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
September 13, 2009
Cons:
Takes awhile to work. It does get worse before it gets better.
Using Epiduo at night with Duac in the morning. This combo took 3 full months to work. I almost gave up due to IB. The first 3 weeks I actually totally cleared up, but weeks 3-12 had constant breakouts. Now clear with a occasional spot. I had clear skin from age 16-21 but was on yasmine and then decided to get off and give my body a rest and after 4 months I started breaking out. This combo does work for hormonal acne.
May 13, 2017
Product used: Epiduo (Forte Gel)
Glad I stuck it out
Ive been on epiduo for about a month and a half. the purge phase for me lasted a good 4 weeks: i broke out in places ive never broken out before, had major breakouts on my forehead, and my skin was red and peely. the breakouts were nothing big, but a ton of individual small bumps that were miserable. . it wasn't until recently when i started seeing good improvements in my skin. Don;t get me wrong, its nowhere near perfect, but its a lot more manageable. I used to get whiteheads and have to worry about them becoming HUGE (im talking pea-sized) whiteheads that caused major scarring on my face. now, i still get some whiteheads but i can go to sleep having put on epiduo knowing they would be gone the next day. the cycle of my breakouts has become a lot faster and i dont worry about breakouts becoming inflamed. I also think that epiduo has helped somewhat with oil control and my pores are definitely smaller. also, it has overturned new skin cells so my skin looks overall fresher and less textured. I am happy where it is going and hopeful for perfect skin in the future. UPDATE: while epiduo did help the texture of my skin, and it helped breakouts go away faster, they werent stopping. i was on the treatment for maybe three months with no change. I am not on Onexton in the morning and retin A every other night, and i am already hopeful for this. The epiduo fpaved a path for retin A so i am experiencing no dryness so far. I still use epiduo as a spot treatment as it still works great to make pimples go away fast
March 5, 2017
Not for me... Skin ruined after one application
I read all the reviews here before using Epiduo, feeling excited that it might just be my cure. I know my skin is a bit sensitive but I didn't expect this. After one application only, my face started burning the second day and got a lot worse on the third day. My skin is insanely red, burning, tight, slightly swollen, oozing pus or some sort of liquid. OMG if I didnt have the same experience six years ago (due to a different product, probably with BP too) , I'd be crying in horror right now. From what I have read, I think my reaction is more severe than just dryness, flaking, peeling etc. as described by most. I'm just glad I didnt put Epiduo on my whole face, but almost half of my face is currently ruined. I have stopped using it after thr first application and dont intend to ever go near it again. Obviously it has been very effective for a lot of people, it's a real shame I react so badly to it. For people who want to try this, beware of the possibility of getting a major bad reaction and be prepared to deal with it. I hope it works for you!
March 7, 2017
Sorry to hear. At the first sign of redness I washed it off and started the next night with 50/50 Epiduo and Cetaphil eczema moisturizer and I am doing great on Epiduo.
You must use good moisturizer and only use Epiduo at night. Always apply good sunscreen if goong outside. Only use a sensitive skin soap like Cetaphil sensitve that Dan recommended
November 3, 2016
It works!
I have had pretty bad acne for 4 years, and I especially get a lot of spots on my forehead. The only thing that worked for me was quinoderm so since that has been banned I have been desperate to find something else. I started using this cream about 3 weeks ago, and it does actually work, but it destroys your skin as well. After a week I noticed I went from a lot of medium sized spots to lots of tiny, hard, red, inflamed ones, almost like a massive rash across my forehead. This is because the stuff is awful for your skin and I was applying tons of it twice a day so use springy otherwise your face will be a red, itchy, peeling mess. However if you use a lot of moisturiser and get the balance right it works pretty well, and after three weeks I have FAR BETTER SKIN, so I am happy.
