Before I tried Differin I had tried all the over the counter stuff, most of which did nothing or in some cases even made my acne worse. So I went to my doctor and she put me on antibiotics for a while with Differin. This was in November of 2010, and it is now June of 2011, so I've been using Differin for about 6 months. I am happy with the results as my skin has largely cleared up. I still get the occasional pimple, but I don't get the terrible break outs I used to get. In the rare instances that I do get a pimple, I simply apply the acne.org BP to it in the morning, shower/cleanse at night, apply the Differin, and then it's usually cleared up within 1-2 days. In the daytime I use the acne.org moisturizer. So overall my skin looks and feels a lot better, and I feel that this product helps in addition to other things I did to improve my skin tone, such as a diet change and drinking lots of water. The only problem is that I still have some small acne scars left over, but if I'm at the point where that's my biggest concern, then it must be working well. As for dry skin, this doesn't seem to be an issue for me, so I don't even moisturize after applying Differin. I use the Differin alone at night with no issues and then I wash it off in the morning cleanse. People who are prone to dry skin will need to moisturize with it, but if you do, wait at least 30-40 minutes before you do that as the gel takes a while to set in. So for me, this works well. Unfortunately, it will not work for all, as there's no one solution fits all when it comes to acne. However, if you are going to start Differin, my advice is ... - Read the instructions! - Apply it every night! - Apply it to your entire face! And if you find it's working, yes, you still need to apply it to your entire face to prevent future break outs, no exceptions or it will not work! Bottom line ... Differin seems to get the results I want when I use it proper

I have been using Differin for six months now and in my experience it has been brilliant. I was on Dan's regime for a year, and although it worked brilliantly, I wanted to see if I could find a product which didn't dictate the way I lived my life (having to use it religiously twice a day everyday, only using white bed sheets and towels because of the bleaching, not being able to work out or go swimming/in the sea because it would wash the product off, having constantly dry skin). So I asked my doctor what I could use, and he prescribed me differin and an antibiotic. A lot of people will tell you how horrendous the initial breakout (IB) is, but I think it depends on how bad your skin is in the first place and the type of acne you have. My acne was not big red pustules, just a lot of under the skin bumps. So I had quite a lot to come to the surface (as differin increases cell turn over). But I found that by the end of the first month I noticed significant improvement, and now six months in I am clear. Please bear in mind that I did take antibiotics so these will also have helped. I think if you have the patience to stick with this product than it is completely worth it, but if you want to find something that works quickly than this is not the product for you. But in my experience, very few products work quickly and effectively on acne. Also, I have found that the product made the top layers of my skin quite flimsy and they peel off easily...so if you pick your skin (as I often do) you end up taking more layers of skin off, which can cause large red marks. Just something to be aware of.

I had relatively clear skin, except terrible break outs about once a year. And when I say terrible, I mean BAD. Cystic, pustules, everything. But I'd always recover quite well with limited scarring. However, this past summer, the break out I experienced was unbearable. It was all over my face and I was afraid to leave the house without make up and was even self conscious around my own family. I finally agreed to see a dermatologist who recommended Differin along with Duac. I've been on Differin for 2 months and have seen remarkable results. The first month/month and a half or so was pretty brutal with continuous break outs that became increasingly difficult to cover with make up, but just these past 2 weeks my face has just been getting clearer and clearer. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of scars and hyperpigmentation left over, but these fade over time and Differin seems to be fading them at an even faster rate because of the quickened skin turn over. My skin was extremely dry and flaky the first few weeks, but this is only because the medication is sloughing off the dead skin on top to renew your overall skin tone and texture. Don't expect this stuff to work in a couple weeks or even a couple months. It's different for everyone. This product requires patience and endurance. Please stick with it. With all the initial breakouts and dry skin, there comes remarkably improved acne and skin. I am not so self conscious about my skin anymore and soon I know I will be confident enough to go out without makeup. Hope this was helpful for any acne sufferers.

I've been using this for about a month now. It didn't work for about 2-3 weeks but now it works and I'm amazed. My face is so clear and it helps fade previous acne scars. I've been getting compliments on my skin which is definitely a plus! I wash my face at night with Cetaphil, after I put Oxy pads on it with a Neutrogena toner. About 30 mins later I apply this gel on my spots and go to bed. I wake up to what use to be a big pimple, to a tiny pimple. Amazing stuff! I recommend this.

A Great product but i would reccommend taking some form of medication as well as applying the cream! To people in the UK this is no problem where cost is involved as you will get both free, im not sure about pricing in the USA though!

