I'm writing this as a parent of two teens who had moderate acne. Their journeys have been slightly different in terms of products tried along the way but they both eventually arrived at using Differin (available only on prescription in the UK) alongside the oral antibiotic Erythryomicin. You have to be patient with this product and introduce very gradually and over the course of a month build it up to nightly use. Your skin with be dry and peel and the breakouts will still happen. But in our experience it takes at least 3 months before you can see a consistent improvement. The skin very gradually will improve in texture and the breakouts will lessen. When spots occur they tend to be smaller and clear quicker and the post acne red marks will gradually fade. My daughter in particular had very bad red marks from an awful prolonged breakout but 3 months have passed since she started Differin and the red marks are gradually fading, so much so she feels she doesn't have to wear make up every day. I would say that this product will not make you 100% clear so have realistic expectations. My son has been using this for 4 years now and still gets the odd spot or two, but to him that is a small price to pay and it doesn't bother him at all. For those of you who may have tried another Retinoid. My daughter used Isotrex initially (used for 3months) but found that really really harsh by comparison to Differin. She took a break for two weeks and then very gradually introduced Differin and that has suited her skin much better.

I had a pretty bad breakout in July that seemed to not get better so finally in September I decided to try OTC adapalene. I've been using it for 2 months now and my skin has significantly improved on my nose and around the nose/inner cheek areas but my jawline, chin and forehead are breaking out endlessly. Around week 5 my skin did clear up 90% but then my period started and all hell broke loose. I'm trying to stay patient and wait out at least 3 months. At this point I'm not sure how much of the breakout is due to the purge and how much is due to my hormones possibly being wacky. I've read so many reviews on this product and seems like most people's purge phase lasts 8 weeks which makes me feel discouraged. I'll keep pushing through for at least another month.

Only putting 4 stars since I use this in addition to an oral medication (spironolactone) and unsure of the results when used alone. This stuff is great as it is a vitamin A derivative. Think Accutane but topical! It basically renews your skin cells at an accelerated rate. I use this once a day at night after I wash my face and apply lotion ( I have try skin and Eczema but it can be applied before your lotion). This, in combination with Spironolactone, led me to be 100% clear of acne in 8 months with 70% improvement in 5 month. It works well but your skins needs time to adjust, sometimes I would apply it every other day if my skin was too dry.

Like most gels and creams that combat acne, this does dry out your skin and can irritate it if it is already sensitive/dry. However, it is worth it considering the fact that it DOES work to reduce the amount of spots and break outs you have. I would advise using moisturiser a couple of hours after applying this gel so that the gel has time to be absorbed and so your skin is ready to take on another layer of another product on top. (Personally, while using this, I did not need moisturiser because my skin is naturally incredibly oily) "Adapalene reduces the growth of the keratin surface skin cells that can block pores. This helps to unblock the pores and sebaceous glands (glands which secrete sebum) and as a result the sebum can escape. This reduces the formation of blackheads (comedones) and spots. In addition, adapalene increases the turnover of the skin cells, which aids the natural exfoliation of the outer layers of skin. This also helps to unblock pores and decreases the formation of comedones and spots." This product did work for me and successfully reduced the amount of spots I had however, I used additional products as well. I would reccommend adapalene to be used as a secondary treatment meaning you should have a primary acne treatment in line. Normally doctors will prescribe this with antibiotics as they work well together Overall this is a wonderful gel that does make a noticeable difference however it may not be effective enough to be used on its own (for moderate to severe acne) hence the four stars!

