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
October 27, 2009
Cons:
Dries out skin (gone in 2 weeks)
Sunburning is easy
From my personal experience with moderate acne, I am going to say differin does work to some extent, once the one month initial breakout has finished its all downhill and you will start to see results. If you have mild acne, differin is right for you. If you have more severe acne, try asking your doc or derm about Minocycline or Accutane. I have been using differin for 7 weeks now, Minocycline for almost a month, and i use Benzoyl Peroxide 5% wash once in the morn and once at night to clear clogged pores. Its working really well.
October 14, 2009
Pros:
No flaking, but that's the best thing I can say about Differin.
Cons:
I had a terrible allergic reaction to Differin and also to Epiduo (adapalene & benzoyl peroxide). I tried each about 3 times. My entire face became swollen, red, blotchy & horribly itchy. My eyes swelled completely shut, were red & itched like CRAZY.
I am 43 years old and have had acne since I was 11. I have used just about every acne product there is and this is the first time I have ever had an allergic reaction to a topical acne medication.
The strange thing is that the reaction was delayed until the following day. I used just a tiny amount, as directed by my derm who raved about both of these medications, applying 30 min. after washing my face. In the morning my face was unchanged but by noon my face & eyes began to itch, swell, and turn red. The swelling, redness & itching continued for 3 days. I had to take Benadryl to get to sleep and my eyes were completely swollen shut in the mornings. I looked like I had aged 20 years overnight. The redness and itching spread down my neck as well, even though I hadn't gotten the Differin anywhere near my neck or eyes. Once the swelling resolved, then the skin on & around my eyes began to peel.
Horrible experience for me. I'm glad others have had better luck.
September 29, 2009
Pros:
has made me get a few less pimples. I'm barely seeing a difference, and ive been using it for 10 weeks.
Cons:
its working really slow. i also just started with tetracycline, and a 10% benzoil peroxide face wash, and thats been for 2 weeks, and my face is worse.
I hear it takes 12 weeks to see full results, so maybe a miracle is going to happen in the next 2 weeks. I also heards its supposed to flush all the stuff deep in your pores, and i hope im all flushed out! I'M SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT QUITTING THIS PRODUCT!!!
September 14, 2009
Pros:
Meh, it worked well with medication I guess
Cons:
Didn't completely stop acne
Made me VERY oily
Gave me red marks
Meh it's ok. You'd be better off with BP.
September 6, 2009
Pros:
-definitely helps fade red marks faster
-gets rid of blackheads
Cons:
-slow
-can only be used for spot treatment
-sometimes leads to breakouts
my dermatologist prescribed me differin mainly for my red and brown marks that were left over from acne in mid-July. it helps fade red marks fairly fast (in about two months), but it doesn't help brown marks as much. I use differin mainly on my temples & to get rid of some marks near my mouth. i don't get acne on my temples anymore (yay!) and the differin has not caused any new ones but has reduced my redmarks, so on that area the differin as been largely successful. however, around my mouth, i feel that the differin creates a couple pimples. the only good side to that is the differin still helped fade a couple redmarks. so bottom line: i gave this 4 stars because it did what my derm said it would. but i suggest you use it only where you don't get pimples any longer, but where you still have red & brown marks.
September 1, 2009
Pros:
Gets rid of blackheads!
Cleared the sides of my nose
Does not burn
Cons:
Does not work on whiteheads!!!!
does not prevent breakouts
causes ICHING although no drying out has occurred
THis product works only if you are willing to wait, and use it every day.
You might have to get a spot treatment for new breakouts, and whiteheads...
its okay.....
September 1, 2009
Pros:
A little goes a long way
Cons:
Not much improvement, red, peely skin
It cost too much and doesn't work
August 18, 2009
Pros:
Helps prevents breakouts, lightly exfoliates, lessens severity of acne over time, helps prevent fine lines,
Cons:
A tad expensive if you have no insurance and a wee bit of redness when first applied
Jess and Brandon, with retinoids like Adapalene, things are going to get worse before they get better. Peeling, redness and more acne are common in the first 1-6 weeks of use. DON'T stop using it. These effects prove the medicine is working. Over time, the peeling and redness should fade along with the breakouts. The only time you should stop is if it burns a lot or you start swelling. You need to be using SPF DAILY. Your doctor should have discussed with you these side affects and when you should see them before prescribing this medicine to you. I've been using this medicine since I was 15 (I'm 20) and I've seen remarkable results. I use the lowest dose and have seen fewer breakouts than I did when I was on any other acne medication. I do have a wee bit of redness when first applying this medicine but it fades in about two minutes. This medicine has saved my skin from my family's hereditary severe acne problems. I have very mild acne now. Initial breakout was awful but be pati
August 13, 2009
Pros:
-Reduces severity of acne.
Cons:
-It does not prevent future breakouts, so I still constantly have acne.
-The side effects are intense.
-It's expensive.
I've been on the 1% gel for about a year now and it STILL burns- it burns when I cry, it burns when I'm out in the sun, it burns to put on face lotion, it burns to put on sunscreen, it burns to sweat, it burns ALL THE TIME. Also, my skin is red and flaky, especially around my eyes, nose, and chin. I still have at least 3-4 zits on my face at all times. Granted, they aren't as big and inflamed as they were before I was on the gel- but they're still a constant problem. As I stated above, it did *somewhat* reduce the severity of my acne, but in my opinion, the consequences far out-weight the benefits.
August 13, 2009
Pros:
Nothing that I found while using it for such a short time.
Cons:
-Makes skin very red, blothcy-uneven skin tone.
-Veryyy Dry with both Gel and Cream
Went to doc for differin just to see if it would work any better then all the $hit I've been using. Tired the Gel....made my skin veryyy red and VERY dry! Cream, still veryy red but now DRY and OILY! Don't use this, I just wasted 40$ on that b/s.
Had to quit because it was making my skin so crappy I could'nt stand it!
Pros:
Does clear up acne, but extremely slowly,
must be patient