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
March 19, 2018
PLEASE READ :))))
hey guys :)) please take the time to read! i am a teenager and I have been using diferin for six months now. i can remember going on this site and feeling like it did not help anybody, everybody seemed to be having the same issues that I had- my acne was worse than it had ever been. :( no, I would probably not recommend starting diferin if your acne is not that bad to begin with, because it will get a lot worse during the "purging" phase. but if you are already using it, my advice is stick with it!! it will get better!!!!! in fact, i do not have a single pimple on my face right now (but I still have redness left from the treatment). if you already have the bad acne, just stick it out I know it is so hard and it can be so embarassing but no one pays as much attention to your skin as you do ❤❤ you got this guys! another recommendation, make sure you moisturize so it does not over dry your skin, as that produces more acne. hope this helped
March 14, 2018
Differin is a NIGHTMARE.
Differin is a NIGHTMARE. I knew it would make my skin worse at first, but it never got better. Improvement in 8-12 weeks? Hardly. I finally gave up after 20. 20 weeks of suffering all for NOTHING. My face is worse than it ever was in 56 years. I'm sorry I didn't quit it sooner. It's been a month since I stopped and my face is still a mess. Previously, I only had a few pimples here and there, but this stuff has destroyed my skin. When others tell you "Be patient!" don't listen. Just because it worked for them doesn't mean it will work for you. Don't suffer and hide in your house for 5+ months like I've had to. Huge pimples, clusters of them, and peeling so badly, my face bleeds. And makeup only makes it worse. Best advice I can give is DON'T USE THIS or you will regret it.
January 21, 2018
Not worth it
Works good by increasing skin turnover but has far more sideeffects rather than benefits. Still recovering from redness and bad texture of skin.
January 21, 2018
SAVE YOUR MONEY
My daughter has very bad acne. Her doctor told us about this product. We ran out to buy it. Followed the instructions. She has a rash on her face that's so bad and hurts it made her cry. Some teenagers have esteem issues with their bad skin but to add a rash on top of it. What's a mom to do when she's crying so because her face hurts and it feels like it's on fire.
January 31, 2018
This is a reaction the product itself, you probably used more than was needed. I was 15 when I started using this (17 now), and the results are incredible with long term use. Use less next time, less than a pea sized about. This isn't meant to be used on the entire face, just localized spots with acne.
February 9, 2018
Judging from your description, it sounds like your daughter had a chemical burn. I'm not sure if she was prescribed the .1% (the highest percentage) as is listed here, but she absolutely should not have been given such a high prescription. I completely understand your concern and unhappiness with the product, but I would suggest changing dermatologists. Again, I don't have the full story. But she should have been prescribed the lowest percentage--.01%--and given instructions to only use a dime sized amount mixed with a gentle moisturizer every other night on dry skin. I'm not sure what other products your daughter may be using, but it's also important not to use other intense products with Adapalene (no vitamin c, glycolic acid, salicylic acid).
January 9, 2018
TENGO QUE ARRANCAR CON ACCUTANE POR CULPA DE ESTO
No lo hagan. TenÃa acné leve/moderado y al comenzar con esto empecé a tener acné quistico nodular. Espere los 3 meses pensando que era una purga y habia que ser paciente (dice que las primeras semanas puede haber exacerbación) pero cada vez peor. Me quedo el rostro lleno de manchas, acne quistico horrible :( Ahora tengo que arrancar tratamiento con accutane para ver si puedo mejorar el desastre que me dejo en la cara. No lo recomiendo para nada :(
September 21, 2017
This stuff made me cry
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)
June 22, 2015
Tried for almost 1 year
After using this religiously for almost an entire year (in combination with occasional use of 5% benzoyl peroxide) and doxycycline oral, I quit it and the doxycycline pill completely, as I saw improvements from a horrible break out after about 3 weeks when I first began... however, over time the improvements in my "monthly" flareup around my period were less significant and I found myself wondering if either medicine was doing anything to help at all anymore or if my hormones were the culprit for both making my skin less red and pimply or more. I would say this treatment isn't a long-term fix-all for acne, but works for an immediate fix - at least this is my experience!
August 5, 2015
You need to use this for more than 3 weeks. The acne bacteria lies deep in your skin and this, for lack of a better word, pulls it to the surface, kills it so that the true healing process may begin.
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.
November 21, 2013
Horrible Product
Cons:
dry face
dark red nose
huge breakout all over face expecially nose
When I started using this product I was told that my acne would get worse over the first few weeks and then begin to improve. I used the product for a month and my skin continued to get worse, never better. I developed acne all over my face and nose. My nose also became dark red. I have been off of differin for about a month now all the while taking doxycycline. The doxycycline has improved some areas of my face, but my nose is still a dark red and breaks out in whiteheads every single morning. I fear the redness may not go away as it currently shows no signs of doing so. I do not recommend this product to anyone as I had a terrible experience with it.
December 24, 2012
Pros:
Worked for a while to control breakouts
Cons:
Lowered my skin quality
Made face red
Dried out and irritated skin
Horrible initial breakout
Made my skin prone to red marks
After the initial breakout, which bumped me up from moderate to cystic acne for months, my skin did have a noticeable reduction in lesions. However -- it stopped working to clear my skin halfway through. After a few months it only irritated my skin, to the point where I was getting more acne and suddenly started being plagued by red marks when this had never been a problem before. Differin may just be too harsh for people with dry skin already (I used moisturizer daily and this still happened).
Pros:
Keep pores unclogged
Helps prevent new blemishes
Lasts forever