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
January 14, 2013
Cons:
dryness
flakiness
red areas in the beginning
stinging
initial breakout
I never write reviews... but the reviews through this website helped me stick with differin. I have fairly light to moderate acne -- basically I had a ton of small pimples under the skin around my chin. You couldn't always see them, but in the daylight I felt like they really shined through.
I have been on differin for 6 weeks now, and I have definitely seen an improvement. I had a terrible initial purge, but it was obvious these were pimples that needed to surface because I could see them under the skin prior to differin use. Now, my skin is much better. Fingers crossed it continues to get better as time goes on.
February 22, 2012
Pros:
Clears Acne, Helps Stop Breakouts, Dries out Pimples,
Cons:
Dry, Flaky Skin
It works great, and I just use more cream to help the dry skin! I would recommend this to anyone with any severity of acne. At first, a few pimples came ot, but that was the Differin clearing out the skin. After that,I barely get pimples and I love it! Also, for my makeup, I use Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup to help cover up my pimples and it has salicylic acid to help treat acne and prevent it which is great i makeup since a lot of makeup products for the face clog pores and give you pimples. Use differin once at night and your good! Using Differin and Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup work great and I think you should use these 2 together! :)
December 26, 2011
Pros:
Made my skin approx 70% clearer
Cons:
Worry about any side effects
I am really happy with Differin.
In am 42 and have had acne since I was 13. Every pore was a pimple you could squeeze, and on top of that I was getting cystic huge throbbing mountains here & there, esp around cheeks and chin. Yes, the pill helped, but I now have high blood pressure from being a bit overweight and the pill is not advised. Then I went on oral antibiotics for 3 years without a break, and that helped too. But as I got older, this started to make me more prone to thrush. My Dr was reluctant to refer me to a skin specialist every time I asked, for years. So I went to a different Dr and demanded a referral. The specialist pushed hard for me to take Roaccutane but I completely refused as I'm grumpy enough being a single Mum with two children! She agreed that this happened to most people! And I would have to have a liver test before & after! - Alarm bells! So she prescribed (1% Adapalene) Differin SPARINGLY & only on affected areas + external antibiotics enderneath at night + in the morning under makeup) I refuse to listen to people who say makeup causes pimples coz I dont use makeup on my back chest & neck where I also get them!) Dr said to use Differin only on my face and "Phisohex" wash for my body where they aren't quite as noticable. Within a week the face pimples started clearing and the texture of my skin improved. I've been waiting for the flaking, soreness etc - NOTHING! I have one night break per week where I use and over the counter gentle pimple exfoliant,and smother on non-cosmodermic (?? non clogging) moisturiser, and I always wear sunblock if outside. I have been using it for 6 weeks now and love it. I intend to cut down to every second day in another month or so.
Good luck - NOTHING to loose!
October 26, 2011
Pros:
Reduced the size of my pores,
Calmed some redness on my cheeks and improved my skin's texture. Also worked well on back acne. At the beginning, I'd say my acne was 'moderately severe,' but now I think it is 'Moderate.'
Cons:
Didn't reduce scarring,
had itchy and dry eyelids.
I used Differin for a little over 3 months. The Initial Breakout Period wasn't too bad, and actually wasn't any worse than before I started taking it. I saw a lot of improvements, especially with my skin's texture. Read the instructions that come from the pharmacy! They say only to use Differin at night (I applied it once in the morning, and my skin instantly went red and inflamed. The redness went away quickly, but it was still unexpected.) Also, do not apply near the eyes. I would apply it to my eyebrow area, and I frequently have dry eyelids. You can't see the dryness, but it kind of hurts to apply eyeshadow and my eyelids are more sensitive to being touched or rubbed. So avoid the eyelids!
May 21, 2011
Pros:
smooths skin, non irritating, glowing skin
Cons:
acne does get worse, then better
It works, give it time, you wont see results overnight, but it works. My dermatologist prescribed this in addition to Finacea.
November 6, 2010
Pros:
-not too harsh
-easy to use
-forehead is 90% clear!!! yes!!!
-no more big zits
-no more cysts
-smoother skin
-softer skin
-overall quality of skin has improved
-skin no longer dry
-acne on cheeks mostly gone
Cons:
-VERY mild initial breakout
-still have scars from old acne....urghhh!
okay, when my doctor first game me the sample tubes, i was really eager to try it out. i have had acne since i was 11 (i am 15 now) and in the past year or two, it's gotten a lot better. before, i had painful red zits all over my forehead, which made it look like red stucco. before using this, my forehead still had some zits, but most of the activity was centered on my cheeks, as it still is. i was afraid to try this because the reviews mentioned an awful initial breakout. i decided to go through with it anyways and i am glad i did. that said, my IB was really mild, nothing worse than what i get around my period. that cleared up in a few days. my doctor said that it works slow. i can't wait to see what my skin looks like in a few months! by the way, i'm using 0.3% gel and an oral antibiotic and cetaphil.
November 21, 2010
Pros:
-does clear skin (kind of)
-easy to put on
-cheap
Cons:
-slimy and kind of gross
-made my skin really funky horrible initial breakout
-DOESN'T WORK WELL AT ALL
-really bad scarring and i wouldn't scar before!
My skin was better before and although it purges the skin i would still break out. Ruined my skin and i hope it will go back to normal i'm stopping it today i've used it for 6 MONTHS. And at first it works kind of and you think oh if i stick with it it'll make my skin better but nope!
September 20, 2010
Pros:
Hasn't worked
Might take patience
Cons:
Could make acne worse
Its alright, i have been using it for 3 weeks now, it hasnt done anything yet, but the first week and the second are, hell your face will become dry and your eyelids will be flaky and your whole face will sting... its sh*t but its worth a try..
August 17, 2010
Pros:
~does clear your skin
~easy to use
~doesn't sting or burn
~lasts you a long time
Cons:
~initial breakout was BAD
~takes a while to work!
~very dry skin & dry eyelids..which is weird.
it works! I've been using this for 2 months and my skin is finally almost clear. originally, my acne was moderate. now, I'd say it's "very light" or even less than that.
I did have an initial breakout like other reviews stated. my acne was worse than it was to begin with. it lasted a couple days, and I didn't want to leave the house. it was awful. but, my skin is finally clear, and it was worth it. don't give up! it takes a while to work! awesome product!
May 24, 2010
Pros:
Gets rid of ance. Only thing that work for me. I try everything.
Cons:
Does make skin very sensitive. Just get a really good moisturizer,
You just have to give it time. My acne was Wild and Krazy. Know I dont have ance, just a few spots. Now im working on them.
Pros:
cleared up skin
improved skin texture/quality