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum but came across it last night in a fit of desperation about my skin! To give the context, I'm 29 and live in the UK. I don't have severe acne, but I suffer from large, very sore and inflamed papules around my jawline and mouth. I was prescribed Zineryt about 3 years and to begin with, it worked brilliantly. However it eventually stopped working, primarily because Zineryt is an antibiotic -based medicine, and I have become resistant to it, as many of you probably have if you've used it or something similar. After getting very fed up, I called my GP again and was prescribed Differin (over the phone, without actually seeing my face, I will add...). I'm on week 3, and although I haven't noticed any dramatic changes, it doesn't seem to be getting any worse, which is positive. I've got a few little bumps but none of the enlarged papules around my jaw line as before. My GP said it would take about 4-6 weeks to see a difference and to stick with it. I have a few things to say to give you all some advice which may give you all a little hope: Firstly, don't be tempted to put on more than necessary - it won't get rid of the acne any quicker. For those who have experienced intense redness, itching, irritation, try using less product to see whether this will make a difference. If it doesn't help and you still have upset skin, go back to the GP/dermatologist. Perhaps it's just not suitable for your skin. I personally am allergic to Quinoderm and Duac, because of the actives in it. That's the main reason I was put on Differin and Zineryt, because of the strong reaction I have had to Benzoyl Peroxide products. Second, for those worried about scarring. You need to let the acne heal before you can treat the scars. I have attended a couple of dermatology conferences due the nature of my job, and I have heard time and time again that the acne has to be treated and healed before the scarring can be tackled. There are many options out there but it's a question of waiting and being patient. I'll give an update in a few weeks to see where I am with the Differin. Like you guys, I really hope it works too. To answer the question a lot of you are asking, it definitely makes the skin dry and flaky. It's mainly noticeable when applying make-up in the morning (I apply my Differin at night). The key here is moisturising and gentle exfoliating. This also applies to those with oily skin. Don't be tempted to skip the moisturiser because you have oily skin. You need to keep the skin lubricated so it won't over compensate and produce extra sebum. Good luck, everyone.

I wouldnt nessarily say i have acne, just constant pimples, about 3 or 4 all the time so i tried Duac, it worked like magic for about a year until it all of a sudden lost its effectivness and i was breaking out in big red spots that would last for days. I went to the doctor and he pescribed Doxycycline 50mg, that didnt really do anything but i stuck it out for a couple of months until i couldnt take it anymore so i went back and he pesrcibed me Differin and Clindamycin 1% and took me of Doxy and Duac. The first couple of weeks, i broke out like hell, i thought about chucking both out but thought i should just be patient. I was getting spots on my forehead that were never there so i decided to put a little bit of Duac back on them since i knew it always worked on my forehead. I decided to bring the Duac back into my routine, just using a little bit in the am and using differin in the pm aswell as Clindamycin. I am now in my 5 week and my face is completely clear. The IB is over and differin is working very nicely,not sure if its due to Duac but my skin hasnt looked this clear in months!!! Definatly just stick it out, BE PATIENT!!!! bottom line, you will have an IB, it will go away and you just have to give it time to see results.! My regimen---17 yr old girl AM -Cetaphil Cleanser -Nivea Toner -Clean and Clear Oil free Moisturizer -Duac -Zinc Supplement PM -Cetaphil Cleanser -Nivea Toner -Clean and Clear Oil free Moisturizer -Differin -Clindamycin

