Acne.org Products
Topical Retinoid
Efficacy
54%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Prescription and over-the-counter adapalene share the same efficacy percentage due to non-specific research, but prescription strength likely performs better.
Topical Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
This topical retinoid medication provides partial relief at higher prescription dosages, but don’t look for complete clearing, especially at over-the-counter strength. Relatively affordable and comes with less side effects than tretinoin, the other affordable topical retinoid. As a bonus, it improves the look of skin and reduces fine lines and wrinkles a bit too.
Topical Retinoid
How to Get It
This is an over-the-counter treatment. Here are some places you can find it online.
Used Adapalene (Non-prescription)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
August 11, 2007
Cons:
I havent found any cons with this medication yet. No peeling or anything for me.
I would recommend this so far. Ive had it for a couple of weeks, and its pretty effective to what i can see. Im using this alongside doxycycline which is an amazing medicine which ive been using for about a year, maybe longer. Definately recommend this combination.
August 6, 2007
Pros:
none
Cons:
It makes your acne worse
This is that product that made my acne worse. I had acne before but it was never that bad! Because of that product i ended up having a lot of acne scars on my chin and you could play connect the dots on my fore head! dont buy it!
May 31, 2007
Pros:
I have been using differin for about a week. Haven't seen significant changes yet but it's still early. I really hope it works. I've heard alot of positve feedback about it.
Cons:
I've always had pimples but in the last 8 months my skin has been awful.
I'm 28 years old and I've never had anyone think i was older than 23. I think it's because I have acne. Not that I mind people thinking I am 23.
May 20, 2007
Pros:
Cheap
Cons:
May have reduced breakouts, but I always seemed to have one or two blemishes. I was never completely clear. Skin was red and irritated if you were not extremely careful.
Pretty much worthless. Use benzoyl peroxide as outlined by Dan Kern. This kept my mild to moderate acne totally clear with no end in sight. Accutane also worked wonders with minimal side effects for me (bloody noses). It eliminated my cystic acne completely, but smaller blemished would inevitably return 12 to 18 months after treatment.
May 15, 2007
Pros:
Cheap
Cons:
Drying, Redness, More pimples and peeling
I have used this product for four weeks and all it has done is create more pimples. I have never had acne and at the age of 32 I had 3 spots on my chin caused by a steriod cream to clear another condition. This product has made it worse and made me depressed - Any advice help much appreciated
May 14, 2007
Pros:
it seemed to clear up one side..
Cons:
the other side of my cheek (affected area) seems to be breaking out in painful pimples, and the scarring sucks
im still not sure what to think of this product, and its been nine weeks
May 12, 2007
Pros:
cleared up my skin, controls oil, no drying/flaking/redness/peeling
Cons:
expensive and not covered by my insurance. paid approximately 150$ for one tube.
i'm on my second month of treatment. my derm prescribed duac (benzoyl peroxide) in the am and differin at night. i fortunately did not undergo any redness/peeling/irritation. during my intial 2 weeks of treatment i saw steady improvement, then the following two weeks i began getting large cystic acne. i became frustrated, but decided to continue with treatment, since i really had nothing to lose. after about the first month or so, i saw steady and progressive improvement. i've reached a point where i'm not really breaking out anymore. sometimes if i wear too much makeup my skin will become irritated and break out, but other than that it stays pretty clear. my biggest advice to anyone trying this product is not to overdo it with the application. pea sized dab every night should do the trick.
also, differin doesn't do much to treat red marks, so i would recommend using a pigment lightening gel every couple of days or so.
April 20, 2007
Pros:
to prep skin for accutane and as a youth cream post accutane
Cons:
if your acne doesnt clear significantly after 3 months, stop using it and get on accutane
I used it for 4 months, helped slightly, but I think it is a perfect way to prep your skin for accutane. Once starting accutane, my skin adjusted nicely without any of the horrible redness or breakouts that some people have reported. Now I just have dry skin, but *clear* skin, not perfect yet because of the scars, but they are fading too. Once you complete your roaccutane, restart the diferin, just small amt at night, it does wonders to maintain a clear complexion, plus it works just like all those expensive retinol creams.....it keeps your skin young!
April 4, 2007
Pros:
Evens out your skin tone.
Cons:
Initial breakouts! Makes your skin look disgusting
Will repost once i have given it 8 full weeks of try.
March 24, 2007
Pros:
It looks like it is working after two months of using Adapalene.
Cons:
Red, dry, flaky skin the first month of using it and actually worsens your acne the first few weeks
Try Adapalene it is afforable and many guarantee it works after using it for three months.
Pros:
You can feel the medication on you, so you know if you put enough on and all that. You can feel a tightness to your skin and it just feels really good to have on. Noticed effects pretty fast.