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
December 24, 2007
Cons:
my face is red, and peeling, and swollen, and my acne is wayyy worse than before.
I've only used this for two months, and i know its supposed to get better before it gets worse, but this bad?? i dont think its worth it. i guess i'll keep using it, but im not expecting anything to come of it. dont buy this
December 21, 2007
Pros:
skin cleared up after few months, it takes a while to work, but i used to have a severe case of acne or 5 years, but now they are all gone!
Cons:
my skin got dried and irritated especially over the winter time. When it was the most severe, it was red, rashes visible, swollen, chapping and peeling, stinging and burning...
it works if you give it a few month to do its thing, but if you have a sensitive skin like mine, it does other damages such as drying and peeling.... but these side effects seem to get better after a while
December 14, 2007
Pros:
Didn't have a strong or undesirable smell
Cons:
IMMENSELY DRYING, Causes Flakiness/Redness, Stinging Feeling Throughout the day
Even though some of my acne 'cleared up', my skin hurts so much. I do not recommend this product for anyone... especially with dry skin. My skin feels and resembles chapped lips. It's horrible and very painful.
October 6, 2007
Pros:
Well it worked for the first 6 mothns the last 6 it hasnt been doing sh*t. Im switching to proactive
DOSENT WORK IN LONG LONG TERM
September 8, 2007
Pros:
helps clear up exsisting pimples and prevents new ones from forming, closes open pores,no more whiteheads forming, prevents wrinkles, gets rid of some red marks left by acne,
Cons:
skin feels raw, bad breakouts, tightness feeling, which is also associated with dry skin, peeling, redness but usually goes away after two months of CONTINUAL usage.
I believe that Differin works. The thing is you have to use it continually cause if you miss a day your skin may breakout and you will be at point one again. You have to put it ALL over your face NOT just on the zits.PUT DIFFERIN ALL OVER YOUR FACE,besides the mucous membranes!! this is very important for differin to work. The way i used differin is i applyed a thin film(layer) for the first weeks then build up each month to a little thicker layer. Also on the package it says NOT to put on the corners of the nose( the part on the sides of the nostrils) Personally i put it there because i build a tolerance to differin, some peoples skin in that area may be sensitive, so try to avoid that area if that is you. This is not approved by the FDA, but my dermatologist said it may prevent and get rid of wrinkles on skin, because it is similar to a r-tena(forgot how to spell it). I wouldn'tknow if it cleared up wrinkles because im only seventeen.
August 4, 2007
Pros:
Dramatically cleared my skin within one week and it just kept getting better, 2 months later, I looked great
Cons:
When I first started I had a small dry patch along my jaw line, later the dry patches got worse and pretty soon all around my chin and mouth were all scaly and flaky, it was gross.
I have moderate to servere acne and I was first put on clindamycin phospate (AM), minocycline(1oo mg) and differin (PM. Everything seemed to be working and I felt great but then when my skin started to get really dry my dermatologist took me off differin and I started to break out a lot. So a couple months later, she put me back on differin and my skin burned, itched, and was really red and scaly. It didn't improve my skin at all and now I look terrible. It may work for you if you don't have sensitive or dry skin, but if your skin it sensitive at all, be carefull!
July 30, 2007
Pros:
Helped in treating my minor breakouts and temporarily haulted breakouts all together.
Cons:
dry itchy skin, reacted with almost all lotions i used. Left my skin feeling like it was on fire
For the price of this product, it may be useful to some. But for me it had little affect in my cystic acne.
May 29, 2007
Pros:
easy to use. cheap-ish. doesn't ruin your clothes.
Cons:
it has made the problem worse...still waiting for when it all gets better.
I am 31 and starting to get wrinkles but the acne has come back in force which is a cruel irony. I had used the contraceptives Brenda and Diana in my 20s which were fantastic but affected my libido so badly, it almost cost me my marriage. I promised not to go there again so my doctor prescribed differin which has made the problem so bad, I am almost embarrassed to go out. I am waiting for it to 'get better' as it is meant to take 8 weeks or so to show an improvement. But I am tempted to go the hard stuff and get a course of roaccuatane which I used in my teens and was fantastic.
January 11, 2007
Pros:
Seems to work well
Cons:
Very dry skin
Ive been using this for just over a week with erythromycin, it seems to work better than any other thing ive tried including just erythromycin, benzyl peroxide, and shop brought stuff, im hoping that using a moisturiser will improve things.
It must be alot cheaper in england as it is only about £7 per tube.
January 9, 2007
Pros:
Covered by insurance after prior authorization from MD. Easy to use.
Cons:
If have to pay out of pocket...horribly expensive. Worked ok at first. Dried out skin around my eyes even though not applied there.
not worth it for this 36 year old acne sufferer for 25 yrs!
Have Tried EVERYTHING! over the counter and RX. except Proactive, which is next.
Pros:
i dont think theyre are any