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
November 11, 2008
Cons:
Itched the hell out of my skin
I didn't notice any changes in my acne in the first month, they say it takes 3 mos to start working but I had to quit using it after 1st month because of this itch! Also, they say the side effects will subside after few weeks but it only got worse for me so I quit. I know theres other ways to combat my acne without having to scratch my face off. This was just way too uncomfortable.
November 4, 2008
Pros:
none.
Cons:
This thing dried my skin up so bad it started peeling like crazy and gave me break outs.
I think this is not for sensitive skin. The product really dries your skin out so it's probably for people with really oily face, but it's just not for me.
November 2, 2008
Pros:
none
Cons:
doesn't clear my skin
Do not buy.
November 1, 2008
Pros:
Was reasonably priced although I expected my insurance to cover more of the price.
Cons:
Made my skin extremely dry and irritated my sensitive skin
I'm not sure if my dermatologist took a note of my sensitive skin. After I started using this product my skin became very dry, I thought it was natural because most acne medications cause drying and peeling. However, my skin would peel deeply, the acne areas would peel revealing the flesh below. It left worse scars than I had before and the open wounds were extremely painful. I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone with sensitive skin like mine.
October 14, 2008
Pros:
none
Cons:
burned my face, caused a considerable amount of pain, face was red and flaky, made acne go from being mild to being severe
this sh*t sucks, i used it for two months and not only did it burn the sh*t out of my skin, it also made my acne ten times worse.
September 27, 2008
Pros:
Cleared up my skin in three months. I had absolutley terrible terrible acne. Worse than severe due to p.c.o.s. Im so greatful for this product. I used to go to bed crying from the severe pain of my skin. There wasnt a spot on my face that had nocysts
Cons:
Takes a couple of months. Initial breakout that goes away in a week
Absolutley fantastic. Thank you who ever created it.
September 22, 2008
Pros:
It doesn't smell, seems to work for most.
Cons:
It takes a long time (if you are seeing results in a week, that isn't the Differin!), and in a lot of cases, does nothing. Can be irritating and create very oily skin.
I was on this for 4 months - long story short, it did nothing for me. It seems to work for most people, but not everybody. Gave me ridiculously oily skin that still plagues me to this day, and I got a lot of irritation from it. Like almost everybody, I got the initial breakout. 6 weeks of IB, followed by 10 weeks of bad skin. Ironically, my skin improved considerably when I came off it. Yes, I was only using a small amount as well, so you cannot blame my dosage. In short, try it, but don't expect miracles. Differin takes a long time to work - if you see an improvement in a week, that's not due to the Differin. I used this in combination with doxycycline, which did a lot more for me than the Differin did.
September 21, 2008
Pros:
worked after about a week. makes skin feel clean. makes you feel more confident about yourself
Cons:
pricely!
I've tried both ProActives Combination method and Minocylin perscription and they didnt work that well.. i tried differin with minocylin and a over the counter 10% benyzol peroxide and my face has never looked clearer!! Give Differin a try!! it really works
July 23, 2008
Pros:
draws out impurities, gentle, don-drying, no smell, one tube lasts forever, reduces inflammation, lesser and smaller acne than before, can be put under or over other creams/topicals/spot treatments, easy to apply and remember to apply
Cons:
expensive i believe (i forget) hasn't gotten rid of all my acne, gets oily--only use at night, is not a spot treatment (doesn't treat existing acne), takes a while to work, doesn't work fantasically on its own
use it every night or else it won't work...
it doesn't treat acne really, it brings things to the surface fast and clears them fast (shortens life span) and the zits are not red at all
use with other stuff for full benefit has cleared me 85% without irritation
July 15, 2008
Pros:
My dermatologist said I should use it. I'm using it with two other acne medications.
Cons:
It made my skin so peely and horrible. I can't go out in the sun or in the pool, or else my whole face will be dry and I get scabs.
I don't really like it right now. It clears up my pimples, but it seems like they come back worse the next day. And i've been using it since the end of April. So, I don't understand why it's not working. Ugh.
Pros:
didn't make my acne worse