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
November 28, 2010
Cons:
- The redness and burning sensation - particularly during initial use
- The purging effect/ initial break out - I experienced this around 1-2 week mark, but I persevered with the medication and it cleared up.
- Expensive
As with other acne medication, be patient when you use this. Acne gets worse before getting better. Stick with it. Takes about 4 weeks to start seeing real results. I have been on it for about 6 weeks now, and the results have been good. It's such a relief that it has worked! The burning sensation is a bit uncomfortable, but it's worth it for the end results. Use a good moisturiser while you are on this medication. I used Dermalogica skin boosting serum. I always used this medication at night before bed. I used small pea size amounts on specific areas (chin, forehead, cheeks). I found pea sized amount for the whole face was not enough. Goodluck - hope it works for you!
November 28, 2010
Pros:
Makes your acne go away-IT REALLY WORKS
Cons:
Drying, burns a little at first
Makes your acne worse at first
It's AMAZING!!!!!!! Just keep applying it and your acne will go away. I used to have about moderate acne but after epiduo my acne simply disappeared. I felt so much more confident and school and as long as I don't miss applying it, I don't get ANY acne or pimple AT ALL
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??
November 18, 2010
Pros:
bottle lasts a long time
gets rid of pimples fast
creamy formula
Cons:
drying at first
left lots of flakes around my nose, on my chin and forehead
horrible breakouts first 2 weeks in
i was skeptical about using epiduo at first but i was desperate. my doctor told me to use it twice a day. the first few days using it, my existing pimples cleared up and i was happy. but by day 6 or so my acne had gone out of control. i was getting breakouts like never before. i wanted to stop but my mom told me to commit for at least 3 months. so i did. well im on week 10 right now and i couldn't be happier! i have not had a zit in 4 weeks and ALL of my old pimples completely disappeared. i am left with mild acne scarring but the epiduo gel is fading the scars away. i LOVE LOVE LOVE this product and recommend it to anyone and everyone who suffers with acne like me.
November 10, 2010
Pros:
Prevents breakouts.
Cons:
Your face becomes EXTREMELY dry.
My dermatologist provided me with samples of Epiduo and I used it for the longest time. I would apply it every night before going to bed. Although it might help moderate acne, it is not worth having dry, red skin. My face is so dry, that I cannot even wear makeup. When I smile, all the dry skin around my face cracks. I feel and look like a lizard. Also, I have fairly sensitive skin, so anything I apply on my face now burns me horrible. All in all, this product is not worth it. I would rather have a few pimples then a lizard face.
November 4, 2010
Pros:
Treats mild-moderate acne
Treats cysts
Cons:
Drying
Redness
Peeling
Takes a while to really work
I had mild-moderate acne since I was 13 or 14. I used many dermatologist prescribed treatments, the best of which for me was Differin. I used differin probably for about a year which really cleared my skin and I went on Yaz as well, which I think really did the trick. From 17-18 I had almost no acne whatsoever - I had an occasional pimple from time to time, but nothing that wouldn't heal in a day or two. I still had blackheads and oily skin, but I pretty much gave up trying to solve that. I went through a very stressful experience this summer which made my skin do a complete 180. All of a sudden I was breaking out in big red pimples all over my face - in places I never even broke out before, and was getting huge cysts almost every day that would take forever to heal and leave a scar. I decided to go back on a dermatologist treatment and I was given Epiduo and Aczone. I started using Epiduo once a day at night and Aczone in the morning. I have semi-sensitive skin, so Epiduo caused dryness and redness that I still get, even about two months into the treatment. It took about one solid month of treatment to see any improvement in my acne and two months to start looking clearer. Unfortunately, Epiduo does not do anything for my blackheads. Recently I stopped using Aczone (I didnt feel it really did anything) and started using Epiduo in the morning too. It had made my skin red and dry, but I started putting moisturizer over Epiduo and that seems to be helping. I would recommend this product to people with mild-to-moderate acne, but be patient! I wanted to give up so many times because my skin definitely got worse before it got better, but the best thing to do is give it a lot of time. My daily routine: Morning:
Eucerin Soothing Redness Wash
Epiduo
Garnier Gel-Cream Moisturizer Night:
Eucerin Soothing Redness Wash used with Clarisonic Skin Brush
10% Glycolic Acid Wash (from dermatologist)
Epiduo
Garnier Gel-Cream Moisturizer
C
November 1, 2010
Pros:
Fading scars
Healing acne
Kind of preventing new acne
Cons:
For the first 1-2 months my skin was very red and dry, and extremely flaky, as well as really sensitive.
