also work at a health food store so I have tried all sorts of natural remedies and treatments. When I got fed up I went back to the doctor. He gave me epiduo and told me if it didn't work that I would have to do accutane (which I refuse to try). I passed on the antibiotic because they're terrible for you and instead got a probiotic. And by the way.. 50 mg of Zinc picolinate has the same effect as tetracycline. I did have an initial breakout but it really didn't last long maybe 4 days? I'm at the beginning of my 3rd week and my skin SO soft and smooth. I really shouldn't, but I can't stop touching it. My pores are so small and even my hyper pigmentation is starting to fade.
I did get a few cysts, granted it was around the time of my period, but the skin around it looked so beautiful. Bottom line: I love epiduo and will continue using it cause it's amazing. And I think everyone should at least try it and be patient!! Don't do accutane.
November 19, 2010
After becoming "immune" to Duac my dermatologist prescribed me Epiduo to use once at night. I've been using it for 4 days and notice it's bringing out newer/frequent pimples, most are small raised bumps on my chin with one cystic like pimple. Is this normal to see in the beginning? & if so, how long does this occur for? I see a lot of people are saying they broke out at first when using it but how soon did that happen for them??
September 2, 2010
Pros:
Cleared the bulk of spots.
Pretty much killed them overnight.
Cons:
-Drying+flaking
-Stings
-Redness
I found that after continued use (from about the 3-6th week) it kept bringing new pimples to the surface and left me with a lot of blocked pores and in turn they became inflamed
It worked well when i had moderatley bad skin to clear the bulk of my acne but then it started breaking me out a bit so i stopped it and used a 4% benzoyl peroxide and that did the trick.
May 29, 2010
Pros:
Easy to use cream, almost gel like.
Keeps my skin CLEAR
No new blemishes!!
Cons:
A little drying at first, fixed that with Cerave lotion
I cant put moisturizer immediatley on after, it burns
Easy to use, apply pea sized amount to each area (nose, chin forehead, ect...) after washing. It is drying, so use a moisturizer! But it can burn if applied directly after, so I put moisturizer on in the mornings, this stuff on at night. This AND bc pills and Bactrim has kept me spot free since I started so I cant say which is doing the most work, but its great! I put severity as light since i dont have acne anymore!
LOVE IT. Free so far with my samples, but I'm filling my prescription next week. Hope its not too pricey!
December 19, 2009
Pros:
Similar to Duac but a little bit cheaper.
Cons:
Can dry skin. Seems to make me more sensitive to sunlight. Doesn't work much, WONT clear acne.
Like with other topical creams Ive tried, it helps, but stops working. So I'm having Blackmores B Vitamin Complex with Nature's Own Zinc (separate). And I'm getting more of Vitamin B5 (separate), because the B5 in the complex is too low, should be having like over 500mg a day of B5 at least to get rid of acne. And I'm waiting on my order from SkinB5 for the cleanser, moisturiser and mask. And my recommendation is 'no' if your acne is moderate and worse then moderate. It won't clear it. Sure if your acne is very light or light have a try.
August 15, 2017
Average
Ive used this on and off for years since I was 13 (I'm now 18) and always stop because it dries my oily skin up so badly. However I decided to stick with it and try again and it cleared up my skin quite well, I kept sticking out the dryness as I could see it was working but after 4 months I gave up again. The dry skin is just such a put off for me and always makes me stop using it. I think it works for clearing active acne but I can't say it did much for my skin texture or blocked pores. Also over the years I have destroyed countless clothes and pillow cases as this causing bleaching in fabrics. However id still recommend it as it did help my skin but it hasn't been a life saver for me. Its worth a try
July 7, 2017
Product used: Epiduo (Forte Gel)
Worse skin than before
I'm 16 years old, and I've struggled with moderate acne since I was around 12 years old. I tried to put off seeing a dermatologist because I thought it would be embarrassing, so instead, I tried basically every over the counter topical medication I could find; AcneClear, Proactiv, Cetaphil, Biore, and probably at least twenty more brands. I finally worked up the courage to go see a dermatologist, and he prescribed me Epiduo Forte and some doxycycline pills. I wash my face with Cetaphil then apply the epiduo once every night before I go to sleep. I never got any of the burning sensation, to me it felt cool for the first few days, and now it doesn't give any sensation at all. I was SO excited to start using this because most of the reviews were positive and acted like it was a miracle worker. I've been using this for over a month, and I'm disappointed to say, I'm NOT HAPPY. My skin is the worst it's ever been, and I haven't seen any improvement at all. Before starting this, my skin was bad, but it was mostly centered on my cheeks. My chin and forehead were completely clear. After using epiduo, my acne has gone to moderate to severe, and there is no longer any clear area of my skin. At first I thought it must be a "purge phase" but this has been going on for about 6 weeks, so I'm losing hope. I really don't know what else to try.
