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
April 8, 2011
Cons:
Sometimes (not is all cases) bad breakout at first.
I used this way back when I was a sophmore in high school and was stunned how fast this stuff worked to clear up the small bumps on my forehead. Now as a sophmore in college I have acne on my cheeks and have been using it again. It was helping, however I was using a foundation that I didn't know until recently which I am allergic to one of the ingrediants in it that helped keep bringing up those pimples. I stopped using the foundation and my skin is clearing up faster than ever. So, my advice is when using this (or any kind of acne treatment) be concious of what else you put on your face.
January 3, 2011
Pros:
Makes skin softer and smoother.
Clears spots after a while.
Improves skin tone.
Used with Zineryt can produce miracles.
Cons:
Leaves skin flaky and dry.
Can make skin sensitive to other products.
Ok, so after reading a few reviews I decided to carry on with my treatment of Differin.
I was originally on the gel 0.1 but that caused my skin to become so sensitive I couldn't even put moisturiser on without my face stinging like crazy, so I got my doctor to switch me to the cream which I got on prescription and paid £7.45 because of the NHS in England.
After using the cream for about 2 weeks my skins stopped being sensitive and I can now put anything on my face without it stinging.
After a week of using this stuff I got an IB including 3 HUGE spots on my chin which I couldn't resist popping, They were just tooo big. Im left with 3 dark marks now =( but the cream seems to be lightening them.
The flaky skin was a big problem for me and after much experimenting with oil free moisturisers Im now using Diprobase, which is an emollient but stopped my skin flaking after 2 days. It has become my miracle product. No more flaking skin.. yay =)
Im also using this alongside Zineryt lotion, twice a day which I think maybe producing better results than the Differin itself.
I like Differin but I think you have to be patient with it and dont give up when your skin starts flaking. Also I stopped using my face wash which contained SA, That made me skin ultra sensitive.
Just make sure to use a good moisturiser and id highly recommend Diprobase for the flaking skin and exfoliating (If you can stand it) with exfoliation gloves and a gentle face wash.
So although I still cant go out without a full face of foundation on because of dark spots from previous spot scars it ha made my skin tone much more even and smooth and my spots are clearing slowly but theres a huge improvement.
November 6, 2010
Pros:
Goes on smooth, no residue, clear.
Cons:
Expensive, ineffective.
I used Differin in high school for about a year and it didn't do anything. Now, as a 26 year old adult with acne, I gave it another go. I started it about a year ago this month and have used it consistently since. Absolutely no effect whatsoever. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...yeah. Anyway, it's insanely expensive. Even with my BC/BS insurance, it's $80/tube. Because of this, and maybe this is where I've gone wrong, I use it very conservatively. I cover my whole face with it every night, but I use a very thin layer and the least amount of gel I possibly need in order to coat my face. Doing it this way lets the tube last for about...4 months, maybe? Without insurance, I think it's something to the tune of $200/tube. Yuck. Even if you could stretch it out to 4 months, that's $50/month for a product that is no more effective than water.
April 2, 2010
Pros:
good for sensitive skin, dries acne faster, for me no irritation because i only use it in one pimple only that is inflamed(big?).good results in time
Cons:
-pricy
-it leaves a scar but i thhink it will fade away soon.
thumbs up for spot acne use only i didn't try yet for my whole face, i'm scared to try it.
December 17, 2009
Pros:
Clears out acne, helps a little with black heads, goes on smooth, easily rubbed all over the problem area.
Cons:
Takes time to see results, dries out skin, expensive, needs to be used consistently!
This is a great product. It is my favorite out of all of the products I have ever used. I tend to over-use this product when I put it on but I think it works better for me that way. It works great all over your body, so I use it on my face, neck, chest, and back. It is not oily and it goes on smooth. YOU HAVE TO USE IT CONSISTENTLY. If I skip a day or two, I definitely notice it! I break out, not too bad but enough to annoy me. When I don't use it, my skin gets oily and gross! It's an awesome product though, you should try it! :)
June 11, 2009
Pros:
Cleared up my acne without drying my face
Cons:
Took about 6 months to clear on my acne
This is very effective in clearing up acne, especially if you get acne which is triggered from whiteheads. I used to get large cystic pimples on my t-zone and chin. You have to be patient as it took 6 months to clear up my acne. Also I used Benzac during the day on the problem areas. I still get acne (as I have severe oily skin - oily after 1 hour of washing my face) but only 1 pimple at a time now and it goes away very quickly.
June 10, 2009
Pros:
it clears acne but takes about 2 months to see its effect
Cons:
initial use causes slight burns and breakout of acne but this is the cleaning process of acne which are going to outburst
don't trust the reviews of people who have used adapalene for less than a month
April 15, 2009
Pros:
Peels away scabby marks pimples may leave behind. If I ever popped a pimple and had a scab form, applying differin would allow the scab to peel off and not leave a scar within 1-3 days. It also helped reduce old marks and spots.
Cons:
Don't use if tremendous peeling happens. Give your skin a break for a day.
Skin is dynamic. You need to know your skin. It sounds stupid but every product needs to be tested seperately on a small part of your skin before using on a daily basis. Also, closely observe your skin in the morning after you use this product to see how it changes. Good luck!
March 25, 2009
Pros:
easy to put on and light and dries easily
Cons:
makes your skin dry but it warns us anyway before hand on the packet.
is good cossum of the marks have just disppaeard but the one's that i want do disappear has yet stil not gone but i think theyev gone smaller.
i guess the deep acne scars takes a bit long
only dries your skin and that is it. you have to make sure you only put ti on the effective areas or else it wil get red.
March 17, 2009
Pros:
Easy to put on, one tube lasts a while.
Cons:
Doesn't work.
Due to unchangeable circumstances, I had to go one night without using the product and it took nearly a month for my skin to go back how it had been the night before.
I've used this product (almost) every night for over a year and I still get very bad random breakouts. My acne is worse than it was when I was first prescribed Differin. I spent the first few months just washing my face twice a day and putting it on at night. When it didn't work, I started putting it on twice a day still nothing. Started using it in conjunction with acne fighting soap, and that helped a little (until that night). From there I switched to deep-cleaning soap and now I use that twice a day, and Differin once a day. I still have acne, after all that, and my skin is very red and sensitive. Don't get it if you want to have clear skin. I now classify my acne as "moderately severe", when before it was light to moderate.
Pros:
Does the job just takes a little time.
I live in Alaska, which means winters are DRY and I am able to use this every night without having to worry about it drying to skin out too much.