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
July 30, 2009
Cons:
it takes awhile for the medication to work. gets worse before it gets better. at first i was using a face wash with salicylic acid in it and the combination was really bad on my skin.
before i started using this i had severe acne, now i just get a pimple every now and then. it is true that it will get worse before it gets better, but that is just the medication pulling out all the dirt and oil.
July 27, 2009
Pros:
Reduces inflammation almost immediately. Not overdrying.
Cons:
it costs more than other products I was originally using.
Differin helps existing pimples, but I find it doesn't prevent the acne from forming. My face doesn't get dry or red. Overall I am satisfied with the results.
July 19, 2009
Pros:
It help to clean up all my acne and easy to use . I used it once a day on night time.
Cons:
i found [link removed] So, it help me from deduct for doctor prescription. It's work, by no need to pay that much
I recommend it because compared to how my face looked like before the treatment, I saw a big difference, and felt comfortable again when going out in public.
July 15, 2009
Pros:
makes acne flatter
Cons:
if u skip just 1 day of using it, ur acne will be worse. makes my skin very sensitive to sun.
i like this product, but dont skip using it! it is my fault for skipping it though. it hasnt cleared my acne yet but its my fault for skipping it so much! it does work well when i use it though.
July 13, 2009
Pros:
It doesn't have a bad smell, it's easy to put on.
Cons:
It broke me out a lot more, made my acne worse than it's EVER been. My skin is very sensitive and feels "sore".
I really don't like it, overall it hasn't worked for me. I have been on the 0.1% and antibiotics for about 5 months, why I stayed on it for so long when it was only making my skin woI have no idea. So the dermatoligist switched me to the differin 0.3% which I will start trying tonight, I hope it will work, but I'm a little skeptical from my first attempt with the 0.1%.
July 12, 2009
Pros:
There weren' any. Sometimes it seemed like my acne may be getting better, but my skin never cleard up. It always broke out horribly again in a couple of days.
Cons:
It did nothing except extremely dry out my skin. Differin seemed to make my skin a lot worse and caused me to get countless cystic pimples on my chin. My acne also spread allover my face.
Differin may work for some people, but it just irritated my skin. It made my acne worse than it ever was before. The doctors I went to insisted that differin was highlly effective, even though it obviously was making my acne worse and I used it for a year. It made my skin very dry. I haven't used it in over a year and my skin still feels like its not producing any oil when it used to get oily. My skin actually got better immediately after I stopped using differin even though I still have acne. From using differin for so long though, I have many acne scars from all of the countless pimples it caused me to develop. I wish I had never used differin. It just made my acne worse.
July 7, 2009
Pros:
lost a little redness
Cons:
UNCONTROLLABLE BREAKOUTS
CLEAR SKIN ONE WEEK, HORRIBLE BREAKOUTS N REDNESS THE NEXT
bad product.
started gettin acne last summer.
got on differn gel and kept breakingn out.
now its scarring and zits
got on tazorac now its a little better i guess
accutanes the next step
:(
but differin didnt work after about 8 months...
and the derm. just kept saying stick with it, didnt work man!
June 20, 2009
Pros:
Look, it works if you stick with it and use it nightly. I find it didnt dry me out like other gels/creams.
Cons:
So expensive. Hate that we have to pay so much to attempt clear skin.
Try it.. stick with it.. dont stop it, or acne will return.
June 18, 2009
Pros:
I've been using Differin for about two years now. I initially used the .01% because I have extremely sensitive skin and then moved up to the .03%. I helped my bacne/face acne/chest acne so much. I'm basically all clear now.
Cons:
I do experience a lot of skin sensitivity and I use sunscreen on my face everyday. I can't go to the tanning bed and if I do lay out outside I have to use sunscreen everywhere. I get pretty dry so I only use the Differin every other night.
It's a great product and since I've been experiencing breakouts on my back and chest as well as my face since I was about 14, it's amazing to be able to pick out an outfit during the summer based on the weather and not on my breakouts. I've tried just about every product out there and this is the only one that my sensitive skin could take and I still have to skip a day between applications. I love it. And added benefit is that retinoids (Differin is a retinoid) are being used by many older women now to reduce/prevent wrinkles so I guess I'm getting a head start on that! I love Differin but I'm worried that my skin is going to start becoming immune to it since I've been using it for so long. Oh well. I guess we'll see.
June 15, 2009
Pros:
*Reduced Zits in no time
*Minimal Redness/No redness
*Very minimal Peeling
Cons:
None
Been there done that, Been to several dermatologist already. Beenn prescribed Retin A, Doxy,Mino,Clindamycin, Duac,Erythromycin name it ive tried it all except for accutane.
After graduating from college i felt so upset that i am still getting zits/acne all over my face, i remember two years ago one of my derm told me to try Differin but i did not even consider buying it, i thought it was the same as retin a unfortunately Retin a didnt work out for me.
I was surfin the net ,then i tried looking for what to do with my persistent zits..Fortunately i found out again about Differin thingy. then tried it been on it for a week! so far so good, i only have like 2 zits and it is almost unoticeable. Right now im dealing with the scars that my previous regimens left me. Too bad i didnt believed in my derm when she told me to try differin..
Pros:
my face has cleared up really well since i started using differin