Below is a detailed look at my journey. If you don't feel like reading it, here are the 2 major points: 1. Adapelene worked great for me, however it took much patience; about 8 weeks to get my desired results. 2. Adapelene makes you VERY sensitive to the sun. I got second degree burns & sun poisoning on my face by going out unprotected for a few hours. Wear lots of sunscreen & avoid the sun if possible. If you do end up getting a burn, discontinue the Adapelene until the sunburn is COMPLETELY healed. Start date: May 9, 2016 So here's my story: I started going to the dermatologist almost a year ago. I had, what I considered to be, horrible acne. Not cystic or anything, but very bad hormonal acne along my cheeks. I believe I made it much worse by all the DIY acne treatments I used before going to the derm: Oil pulling, raw honey, every OTC facewash imaginable, steaming my face every day, any product I could find off Amazon, Proactiv, etc. I finally gave up and went to the derm. I was prescribed 200 mg of Doryx (Doxycycline) and instructed to wash my face twice a day with Cetaphil, exfoliate 3x a week with NEO cleanser (which I bought directly from my dermatologist) and put on Aczone cream twice a day. Over the course of 7 months, I gradually decreased the antibiotic until I completely stopped. Also during this period, I had 3 chemical peels done, as well as 4 sessions of micro needling (for my acne scars) The difference was amazing. I had almost no acne and finally felt confident in my skin. I had pimples every now and then, but they were few and far between. When I went back for a check-up in May, my dermatologist said that I still have a lot of clogged pores and that is where my current acne was coming from. She prescribed me 0.1% Adapelene gel and instructed me to put it on every night after I put on my Aczone. She told me to make sure to put on moisturizer afterwards as well, because this product would dry my skin. I am still on the same exact routine as when I first started, minus the Doryx. I've documented my journey thus far below, week by week: Week 1: Nothing noticeable yet. Missed a few nights here and there (I had trouble remembering at first). The only thing to note is that I had a pretty big pimple on my chin, but it went away within my first 2 days of using this gel. Week 2: Some very small bumps forming on my cheek. I actually didn't notice until I looked at my reflection outside. It freaked me out a bit, but it's nothing compared to the acne I used to get. Also beginning to notice itchiness and dryness, I can't see the dryness of my face until I put on my foundation in the morning. (I found that exfoliating with NEO cleanser 3 times a week got rid of this problem) My only complaint is that I went to six flags while it was very hot outside and by face BURNED all day. I was prepared for this, since I had read reviews about sweat making your face itch and burn while on this product. I used moisturizer with sunscreen in it that day, so at least I didn't get a sunburn, just the itchiness. Week 3: All the small bumps on my cheek are basically gone. However, two huge whiteheads formed on my chin within 24 hours. I didn't want to pop them, so I just put the Adapelene on as usual and hoped it'd dry them out quickly. The next day they were even worse so I couldn't resist. I put on the gel right after I popped them and went to bed. The next morning the bumps were pretty much flat. They still had a little redness around them, but looked much better. Still having slight burning when I sweat and also starting to notice the exfoliating isn't helping the scaly look of my skin as much as it did at first. Week 4: Not as much burning on my face anymore, but I am getting more breakouts on my cheek and forehead. Other people are just now starting to notice that I'm getting breakouts again. Luckily, I have learned to stop giving a sh*t. Yay! Week 5: Still more breakouts coming up, especially in places I never got acne before. It's the worst on my chin, which I expected because I've always gotten bad breakouts there. But now I'm getting them on my nose, forehead, and between my eyebrows. Still experiencing some drying. I'm not sure if I accidently got some near the corners of my mouth & eyes, but those areas are drying badly. The corner of my mouth is so dry that it hurts to open my mouth just to brush my teeth. I've slept with makeup on once this week (a big no-no) and paid the price: A couple huge pimples on my jawline and forehead. I doubt that was Adapelene's doing as much as it was having makeup on for so long. This is the first week I've considered just stopping the product, because I'm terrified of destroying the face I've worked hard for (or should I say, 'The face I have paid a lot of money for'?) Regardless, I'm going to push through it. Week 6: Zero pimples came up this week. All side effects (Burning, itching, redness, etc.) have completely subsided. I'm seriously amazed, it really does get worse before it gets better. It's like my face changed overnight! Week 7: The first half was pimple free then suddenly 4 new pimples came up. I'm not sure it's from the Adapelene. I was on an antibiotic for an infection and those usually wreak havoc on my skin. Man are they STUBBORN though. Going to keep on pushing through. Weeks 8-12: Not one single breakout! My skin is heavenly! **WARNING** On week 11 I went on a trip to my lake house and was in the sun for a few hours with no sun screen on my face. HUGE mistake. My face was burnt to a crisp- literally. Eyes swollen for days, the peeling process took a week and was extremely painful. This was my own fault- I had read that Adapelene makes you sensitive to the sun but I did not heed the warnings. Consider yourself warned! If you do end up getting burned, discontinue the Adapelene until your sunburn is COMPLETELY healed.

This stuff has worked wonders for my face! This is gonna be a long review (don't say you haven't been warned)! I used to have moderate acne with occasional bouts of cystic acne. I had visited my dermatologist about two years ago and she prescribed me Retin-A. It had worked for my mother when she was my age, so I figured it would be the same for me. I was oh so very wrong. I stuck with Retin-A for almost 3 months, and in that time, my acne not only failed to improve, but got drastically worse. Instead of occasional appearances of cystic acne, it became a regular presence on my face, particularly my cheeks. Eventually, I stopped using the stuff, and I thought my skin would start to heal itself. Unfortunately, Retin-A seemed to have done more than I thought, and normal zits would form on top of deep, cystic zits. I didn't want to start back on Retin-A, and I didn't want to keep doing nothing, so, I called my regular doctor and scheduled an appointment with her. I told her that my dermatologist had prescribed Retin-A and had resulted in the warzone that was my face. My doc told me to try Differin. As skeptical as I was, my skin had gotten to the point where it was painful even when nothing was touching it. So, I picked up a tube. It was the best decision of my (dermatological) life. Within a week most of the surface acne was gone, and some of the cystic acne had started to heal as well. By the end of the third week, the majority of my acne was gone (except for a few blackheads on the nose), and the scars from my disastrous Retin-A experience (both psychological and physical) had even started to fade. I still use Differin today, on and off. Even when I'm not using Differin every night, my skin stays relatively acne free. When I am using Differin, my skin is practically pimple-free. Seriously guys, Differin works (well, for me, anyways).

With me, personally, it works best in combination with another form of treatment, like an antibiotic. It also helps decrease pimples that pop up, so that scars won't form later. It was the most helpful in treating pimples that popped up.