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. 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
Adapalene is available in strengths up to 0.3% by prescription. Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one. Adapalene is also available over-the-counter in 0.1% strength. Here are some places you can find it online.
Used Adapalene? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
March 29, 2017
Gradual process
I've been using differin for about a month. I didn't see much irritation, but it might be because i mainly have small whiteheads and I only used it on my forehead. I have mild acne, but there has been a definite improvement. I barely have any inflamed pimples, and the whiteheads are much smaller. I use a organic and natural soap bar from Good Soap alaffia, and apply the differin afterwards for my nighttime routine. In the morning, i wash my face with the soap again. If you have mild/moderate acne and are willing to wait a few weeks for results, go for it!
pagiepooh
July 20, 2017
when you say you are having breakout on your forehead, i wonder if you are using any hair product that comes in contact with your skin that could cause a buildup in the pores? also, be sure that you are using a shampoo and conditioner that isn't clogging your pores as well.
February 10, 2017
Not bad
I have tried a lot of different stuff for my skin and had a pretty good regiment going on but then i decided to add AHA to take care of the whiteheads on my jaw. Unfortunately, it ended up making my skin purge. At least I eventually that's what was happening. At the time I was just upset that I was breaking out more. So then I saw that Differin was on available without a prescription I decided to try it. I figured since I was already purging that it really wouldn't be that different than what I had going on. I'm on week 4 of using Differin and honestly it really isn't any worse than what I was going through before. Actually, the zits popping up now seem to come to a head and heal faster. My skin is a bit more sensitive and some of my moisturizers are making my skin burn a bit, but it's not too bad tbh. My routine in the evening with the differin is a mild cleanser, then the differin, then some benzoyl peroxide, a serum and a moisturizer. Sometimes I'll use a bit of bha liquid from Paula's Choice on my more problem areas that aren't generally dry and flakey. If you're using this product and getting really bad dry skin, try getting some sheet masks off of amazon. I use them at the end of my routine after the differin is already on.
July 20, 2017
i'd say that you're using too many products on your skin. i was recommended differin by a dermatologist but my skin care routine and how i use the differin gel is much different than how you use it. i use a mild cleanser twice a day (neutrogena hydro boost). i have hated all neautrogena products before this one. this cleanser is super gentle, actually cleans your skin/removes makeup and somehow leaves the skin feeling hydrated. after i cleanse, i go in with the cerave daily moisturizer. this is an amazing moisturizer because it has ceramides in it and promotes healthy skin barrier function. i cleanse and moisturize twice a day and use the differin gel every other night over moisturizer. i use a TINY PEA SIZE amount all over my face. according to the dermatologist, that's all you should be using. it's easy to go over-board with acne medication and i fear thats what you're doing. you're most likely stripping your skin of it's natural barrier and leaving it vulnerable to bacteria that cause infection. be kind to your skin. restore it to it's healthy form.
January 4, 2017
Slow but effective
After almost a year of this it cleared up my severe acne by 99%. The initial breakout was real bad tho, however, worth it 100x in the end. This product continued to bring out my acne from deep within my skin so it took about 2 months to actually see any results. If you're using it keep on it, your gonna have to power through it!
August 27, 2016
Good product
I've used it for about a year and a half now, my skin has never looked better. i never get any visible peeling which annoys me because I feel like I could see its effectiveness if I did peel, but my skin looks good.
July 24, 2016
So far so good
I suffer from hormonal acne, and have for a couple years now. It's probably one of the most stressful things ever, I hate looking at myself in the mirror and I would LOVE to be able to walk out of the house with no make up on and feel completely comfortable. However, that is not the case. I went to see my dermatologist a little over a month ago and she recommended this to me. I started off using it every other day and only in my problem areas because I read that it can be extremely drying and cause breakouts in the beginning and I wanted to avoid this as much as possible. Luckily, I did not experience any drying and only had about one or two more pimples show up. Now, a month and a half later I'm pleased to say I experience far less breakouts than before, and most of them occur around my time of the month. My advice is to start slow with this, only apply in problem areas, and do not use too much! Most importantly, moisturize when using this product to help offset some of the drying that can occur. The only reason I did not give this product a full five stars is because I wish I could see more progress now, but I know that it takes around 3 months to see any real improvement. I will update again then. Sidenote, I am also taking spironolactone once a day, and applying Aczone in the mornings after washing my face.
May 16, 2016
good
I've struggled with acne for over 10 years and this has been one of the best prescription products I have tried. I have literally tried everything. Differin has not only helped my acne but I noticed it helps the acne scars fade.
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"
January 19, 2016
Hopeful
Before using Differin, I broke out mostly on my cheeks and all along my hair line with huge zits. After a week or two of using it, it was pushing the gross stuff out of my pores easier. Like, a lot easier. Now, it's been a month or so since I started using it and my skin has been purging a lot. I no longer break out along my hairline like I did. Though there are tons and tons of acne scars, my breakouts are smaller and go away faster. The thing that I hate though are whiteheads! I guess they're my skin purging? I have never really had them before. So potentially be prepared. My dermatologist told me to apply it every single night and if it isn't working so much in March, to call her and she would give me a higher dosage, which I am guessing is Differin (0.3%). I know it takes retinoids a while to work, but I don't think anyone is super patient when it comes to having bad skin.
September 24, 2015
Moving Along
I've recently had a spurt of acne on my chin and forehead. My dermatologist said differin should clear it right up. I'm on my third week of using it right now and it definitely made my acne worse right when I began using it. I can gradually see a change beginning already which is really exciting! Hopefully the progress continues! The only problem I've had with it other than the initial flare up is that it has made my skin so dry that it is just peeling off on my chin. It looks like I got a sunburn! I've just been moisturizing like crazy! Will update later. Good luck to anyone else on this!
October 1, 2015
did you use it all over your face or just on the acne spots alone? just wondering because if i only use it on the the actual pimples, maybe i wont flare up?
November 26, 2015
This is not to reduce current breakouts but to reduce the amount of sebum your skin is producing & therefore cause you to have less breakouts in future. At night you should apply a very thin coat to any area you are affected by acne, avoiding the eyes & lips. You will need to gently exfoliate & cover up to not get sunburnt.
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.