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 21, 2009
Cons:
dries skin, makes red, used it for months and done allmost nothing. cost to much.dissapointing
try it, it may work for you but make sure you put it on befor bed,and use a moisturiser in the morning the reason i recomend this product is that i know alot of people who used it and got great results..as long as you use a moisturizer.
April 16, 2009
Pros:
Works great! I was using Differin at night,Benzaclin in the morning & taking Doxycyclyne once daily. I had great results right away & my face cleared up in 1-2 months. I took the antibiotics for bout 2 months but I am still using Benzaclin & Differin
Cons:
Differin made my skin tight when I put it on. But I used it at night, so I didn't mind.
Invest in differin!
April 8, 2009
Pros:
acne eventually clears, drying not terrible, no redness, mild
Cons:
starts out by making acne worse, much worse, drying to the point where it hurts to smile, but not at first
I never had acne, well maybe a tiny un noticible bit. So i used proactiv, after a few years of that it stopped working (my derm. says this is what usually happens) i use differin and after 2 or 3 weeks it started to get worse, and it was for a month or so. It is pushing the bad stuff out and you need to just wait it out. Now i use differin in the morning and evening and ziana in the night and i am gradually healing. To the point where my derm. said it is 50 to 60 percent better. I am pleased. BE PATIENT!!
March 17, 2009
Pros:
Makes skin softer. I've tried gel and cream; cream doesn't work as good but it makes your skin SOFT+no need for lotion.
Cons:
Didn't do much for my acne. I used it for about 6 months. You're supposed to see results way before then, but I did not. If anything.
Look at the cons. If anything, it made my acne worse. I wouldn't recommend it. Try another retinoid.
March 14, 2009
Pros:
Works for those who have patience, doesn't dry my skin out, does not smell, no residue
Cons:
Expensive
With Differin gel, your face will get worse before it gets better. You need to use it at least three months before you see results. That said, I was frustrated with the initial breakout, but remained determined to stick it out for at least three months. I'm really glad I did. I'm using Differin with BC pills and antibiotics to great effect. Whereas I used to get 3-4 new pimples a day, now I only get one a week and sometimes none at all. Without new pimples constantly forming, my red spots can properly fade. I'm very happy with Differin and find that I can even use it with BP (at the same time) without my face drying out or becoming irritated.
March 8, 2009
Pros:
Cleared up acne after a while , not difficult to use, results within a week (varies)
Cons:
a bit on the expensive side unless you are insured.
I had mild acne before Differin. I use differin with another treatment: clindamycin. It really works. I've tried just about everything : neutrogena, clean and clear, bareminerals you name it. While clean and clear did work, it gave me a lot of white heads so as the others. I stopped using bare minerals because it contained sulfur which was not to be used with differin.
For the first 3 days it seemed as though my acne got worse, and I was all "this isn't working, I give up." but after the three days, I stuck with it and I started to see change as the pimples shrunk and most of the small ones vanished! I have sensitive skin so I use the 0.1 Differin.
For those of you who have said your acne has gotten worse, maybe it just isn't for you and or you have a lot of unseen acne beneath your skin that is being pulled up by differin, I read that this is SUPPOSED to happen so really, stick with it.
March 4, 2009
Pros:
It's really been clearing up every type of acne that I have. The whiteheads, blackheads and cysts are all drying up
Cons:
My entire face is peeling for the past two weeks and is extremely red
I would recomend the .1% not the .3% that im on it's too drying!
February 27, 2009
Pros:
Differin took a while to start working, but when it did it was great. It really helped me for the first 1.5 yrs i was on it
Cons:
the effectiveness definitely wears off after a yr and a half, but i guess thats to be expected. My acne came back worse than it had been prior to treatment. I also got sunburnt really bad really really fast on it.
It works well, but definitely not a permenant solution. I would recommed it for people in high school tho, it really helped me thru those yrs!!
If u are going to use it you really need a good sunscreen at all times (especially in summer... but in saying that, im in australia so any additional photosensitivity is a problem in summer down here...especially if you're like me and used to never really burn, just tan...that definitely changed!!)
February 26, 2009
Pros:
CLEANS POURS NO MORE BLACKHEADS SMOOTHS MY SKIN THIS AND IT SO EASY TO USE JUST APLY BEFOR YOU GO TO BED
Cons:
NONE
LOVE IT
BOT IT IN MEXICO IT COST UNDER $ 20 AND YOU DONT NEED A PERSCRIPTION
February 10, 2009
Pros:
It cleared me up 70% after the IB. My insurance covered it 100%
Cons:
I've developed an allergy after 4 months or so. Even a very small amount anywhere on my face made my eyes puff up like a newborn seal within a couple of hours and persisted at least a day. The exact same thing had happened to me with BP, too.
It may cause severe reaction.
Pros:
does work for some people