April 23, 2018
Go to the dermatologist and get prescribed ACCUTANE! I promise it will work!! It's a 5 month treatment. I had severe cystic acne, and this truly was a miracle!!! Warning, it gets way worse before it gets better & you get really dry. But I promise it is worth it!! It has been 4 years since I did it, & I had literally zero acne for the first 3 years, & now I only get like 1 every few months!
March 10, 2017
Epiduo saved my skin!
I am so grateful for this product. I suffered from moderate and cystic acne for around 2 years before seeing a dermatologist that presecribed me Epiduo in combination with antibiotics. My acne was completely gone 1 month later. After 2 months I got off the antibiotics but my skin is still clear - all thanks to Epiduo!
However, I should mention that the first week of Epiduo was hell. My skin was flaky, lots of irritation etc. My solution to this was to use a Cetaphil cleanser + moisturizer before applying Epiduo. This combination helped me a lot and my skin irritation stopped.
Nevertheless, I am now suffering from really oily skin due to my Epiduo treatment. This clearly bums me out but with the help of certain makeup and oil absorbing powders (transparent powder) I have managed to control this. It's an irritating side effect but with 100% clear skin - I can deal with a bit of oil.
February 17, 2017
Still premature but noticing results right away
Hi, In a last attempt at doing something for my skin before taking the accutane plunge, I saw the doc and asked for the Epiduo (tactuopump here in Canada) cause I had heard on YouTube from a few people it cleared their skin up surprisingly well- they all appeared to have accutane like results so I thought what the heck. Tane is scary and even though I'm in no hurry to take it the possibility is fast approaching. My skin was under control up until about 4 months ago with Neostrata glycol if line, then I had an ingenious idea to try oil cleansing which SCREWED UP MY SKIN. Ugh I ended up with so many under the skin bumps that have taken over two months to surface and I am in a point of cystic acne that is moderately covering my entire lower half of my face. Absolutely horrific compared to the progress I had been seeing before. Anyhow, Epiduo has dried the hell out of my skin, it's tight, it hurts, not ideal BUT it had cleared about 85 percent of my active acne within my first week of use. I understand I may purge but I am quite surprised at the fast progress. The dryness pain is worth it I just want the bumps gone. If this works and I don't have to go on accutane it'll be a blessing. Will update soon
November 29, 2016
Not perfect, but the best product I've tried!
I'm 21 and female, I got my acne out of nowhere at age 18. I went to a skin therapist and did some extremely expensive acid treatments. That helped with the worst of it. But I still had my acne and redness. I tried a lot of different products but nothing worked. Then I went to a regular doctor who prescribed Epiduo (in combination with Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer) and after about 2-3 months I could see great results! Sure, I still have some red spots, scars and my skin is quite red - but I wouldn't even call it acne anymore! Epiduo is the only product I've actually seen a difference with, and it's cheap and simple! Epiduo is definitely worth a shot! I'm so happy to finally feel good about my face again! I think the secret to get rid of acne is to give it a lot of time and to use a simple routine.
Pros:
Cleared skin
Made skin less oily
Tighter pores
Softer, smoother skin