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
February 9, 2011
Cons:
Does very little by itself - still required a physical exfoliant
Relatively long IB (~2 months)
Flaky skin in the morning
Frankly, I doubt if Differin (both 0.1% cream and gel) actually did much for my skin. The past two years when I had clear skin I used a facial scrub as my only acne treatment. However, when I switched that out for Differin, my acne came back. I had originally used this for occasional clogged pores. In the end not only created more clogged pores but as turned my them into under the skin papules and sometimes cysts/nodules. Before these blackheads and whiteheads would resolve themselves after exfoliation. Likewise, I began to get acne in places which I have never had it before, such as next to my mouth and upper cheeks. As the resulting hyperpigmentation will last longer than the acne itself, it's simply not worth it for me.
March 7, 2010
Pros:
works well, esp skin with mild-moderate acne (whiteheads, blackheads, etc.)
doesn't irritate too much if you use recommended dosage! (pea size amount!)
one tube goes a long way
Cons:
takes several weeks to begin to see results
may cause a slight increase in acne before getting better (even with use of an oral/topical antibiotic)
expensive if you don't have insurance
I was skeptical of trying this product, especially because it would cost me about $200 since my insurance had a $250 brand-name deductible. I was also nervous about the infamous initial break-out. But after being on this product for just over a month, I strongly believe that this product is worth it. If you are worried about the initial break-out, ask your doctor to prescribe an oral/topical antibiotic. This lessens the intensity of the breakout immensely. However, you will still get a few extra pimples here and there even if you do take antibiotics. But for me, there was no "breakout" but rather a consistent amount of 2-4 pimples/whiteheads on my face for about 3-4 weeks. My face didn't break out all at once, but it was a little frustrating seeing another pimple appear right after another one disappeared. If you have oily skin like I do, I recommend Clean&Clear's Oil Absorbing sheets. They work wonders. If you're concerned about the red marks and hyperpigmentation left by acne, I recommend MaMa lotion (now called M2 lotion). It's a bit expensive, but you can it works! If you had consistent acne like I did (constant whiteheads) before starting on Differin, you'll be pleased to see a clear face after 1-2 months after use.
December 19, 2009
Pros:
Smells alright.
Cons:
Stopped working, like all topical treatments. Need to use stuff orally also to work.
I used it in conjunction with the Duac as the dermatologist had said. Still it helped, but sort of stopped, yeah.
August 10, 2009
Pros:
Invisible, can't even tell I have it on. Odorless. Tube lasts forever.
Cons:
If I use it with other cleansers my skin gets horribly dry!!
But by itself it's fab..i dont even wash my face before using it.
Awesome product. I never had horrible acne, but i did get a few on my forehead and chin. My doctor prescribed Differin about a year ago, and now I can't live without it. My skin gets dry very easily, but this product did not dry my skin out at all. I dont use it every day anymore, cause I just get lazy, but if I start breaking out again, I'll put it on and within two days I'm back to almost clear. I love it and you should definetly try it!
January 15, 2017
the worst
this is my fist time to ever write a review about an acne treatment , but this product ruined my life , now i can't even get out i'm so embarrassed , i had only 5 little pimples in my whole face , now they are countless small pimples in clusters , and my skin look worse than it ever have been and with time and more use it only increase the acne , i wish i never used it really .
April 13, 2017
Has your face cleared up since, and if so, how?
May 15, 2017
maybe it was an allergic reaction?
June 27, 2016
Beyond Awful
When I started Differin I only had mild acne, about 3-4 spots at a time. I used the product religiously for 12 weeks (the instructions say you should see significant improvement by 12 weeks) and over the course of this time my skin got progressively worse. I initially put it down to an initial breakout but this lasted for the entire 12 weeks.
By the end of 12 weeks I had gone from 3-4 spots to 15-20 spots. My cheeks, chin, jaw, and temples were completely covered in inflamed pustules and painful 'under the skin' spots. I went to my doctor and he diagnosed me as having moderately-severe acne, after trying various pills to no avail, I have been referred to a dermatologist for accutane. This product completely ruined my skin and 6 months down the line I am still suffering from its effects.
October 21, 2016
How are you doing right now? I used it for a little under 2 weeks and it also irritated me, so I stopped immediately as soon as I noticed unusual papules appearing in places where I'm always clear...it's ridiculous that someone would tell you that it's helping purge you when the 'acne' that appears from Differin is probably some kind of reaction, if bumps are appearing in areas with clear skin. Interestingly, 2 people I now know also tried Differin and had the same experience -- instant formation of 'acne' after just a few uses [for one of them] when they'd never had acne before. So how was Differin helping "purge" them if they'd never had acne? LOL...such a joke!
June 17, 2016
WAIT for results!
Background: I'm twenty years old and I've never had a problem with acne leading up to this. I would get the occasional spot, with one nagging cluster on my forehead because I rub there when I'm stressed. Then I had a massive cystic acne breakout. In January 2016 I started a new medication, which worked great except for it started to cause acne. This medication is known for doing that. It saved my life, but over the course of several months cause me to have a moderate to severe cystic acne breakout. I'd never had a cyst before, and four months later this was all over my cheeks and chin, overlapping each other and bright red. I've never worn make up before, but had to start in order to feel ok leaving the house. When my doctor saw me in March, we switched to a new medication that wouldn't cause acne, but we still had to deal with the fall out. He prescribed minocycline and told me to stick with my sacylic acid face wash. This did nothing by mid-April, so I started doing my own research. I found out that Epsom salt is really helpful for some, and gave it a shot. It worked like magic and drew up and drained almost all my cysts, but they were still not completely healed and were always threatening to flare up, I also had a few persistent ones that refused to drain. When I saw my doctor earlier this month, June, he put me on doxycycline and Adapalene 0.1%. I saw results within a couple of days, it was amazing. My cysts have almost all gone completely flat, a lot of them are completely healed except for scarring and that is starting to fade. I've only been on it a week and a half, which isn't normal at all. I think the reason why it's so accelerated is because I was using the Epsom salt religiously and it drew out so much of the infection that my face was already very primed to heal. You have to give this medication time to kick in. My face is peeling a little but that's how this medication works, my scarred skin is peeling away. I'll post a follow-up in a couple of weeks, I hope it'll be cleared completely by then.
March 23, 2016
it works for me
I don't have that severe of acne, but I do have regular pimples. this stuff worked wonders on my skin with very little irritation. it helped to clear up my acne within the first couple of weeks of use. I recommend it if you have mind to moderate acne"
August 10, 2015
Differin (Adapalene) Review
On this site it says it is used to treat 'severe' acne. This is incorrect as the leaflet clearly says used to treat 'mild to moderate acne'. I have seen some improvement. I am optimistic as this is day 5 for me. I have been combining with steaming my face about twice a week, prior to application every night . It works for me that way. I have had no adverse effects. Perhaps because I was using DUAC cream (5% benzoyl peroxide) prior to this to which my skin developed a tolerance, so was proving ineffective even though initially it was great. Hence the change. I would recommend this product as so far, I find it gentle and seems to be working.
July 31, 2014
How do I get rid of my scars?
It's hard to be a high school student enough, but when you have acne, it makes it even worse. I've struggled with acne for almost 2 years and I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror because of it. I get so sad and upset with myself like it's my fault. I was prescribed Differin two weeks ago, and I've had a few pimples come up, but i don't see any small changes in my scars. Does this medication work for scarring?
Pros:
Works a bit after a few months
Little to no irritation