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
November 17, 2009
Cons:
Dry, burning skin
I was amazed at how fine lines on my forehead and around my mouth all but disappeared, but I do experience some dry skin and burning. It has not made me break out worse, but I have only been using it every 3 days.
August 27, 2009
Pros:
+stopped acne from getting bigger the next morning
+didn't experience any dryness
+nice fragrance
Cons:
+I've heard that it is pretty expensive
+doesn't prevent period breakouts
I got my first tube of Epiduo for free from my dermatoligist, but I've heard that it's pretty expensive. It made my skin worse at first, but it works pretty well. I have really oily skin so it didn't dry it out. I use it once during the nighttime, but I use Duac in the morning on the big spots.
October 21, 2011
Pros:
- not risky
- free on NHS
Cons:
- didn't clear me up at all
- can be irritating
Basically, I was on this for well over two months and I actually think it made my acne a little worse during that time. I'm going to go back to basics and use Dan's Regimen. It might work for you, but it certainly didn't for me.
August 27, 2011
Pros:
It's very easy to apply and thats about it.
Cons:
It drys out the skin and doesn't really work at all.
First of all this product was insanely expensive and didn't even do it's job. I tried it for a year and tried to keep my hopes up but it just didn't clear up my acne and I put it on every night. It did aboslutely nothing and was a complete waste of money.
June 24, 2011
Pros:
not many for me
Cons:
unlike others here..it made my skin all oily and caused me to break out
i was on benzaclin for a month which worked well..then the dermatologist prescribed me epiduo which caused my face to become super oily..after the second week on it i broke out and got huge cysts...now i stop using it and suffer because of it....i dont know what to do now
February 23, 2011
Pros:
-gets ride of acne
-smooths skin out
-cheap (with insurance)
Cons:
-burns
-dries skin out
-causes rashes on neck
Epiduo was my last hope before accutaine because nothing else was working after going to the derm monthy for 9 months. Epiduo started working right away, and now, 6 months later, my acne is gone, except for some scars that are slowly going away under the surface. It was however, hard to keep up with at first as it burned every time I put it on (and still does sometimes) and burns when I put Cetaphil moisturizer on it. Also, it caused itchy rashes on my neck because I have sensitive skin, but they went away after about 3-4 months of being on it (rashes are a known side effect). This stuff worked great for me just when I was feeling hopeless and like I had tried everything! *Note: I also started using this with Spiro and birth control as my derm thought I might have hormonal acne, but I believe it still works well on its own.
July 20, 2010
Pros:
-Works to an extent
-Easy to use
-Get the $35 coupon from your dermatologist, it'll save you a lot.
Cons:
-The first day I used it, it irritated my skin so badly that everyone at school asked if I got sunburned.
-Made my skin flake and dry out for months, even after I went off the cream.
-Made my face extremely red for an entire year.
-Acne got worse after I kept using Epiduo for months.
It didn't work for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for others. Try it for a few weeks but if your skin is too sensitive like mine, don't risk it.
June 29, 2013
Epiduo is horable
Pros:
it cleared whiteheads
Cons:
cleared in blotches
overdried
too concentrated
I am a 14 year old girl who lives in San Francisco and has the skin type comb/oily. When I used Epiduo I was perscribed by my doctor to only use it at night with about a pea size and put it all over my face, that was one of the huge problems right there is that for me it was so concentrated that I could barely cover half my face with it. When I used enough to cover my whole face it completely overdried my face and it became flakey and gross. In additiion the the drying out of my face it only cleared in blotches and didn't do anything for cystic acne that I had. Other miner things that I hated about it was I was told to use it with the cetaphil oil control cleanser that did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT ALL it says oil control and my face was as oily as before I used it. I was also told not to use it with anything else but the cleanser and cream and that drove me nuts because when I went to an actual dermatologist they told me that what ever I use should have exfoliation step to take away dead skin cells before treatment and after cleansing and it didn't have that. This cream is also very expensive. All in all the whole thing was a bust!
February 12, 2012
Pros:
Lightens your skin maybe a LITTLE bit
Cons:
Dries out skin,makes acne worse
For me,it did not work at all.Bottom line,doesn't work
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.
Pros:
Saw immediate reduction in wrinkles