September 13, 2016
Effective moisturizing options
Been using for two weeks now and haven't seen much improvement. Usually my skin is extremely sensitive and cracks and flakes with retinoids but I've been using manuka honey as a facial mask/cleanser in conjunction with Hawaiian moon aloe cream as a moisturizer and haven't had any of the flaking AT ALL! Totally recommend this stuff. The manuka honey I bought is trader joes brand (10+) which I personally love. The hawaiian moon aloe can be found on amazon but you can also buy on their website. Ive been using this moisturizer for about a year now, and although its a bit pricey, I'm a huge fan. Hope this helps someone out there!
December 5, 2016
UPDATE: Its been around 3 months now and I'm definitely seeing improvement. My acne has totally subsided aside from the occasional white head during my cycle and the scars are starting to heal up. I use this in conjunction with a cleanser (naturopathica mens cleanser - works wonders!), a tonic (lush rose water tonic) and moisturizer (moon aloe (night) and lush vanishing cream (morning)). Also while I was still breaking out I used tea tree as a spot med and it worked amazingly!
June 19, 2016
Didn't do anything for me
I used this for about 6 months with Aczone. I saw no changes one way or the other. I might as well have used nothing because there was honestly no change at all. I didn't even get an initial flare.
June 7, 2016
Slather it on!
This stuff is great - if you use 3x the recommended dose. It comes in a little pump now and I use 2 or 3 pumps twice a day, and it clears up my skin in 4 days tops. It's really drying, just like any BP product, but the results are worth it. I also love how the cream isn't grainy like many BP products are. It doesn't seem to prevent my acne quite as well as it cleared up the existing ones, which is why I decided to give Dan's regimen a try. If the regimen doesn't work better than this stuff, I will most certainly come back to it!
February 2, 2016
HAPPY
been suffering with acne on and off for 10 years and tried both aral medication and anti-acne product ..after being recommended by the derm 2 years ago i started to using this cream and apply skinoren after been using them for 2 years and i got wonderful result..be patient and stick in it!!
January 12, 2016
would NOT recommend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I read reviews before I bought this and decided that many people seem to have found success. I have used a number of topical treatments before and found things to be drying, but I can put up with that!!! I started using this and hated it, but still gave it a chance. For the first 2 weeks it stung. so bad. It would sting when I would apply the medication, but also when I would exercise and sweat, when I showered or swam in a pool...ect...ouch! It also made my face really red. As everyone else said, it makes you skin flake and peel. But it was way worse than anyone warned. It got to the point where wind would move dead skin off my face!! I couldnt apply makeup because it was flaking so much. My face had an AWFUL texture and I look 100000x worse than with cystic acne. no thanks! but i continued with it (oh no...) by week 3 the peeling had yet to cease. it was bad. I reapplied the thickest moisturiser I could find 10+ times a day, and it was no help! felt so emabarrassed! WHY HAD I DONE THIS TO MYSELF!! My acne didnt clear up AND now, after a pimple would go away, the epiduo left a red mark where the pimple used to be!!!? this never happened to me before. but now not only do i have acne, but i also have a very uneven skin tone. needless to say, at the end of week 3 i gave up. overall, i wouldnt reccommend, not a good prouduct! However, it did help get rid of some acne (hardly, but a bit)
September 14, 2015
LOVE
I love this product. I never had sever acne, I just always had a few marks on my chin and all a lot on my forehead and i was fine with that until I went to college. I started using it my freshman year of college, it took about a month and a half for my face to clear up, and everyone noticed! I used it until the middle of summer when i just forgot about it. My face stayed clear all summer, then as soon as my school started, so did the acne. So I started it agin and it cleared up my face again. If I can use this forever, I will! It does dry your skin out, so drink plenty of water and every morning wash your face with a not topical face wash (I use Cetephil) and apply lotion, (cetephil). And yes you face will look worse before it looks better, but give it at least 2 months and you will be so happy!
Pros:
Dosnt dry out skin. Non-irritating. Easy to use.