Adapalene / Benzoyl Peroxide (Epiduo®)
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Usually known by its brand name Epidu®, this topical treatment is a combination of adapalene, which is a type of medication called a...

Usually known by its brand name Epidu®, this topical treatment is a combination of adapalene, which is a type of medication called a retinoid that reduces inflammation in the skin and helps promote skin cell turnover, along with benzoyl peroxide, which kills acne bacteria and dries/peels the skin. 

It is usually applied once a day before going to bed.

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December 16, 2017
Pleased (so far...)
I am in my mid 30s and suffering from oily skin & moderate hormonal adult acne I thought acne will be behind me when I was in my 20s but nope still there. I tried going to the derma, getting facials and peels, buying OTC products with salicylic to glycolic acids, using prescribed tretinoin different strengths, etc. some are effective but I want to keep my acne at bay and prevent them from popping by out doing simple regimen and I don't want to burn money anymore so still looking for a product that I can buy OTC that works. So far for me epiduo is effective though progress is slow compare to tretinoin but definitely milder than tretinoin in terms of side effects I experienced sensitivity in my skin from the exfoliation effect but I did not see noticable obvious peeling, purging (few pimples but not worse), subtle burn & itchiness during the 1st week of using but only for a little while then gone after few days. Now on 3rd week of using epiduo and I am noticing some improvement in my skin's texture, acne marks seem to lighten a bit, acne is less especially on my forehead and chin, skin is still oily though. I plan to use this for another month and see if the improvement continues (hopefully). I am trying my best not to pick my face but tempting sometimes. How I use epiduo: At night wash face with cetaphil gentle cleanser then apply cetaphil moisturizer to wet face then wait to dry then apply pea sized amount on whole face. At daytime wash face with cetaphil gentle cleanser then apply neutrogena moisturizer SPF15 but I do alternate sometimes with my snail gel or a stronger SPF lotion if I know I might have longer exposure outside. I am asian and don't have sensitive skin nor allergies.
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December 3, 2017
Hopeful
I'm on my week two of epiduo and my acne was like worse than ever. Bumps keep coming up my face even on spots I don't normally get them. (So saaadd) but, but, I heard that this is the initial purging stage and yes! I could feel my bumps drying up and flattening. Yay! As for my skin, i have sensitive and oily type but srsly, it never dried up my face. I'm still oily. Hoping for better skin sooner!
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Hopeful74
December 29, 2017
How is your acne now with this Epiduo?
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sereingirl
December 30, 2017
Hi @Hopeful74 I am now 1 month and 10 days using this Epiduo and most of my bumps had flatten. I still have active ones on the hairline (side of my face) that I think, is the latest part to experience purging. But I'm not giving up hope. Lot of people have been here and tells me to wait patiently (says the reviews I read lol) I have a few more weeks to be patient of. Have a good day! Haha.
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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!
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October 1, 2017
It's Working (Acnesol)
So there's a lot of history with my acne situation. I always had moderate acne, large pores oily skin....n i underwent course of antibiotics, doxycyclin amd azithromycin which helped..... But In 2010 i developed cystic acne....a relapse. So my derm said that antibiotics won't work in my case, amd i took a course of isotroin (same like Accutane.. M from India) of 6months amd it was the best thing. It cleared up my acne completely. It was good for 2years but then my skin was not that great amd it developed bumps... On n off acne.. But nothing major. All was good or atleast okay for 5years.... But then it started gettimg worse recently.. So i visited my derm again, after 6years...he recognized me, amd i too reminded him of my acne history. He said he told me earlier that isotroin would cure 80% but 20% will be maintenance..... Which i didn't do,,, (as i moved from this place.. Got busy with life... I forgot all about it). So now he saod that i have to use a cream at night. That is acnesol(. 1%adapalene and. 1%clindamycin). Also a salicylic facewash. Fortunately i dont need to take a second course of isotroin. I had bumps all over my forehead... And new breakouts...whiteheads on my cheeks n chin.... Too much. So its beem a week of acnesol and salicylic facewasg, and my skin is very very dry... Also red on the problem areas. But the bumps/whiteheads on my forhead are 90%gone, also only 2new breakout that too are dry... He also gave my a cream to moisturize, only to be used sos...acnemoist. I have used it twice till now. When i wash my face now i dont feel the bumps and roughness... And no active acne too now. With the present scenario i feel in another week or 10days it will all be crllear and normal(not red too).
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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.
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September 5, 2017
Patience is key
I never ever write reviews for anything...but I feel like I should share my experience with epiduo. I started in June of 2017 and immediately experienced the purging. Unfortunately for me, I started to get acne in places that I had never gotten before due to this purging phase. It was extremely irritating and embarrassing because my face was nowhere near as bad before as it was during the purging phase. For me, the purging lasted about 2 months (I know this sounds really bad, but you have to be patient). I live in Florida, so I'm constantly sweating (terrible for acne!). I almost gave up around the 2 month mark, but I kept reading reviews about how I need to stick it out until month 3. I'm currently on week 12 (one week away from the 3 month mark) and my face has improved exponentially. Throughout all of August, I had non-elevated red marks all over my face, but those are fading very quickly right now. My face is not 100% clear, but I can definitely see it heading in that direction. I'm so glad that I didn't give up on this product. As awful as it may be to have to wait 10-12 to see results, it's totally worth it. It's very upsetting to read reviews about how people stopped after like 6 weeks. This just isn't enough time. For someone that is extremely acne prone, I was so excited to see this product start working. Once my face clears completely, I will probably only apply the epiduo every other night to maintain. Long story short: not everyone will see results quickly because everybody responds differently and at different intervals. Stick it out and you should see good results. Besides, the acne that you are getting as a result of beginning epiduo (the purging) would have come anyways at some point in the future. I highly recommend!
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13 user(s) found this helpful

