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
January 13, 2015
Didn't make it worse, but didn't really improve it
I have used Adapalene for about 5 months and never saw much of a difference. My skin started to peel a little bit, nothing really bothersome. Acne in some areas lessened slightly, and other areas worsened slightly. No horrifying purging, redness, or peeling, but overall, no significant improvement. My doctor is going to have me try Tazorac next.
November 25, 2014
Combination is the way to go
This is gonna be a long review - I apologise in advance I had an allergic reaction to Bio Oil and I developed millions and millions of whiteheads. My face with make up looked like Quaker oats! With my graduation only 3 weeks away, I went to the doctors and he prescribed me Differin. You cannot imagine my horror when he told me it'd get worse before it gets better and it could also take about 4 weeks to work. I could not risk this "worse period" happening on my graduation day so I bought a steroid cream, Funbact A off ebay - stupid decision, I know but I was desperate. The steroid cream appeared to work at first the I had an outburst. My whiteheads became inflamed and I looked a hot mess! At this point, I decided to accept my fate and go on Differin - this was Oct 3rd. The first few weeks were hell - my skin burned so much. I'm African so my chocolate skin became black around the areas of application. I tried using it every other day with aloe vera gel on my off day and this helped calm my skin down. I stopped using make up and my tea tree products because my skin just could not handle it. I went back to the doctors because I was not sure I wanted to continue with Differin - it had been 4 weeks and my skin was getting worse. I was asked to persevere for a bit more and was given lymecycline 408mg (twice daily for the first two weeks then once daily) - just in case I decided to stop the differin all together. I took both treatments together and I'm not sure what exactly worked but my cystic acne calmed down and it's just continued to get better. I read online that Differin alone will not make the skin blemish free so I added Simple spotless skin triple wash and the pore minimizing toner to my regimen. I also drink warm lemon water every morning and rub the squeezed lemon on my face to fade scars. At weekends, I do a honey, lemon and tomato pulp mask. Today - 25th Nov, my skin feels so smooth and It is so much brighter as well. I have just gotten another tube of Differin from my doctors, I intend to continue using this with my regimen for maintenance
September 16, 2014
1 month in...
I took Accutane and my skin stayed clear for 1.5 years. During this time I was just using normal face wash and Aczone prescription, exfoliating, etc. About a month ago my skin just went nuts. It started getting really oily and I started noticing a considerable increase in "congestion". I had lots of blackheads and absolutely riddled with closed comedones. My skin overall and had an extremely oily and bumpy look to it, but wasn't breaking out into inflammed zits. So like I said, about a month ago I went back to the derm and she suggested Differin. She mention Aczone will not address the bumps under the skin, but Differin will. She suggested I continue using Aczone during the day, but Differin at night. The first week my skin went nuts with large zits and some cystic acne, which I have not had since pre accutance. Now that I am in what I think is week 4 or 5, the big zits are gone, but it's like every single bump on my face is red. Red acne scars have also been taking FOREVER to fade. It's absurd. I've read Differin "purges", but is this normal?
August 2, 2014
2 weeks in
im 22 years old. I've now been using this product for 2 weeks using it once every other day before bedtime. I first wash my face with a foaming cleanser cerave, then benzoyl peroxide, then Adapalene 0.1% gel (differin). Every day from starting this product I noticed more and more white bumps coming to the surface of my skin. Kind of happy because I figured its working, but now on my second week there's a lot of white bumps on my cheeks and want them to go away already because my birthday is in 3 days and don't want to be seen with so many white heads on my face. How long after they start coming to the surface do they actually go away? I prefer whiter bumps over red pimples but neither is better. I will stick to it of course although my skin doesn't appear to be smoother as other reviews I've read. also I don't use a moisturizer in my routine only after washing my face in the morning before stepping out as it also contains sunscreen spf30. Am I also supposed to be moisturizing after using this product as well? Well hope this is working for the rest of you, good luck everyone!
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?
January 25, 2014
Post-Accutane Maintenance
Cons:
Can make skin sensitive
Not 100% effective for the first couple of months
I finished my first course of accutane 3 months ago and was put on Differin by my dermatologist after I got a few spots in the first week after finishing the course. She said because my acne was so severe before, I will still have to have some sort of maintenance regimen and I asked for a topical retinoid as I hate the effects of benzoyl peroxide. It is very gentle as long as you use a small amount (as instructed), however if you use it liberally it can make the skin very sensitive and peel like B.P. Overall I've stayed quite clear and if I break out this clears it up overnight (with AHA in the day) but I don't expect to be breaking out at all post-accutane AND following a regimen. other reviews say that it takes several months to begin working so I'll rate it 3 stars for now but I will come back and edit it when I've given it a longer run.
December 15, 2013
Think before you use!
Pros:
Cleared up mild to moderate acne
Cons:
Makes skin incredibly dry
Skin peels a lot
I have mild to moderate acne which is mostly on my cheeks. It started at about 12 and has been getting worse (I am now 17). I have been using this product for around three weeks. I think mine is 0.3%. This product cleared up most of my acne after a week and a half, however, it has made my skin hypersensitive. It feels like a constant intense sunburn. The skin peels off lots around my mouth and eyes and it doesn't seem to make a difference how often I exfoliate. This does make it hard to put make up on during the day. Using moisturizer is incredibly painful as my skin is so dry. The dry patches are constantly bright red. I am hesitant to stop using it though, as it keeps the acne away. I am using with antibiotics.
December 12, 2013
Past experience
What I remember most about this product is I had colored pillow cases and this product bleached them, not white but lightened the fabric quite a bit. Took me awhile to figure out the cause.
September 15, 2013
I sort of recommend.
I used Differin twice in my life. The first time was in high school when Differin still came in little swabs (like wet wipes) that you put over your face. It dried my face out but seemed to work. Since those days it's now a liquid form in a tube. I have to admit it works but takes around 12 weeks to do so. I think for me it took about 16. I got better results from Finacea, so perhaps it just depends on how your skin reacts.
September 10, 2013
sensitive skin BEWARE
Cons:
itchy
flakey skin
peeling skin
I have just started to use with product along with an anti-biotic. It's been about 3 weeks since I started. My acne is mild of mostly small bumps under my skin with pimples here and there. This product has me miserable! My skin is so flakey and itchy even with lotion, I can no longer wear makeup to cover the immense amount of pimples that are surfacing (which is to be expected when beginning this treatment) because it just makes my dry, flakey skin SO much more noticeable. The most shocking thing so far is when the skin on my eyelids begins to peel and flake... and I dont put the cream anywhere near my eyes!
Although I have nothing nice to say about this product YET, I am hopeful that time will be the answer
Pros:
Keep pores unclogged
Helps prevent new blemishes
Lasts forever