Also, it takes a few months to see some results.
I really like this. I was very embarrassed about my acne and wouldn't even walk around my own house without make-up. I had this recommended to me, and have been using this since the end of July. Believe me when I say I had tried everything there was to offer in a drugstore and higher end stores. And nothing worked. I finally went to the dermatologist and he recommended Epiduo. For the first month and a half I didn't only have zits, but majorly red, dry areas of my face.Then slowly they started to clear away and now I have acne scars that are lightening and rarely get zits, except for that special time of the month when I am bound to get them.I wear much lighter cover up now, and people compliment me on how much better my skin looks. So all in all this is a really good product. Just make sure you have a good moisturizer (my dermatologist recommended Aveeno) and try not to use scrubs in the first month and a half to two months because of how irritated your skin will be. Also, do not expect immediate jaw dropping results. It takes lots of time. But overall, I am really happy with this product and I would recommend it.
October 29, 2010
Pros:
-prevents all new major and minor acne from forming
-keeps existing acne from getting worse
-doesn't smell bad
-is not harsh on skin (for me anyhow)
Cons:
-doesn't make existing cystic acne heal faster
-doesn't shrink pores or get rid of blackheads
-takes a little time to see a big difference, but be patient!
I have been using Epiduo for about 3 weeks now, and I love it! I have had adult acne on and off for years (I'm 33), and this is the best product I have found in a long time. It IMMEDIATELY stopped my skin from forming new cysts (which I usually get a handful per month). I don't have terrible acne all over, but usually have a few bumps at any given time around my nose or on my chin, which got much worse after stopping birth control, so my acne is partially hormonal, partially stress related, and partially hereditary (my mom also had similar skin). I have oily skin, large pores, and some scarring from years of breakouts (although some years are good and some are bad). I had 2 existing cysts when I started using it, and it definitely halted their growth, but they took a long time to go away because it didn't really shrink them, but basically just stopped them in their tracks and then they stayed the same size for about 2 weeks. However; I have not had ANY new pimples or cysts come up since I started using it! No IBO at all. (Knock on wood!) It hasn't cleared the blackheads on my nose, kept the shine away that I always have throughout the day, or made my pores smaller, but waking up every morning without new acne spots is such a HUGE relief. I didn't experience the burning that some others have, and I only had minimal peeling-very manageable with some moisturizer. Definitely follow the directions, you really just need a thin layer all over your face, or it just wastes the product. I got samples from my derm, but I have read it can be pretty expensive without insurance. Overall I think this is a GREAT product and wish I had it about a year ago before going through a period of very bad skin. Hopefully this has helped put an end to this bad acne I've been experiencing for a long time to come. I highly recommend this product!
October 23, 2010
Pros:
Dried out acne and gave me a face rash
Cons:
Have heard good things from others
Because this dried out my skin so much and caused a rash to break out around my eyes (did the same thing for a friend of mine), I didn't use it long enough to see results.
October 21, 2010
Pros:
DOES clear acne!
Cons:
took a long time for me to work!
Burnt very little...just a little tingle
PLEASE do not get discouraged if your acne gets WORSE before it gets better. I used epiduo (along with solodyn and recently sodium sulfacetamide lotion) everynight and it took around 7 weeks so fully work. However, if you have severe acne like I did, 7 weeks is worth it for clear skin! My skin has never looked as good as it does now!
Ive read other reviews how epiduo cleared some peoples' skin within days...this was NOT my case. I was miserable...my skin became terrible! I stuck it out because I had this feeling it would eventually work and it did! I'm happier than ever! Give it a shot! As I said, I am also taking solodyn and using the sodium sulfacetamide lotion and this is a great combo for me! Good luck!
Pros:
- Helped clear up my acne ( I have non-inflammatory acne - main blackheads, concentrated in my chin area)
- Helped prevent new pimples
- Peeling effect of the medication has helped with my hyperpigmentation
- Has reduced oiliness of my skin