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August 19, 2017
so far so good!
my doctor prescribed me epiduo three days ago and it works like magic! i have mild/moderate acne, which really flared up a year ago (age 15) and it's been difficult trying to keep it away. i get cysts and nodules. there would be 3-5 in one area which can be painful. i don't get a lot of spots but i do get larger pimples. my acne is hormonal so i never know what it will do next. sometimes it goes down completely and one day i'll wake up with 2 cysts on my cheeks. i've tried doxycycline which didn't work for me at all. 2 and a half months in and i was still getting cysts frequently. i thought it would work because i was taking the fight inside out but it was a big fail. i was hesitant to try the epiduo as it is a topical treatment and i've heard many times that it is inside that you need to take care of (to control the hormones), hence taking prescription pills. personally i have had no bad side effects, it would VERY slightly itch/tingle on the side at a small area but goes right away. i haven't had any burning sensations, as i've read many people experienced on here at the first couple of weeks, but i'll have to wait and see. i saw a big difference the morning after my first night with it on and it has completely removed my cysts and nodules since, at least on the surface. i've also seen scars fading a little but i'm not sure if it is the epiduo. in the morning i would rinse it off with just water and use the olay complete spf 15 moisture lotion. my skin hasn't purged, i'm not sure if it will or if i'll get minor side effects later. i have only been on it for three days so i'll have to check back on here in two-three months. hopefully, i won't have to take pills with the epiduo or be disappointed yet again :)
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August 16, 2017
Does nothing for severe acne
I was prescribed this for moderate acne, and the first week or so it DID work, a little bit. It dried my face out which is expected but after about a week it was like applying water on my face and letting it sit there overnight. It did nothing. It seems to only work for those who have a pimple here and there.
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sio06
November 8, 2017
Epiduo increases the skins turnover rate so takes a good 3 months to see results
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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
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July 31, 2017
8 Weeks in
8 Weeks in and still no progress, help?! I apply a pea size amount every evening, but am still getting new white pustules every day
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naomiclarke
May 24, 2018
you may still be in the purging stage.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website