In the summer of 2013 I went on holiday to Spain which was so lovely, apart from the fact that I broke out quite a bit, more than I had before. I didn't really think much of it as I thought it was just sensitive skin reacting to the sun cream which I didn't end up using again. When I came home my Mum took me to the doctors who prescribed me with the Epiduo Gel. All he said to apply a pea size amount every night before bed and then come back in 3 months to get more Gel and that my acne would be gone by then. This never happened. In the first week of using Epiduo my skin got very red, irritated and extremely dry. My whole face burned like I have never experienced before. I cried a couple of nights because it hurt that bad. After another week the burning calmed down but my skin was still extremely dry. I'd never moisturised before as I naturally have rather oily skin, but I ended up trying 'Nivea Rich Moisturising Day Cream' but didn't really like it (it was too rich for my skin) but it did help with the dryness. I next went onto the 'Simple Light Moisturiser' which I love and still use to this day. That helped a lot with the dryness. But anyway, as the days went on my skin got worse and worse to a point I was crying every day and started having panic attacks before and after school thinking that I would get judged for how my skin now looked as before the summer holidays my skin was fine. My acne started to get worse all around my right cheek and I would get those really big lumpy type of spots quite a bit which really hurt and left awful scarring. For the seven whole weeks of using Epiduo I was crying everyday and I eventually couldn't take it any longer. I couldn't see any signs of my skin improving in the next couple of weeks so my doctor, my parents and myself agreed that it wasn't working. I haven't used Epiduo in nearly two weeks now and my skin is so much better than it was. I am now taking an antibiotic everyday along with my 5% Quinoderm cream which I apply to the needed area morning and night. I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser to wash my face morning and night before I apply my Quinoderm and I use the Simple Light Moisteriser in the morning after I apply the cream. My skin is better than it was, it's not great yet but I have only been on this routine for a week. Overall Epiduo did not work for me, but it works for others. I just need to keep my head high and hope for the best. Good luck everyone.

I'm a 16 year old girl and my derm put me on this along with doxycycline (150 mg, once a day). The oral medication was definitely helping while the epiduo caused me to wake up with more and more big nasty white heads. They were larger than my actual acne before. My dermatologist said I was "sensitive" to it. Just please do not try this product, you'll regret it. (Sidenote) doxycycline worked pretty well, you should give it a shot.

My acne is the type with congested pores that get inflamed, Basically this product never really cleared me up, just calmed it down. I stopped using because it made me extremely oily by the third month. It might work for you though.

I have been on Epiduo for years in combination with different antibiotics and Aczone. Definitely doesn't work on its own, but for me it is not doing anything with the antibiotics. My dermatologist told me to put it on my whole face to help clear the small pimples. I put it on after moisturizer because it dries my skin and I don't see any improvements or if I do, the small pimples (that eventually become big ugly ones) come back. I am at my wits end.

I suffered an intense hormonal breakout with cystic acne 8 months ago after messing around with BCP. I had severe cystic acne on my chin, neck and jawline. My doctor gave me a bunch of Epiduo samples, and I started using them after the acne didn't go away after 3 months (I had perfectly clear skin all my life, before this breakout). I used Epiduo for about 4-6 weeks before I gave up. It is incredibly drying and makes your skin feel dead and horrible. I couldn't wear makeup because my skin looked like it was literally peeling off, despite using layers of moisturiser. A month later and I decided to give it another go. You must give it time to work and fight the negative symptoms! I started using Jojoba oil at night after cleansing, allowing it to sink into my skin (an hour or more), then apply Epiduo just to active acne before going to bed. THIS WORKS. My skin is clearing up significantly and my skin isn't dry or flaky. Epiduo works if you can manage its negative symptoms, and for me, using Jojoba oil as my nightly moisturiser did this. I also use AHA lotion during the day, to manage the dryness. Stick with Epiduo, and use products to counter the dryness, and you should see results.

I went to the dermatologist for moderate hormonal breakouts and she prescribed me this, along with an antibiotic. The first couple days I was really happy with the results, then around the 4-6 day mark my face and chest looked TERRIBLE. 20 times worse than before. I've never had problems with breakouts on my forehead until I used this. I broke out EVERYWHERE. I stopped using it and my face is clearing up. I know it is part of the ''initial breakout'' period, but I am not game for having terrible looking skin for a few months, especially my face. I'm not buying the whole ''it pushes the impurities out'' line either. Instead I went and switched birth control and that seems to be helping. I would NOT recommend this, unless you want to stay hidden for a few months before your skin clears up.

I didn't have health insurance when I got Epiduo from my dermatologist and paid double what I probably could have. I used a tiny pea size for a few months for moderate results. When I started the Regiman, I used the Epiduo I already had as my BZ product, and it completely cleared up my acne! However, I made the mistake of ramping up to the full amount in a week (because I'd already been using BZ for a few months, so my skin is used to it, right?) WRONG. DON'T DO THIS. If you've never had a chemical burn, this is not the way to find out what it feels like! Be careful when increasing dosage of BZ, even if you've been using a tiny bit for a long time - this stuff is powerful and it will feel incredibly unpleasant. Be patient, I promise you the results are worth it. But with that said, Dan's product is just as good, for much less money.

I had success with Benzaclin for about 7 years. When I was 22, I started noticing "bumps" under the skin on my cheeks. No amount of exfoliating I did could get rid of them. I went to the dermatologist. She prescribed me Epiduo. I was happy with this choice, as I new I needed a retinoid to solve my skin issues. The first 2 months my skin broke out pretty horribly. Like, worse than I've ever seen. But I research everything and was well aware that this was going to happen initially. Well, I've now been on Epiduo for 5 months. The "initial breakout" never stopped. My skin is bumpy all over, oily (my skin is usually dry), and a complete mess. It NEVER looked this bad before using Epiduo. I know Epiduo helps some people. I have friends with beautiful skin because of it. However, Epiduo is not for everyone. I hate that I have used this for so long, as I know it's going to take a long time to repair the damage that has been done.

Best way to describe this; WOW! For the past year i have tried LOADS of acne treatments and none have worked; theyve made my acne worse until out of random, my docotor recommended Epiduo to me whilst i visited his as i had the flue! Boy am i glad i had the flue!. Ive had this for a week now. From the day i applied it, it was STINGING ME, BURNING, AND MY FACE WAS RED AS A TOMATOE! but i thrived my self through and the results are ASTONISHING! I highly reccomend you use this WITH a gentle face was such as 'Simple' moisturing facewash. Simple moisturiser however, when applied with epiduo will sting even more, so watch out!. HIGHLY RECCOMENDED! THE ACNE STOPS HERE!

Epiduo works and even helps with cystic acne. I had small cyst 6 days ago and within 2 days, it formed the cyst into a head. I've only had 3 cysts thus far and the other two I used the cortisone shot. My dermatologist prescribed Epiduo and Doxyciclene. I know that Epiduo has helped with preventing breakouts but it hasn't helped with scarring or redness. I hope I can get to the point that I don't need to wear foundation.