I really had never heard of this stuff before and wish I had done some homework on it before I just willynilly applied it to my face. But I was so desperate!! I got the suggestion from my best friend's brother who said he used to have to get it prescribed but now it was OTC. I guess I just kind of figured that if it is OTC it can't do too much damage. Ummm wrong! Before now, I would never have said I had bad acne, just persistent acne breakouts, especially around that time of month. So long story short, like 4 months ago I lost my job, guess got super stressed looking for a new one and just broke out like nobody's business. Then right around then, I got lucky and got 3 interviews scheduled in one week. I freaked out because my face looked so bad, started asking around what to do and Bobby suggested Differin. Went that day to the store and got it, praying for a miracle. My face got so red within 3 days that no amount of makeup would cover it up. It was incredibly embarrassing. I stopped using it 2 days before my interviews, hoping it would get back to normal but it just got worse for about 3 days even after using it. AND on top of it somewhere in the midst of this my acne breakout got even worse, right at the worse possible point in time and right when I didn't think it could actually get worse. But it did!!! Anyways, the interviews were fine. I was super embarrassed about going' said something about having a sunburn and tried to brush it off. I got 2 offers so I suppose I felt it was worse than it was but it was bad. :) The acne didn't get better, breakouts kept getting worse. I finally wised up and started doing actual research. Most people were raving on and on about R&F, Proactive not so much, some were talking about Doxy and Accutane being miracles but I definitely didn't want to go down the prescription route - heard too many crazy things about side effects. Ended up being pretty obsessed about a brand I heard about on an online forum called Ninja. It was hard to get any real information on the company coz I guess they are so small or new or something.I read a couple of reviews which were pretty stellar and for me the proof was after I filled in their online questionnaire and they called me within 2 days, spent about 1 hour on the phone with me talking through everything I had ever used, what birth control (!!) I used, my diet, my sleep, my water intake I mean it was crazy how in depth they got for free! With no guarantee of earning anything at all from me. I learned so much and really felt that they were experts. I went all in, bought 4 items they recommended for me and waited for ti to come. 3 weeks in and I am clear clear clear! No more redness! I did get a little red at first, called them and they swapped out benzoyl for a sulfur formula because it turns out I was sensitive to benzoyl. Who knew! I am just so happy I found Ninja and didn't stick with Differin. I am glad I learned this lesson too - you can't just expect that anything in a store will work for you or everyone. Better to go to professionals for something as important as your face!

I have mild acne and got this stuff from my derm. I have to say I don't understand it, because the first time I used it (summer 2016) it cleared up my forehead very fast (1 month), then I was a fool and stopped using it and after 1 Month the acne came back much stronger, so I started to use it again and that was HORRIBLE! It got much much worse, little whiteheads turned into big inflamed pimples, I cried and cried and thought ok, its just the purge, it will get better, but it was getting worse and I could not bear it. A friend recommended me Benzoylperoxide and this cleared the sh*t in just 1WEEK!! I know some people get clear with it if they push through 4 and sometimer more months, but I was at 3 and half months and it was just too much stress. (I dont want to say that BPO is a miracle, i thought so at the beginning, but it losed its effectiveness and just help only a bit now)

I bought this OTC for my chin acne. I'm 46 and can't get this stuff under control. Random jaw line acne too but chin acne is a daily battle. Never had it before when I was younger. Doc says it's my hormones. Well, I'm sick of it! So, bought some Differin. I'm in my second week. 1) no more chin acne! 2) some redness but nothing major 3) no peeling 4) small break out on left temple (nothing major, already going away) And ..... 5) my small keloid on my right jaw has flattened out!!! This keloid has been an issue for me. I'm probably more self conscious about it than I should be. It's not even the size of a dime but when I run my finger over it....that feeling. I hate it! But now, when I rub my finger over it.... smoothed out. In just 2 weeks! For that, this item is worth every penny! How I use it: 1) no acne medication but differin which I apply at night 2) wash up with dial moisturizing soap 3) have never worn makeup and even with redness, no makeup 4) loads of spf (loreal revitalift brand I use) face shines up but know it's protected 5) avoid sun from 10-3.... no exceptions! That's pretty much it. Hoping my skin texture benefits from differin overall. I'm really happy that my keloid is receding.

I've never had sever acne ( I am 20 year old male)..I do get pimples but not the huge ones ...I tried Adapalene (Differin) and after 4 days I got 4 huge breakouts(Big,Red,) ..The initial breakout is just too scary for me..I stopped it...I'd recommend to use azelaic acid gel or Cream for acne ...It's Far More Effective and It also Cures Pigmentation and scars (It blocks melanin) ...Just research about azelaic acid for acne..Far more Better than Benzoyl peroxide ..

I have the cream version of this as the dermatologist said it's slightly more emollient. He suggested building up gradually so I've been doing every 3rd evening and so far I haven't seen much improvement as of yet, but my skin hasn't got any worse ( was dreading it getting worse before it got better like lots of people said) but I am in early stages..... My question is to people on this is that I'm at that stage where my face is red and a bit textured and dry, does anyone have any suggestions what I could do to help this? Wearing makeup over the top is a nightmare it looks awful!

this product is fantastic if you use it properly. you have to be careful with how much and how often you apply it. my skin care routine: -cleanse with neutrogena hydro boost gel cleanser (very gentle, effectively cleans the skin, and leaves it feeling hydrated due to the hyaluronic acid) *have hated every neutrogena product until this line. -go in with cerave daily moisturizer after cleansing. *product is fantastic b/c it has ceramides that promote healthy skin barrier function. *** I cleanse and moisturize twice a day*** Every other night, i moisturize and apply a PEA sized amount of differen to my face and gently rub it in. using every other night minimizes irritation that could exacerbate acne. i have seen results. they are not dramatic, as i am taking this slow but i did notice that it stopped a cystic pimple from forming (which is amazing).