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
June 1, 2009
Cons:
continuous IB even after 3 months
started with some pustules, ended up with pustules , milias, and whiteheads. i was very hopeful that i persist on minimum 3 months, but it keeps getting worse. maybe just not my cup of tea.
May 21, 2009
Pros:
it kinda works, got rid of all my blackheads
Cons:
drying at first makes skin peel
it seemed to stop working after the peeling subsided, i use it off and on, usually works best 1-2 weeks after a chemical peel
May 9, 2009
Pros:
no bad smell, no bad side effects, a little effective
Cons:
didn't clear up acne
my derm prescribed it and i used the.1 gel for 3 months and it did very little for my skin except give me a bunch of tiny pimples and bumps everywhere. it brought out maybe 1/4 of my clogged pores and breakouts but not all of it. i have really bad comedonal acne & clogged pores... which i still have! so just got switched over to tazorac. i hope it works better!
May 6, 2009
Pros:
It did not dry my skin out as much as I thought it would.
Goes on smoothly and not as a mask feeling
Cons:
breaking me out, has not done anything for my cystic acne for 2 weeks now. It's expensive even with insurance
it's worth a try but after a month of trying it and no results?....move on
May 4, 2009
Pros:
Worked within first few weeks, now I rarely breakout and my skin is less oily
Cons:
very dry skin, got a strange rash on my neck in the winter months when the air was dry, but since the weather started to warm up the rash has disappeared. differin takes time to work
I was on accutane for moderate acne 2 years ago, and this past year my acne returned, however not very strong. my doctor prescribed differin and it has really made a difference. I no longer have breakouts, and if I do get a pimple it is relatively small and disappears within a day or two. also, the amount of oil my skin produces has significantly decreased. overall, I am very pleased with differin. Just make sure you use it everyday to achieve good results and be patient
May 2, 2009
Pros:
I've been using differin 0.1 cream. I started the cream having only whiteheads in my cheeks. After i applied the cream i broke out and had 9 pimples, which SUCKED! But then the the day after the pimples turned white and fell off. Whiteheads gone.
Cons:
My skin feels a little dry and tight. I got many pimples the first few days.
I've been using the cream for 4 days and and all the pimples it caused are going away quickly. I have very sensitive skin and an allergic chemicals such as chlorine and benzol peroxide. This cream is gentle and really seems to be helping. Hopefully the last few pimples and such will be gone in a few days:)
April 26, 2009
Pros:
Seemed to clear scars, but I only used it for a few days
Cons:
DRIED SKIN SEVERELY
I first tried this 2 weeks ago. I used it nightly for 5 days. The 5th day I was crying trying to put it on!! I was only using it for scarring on my forehead. The first day after I used it I woke up and my skin was really dry. I put on a lot of moisturisor and it was really stingy! This got gradually worse over the next few days. I would put it on at night, wake up to dry and peeling skin which burned to touch. I stopped using it because I could see it was just eating away at my skin and I didn't feel comfortable with it. This was over a week ago now since I last used it and there has been no improvement with the dryness. It doesn't burn now but even with using a moisturisor for extremely dry skin it continues to flake off!! I think this gel might be good for severe acne (mine is moderate) if you do not have sensitive skin at all. I have never had sensitive skin before but I am very fair...Just be careful because the drying effects are severe and difficult to clear
April 8, 2009
Pros:
Improved skin tone. Faster healing rate. Minimal skin irritations.
Cons:
Pricey since most insurances wouldn't cover it due to its anti-wrinkle purpose. Made my skin more sensitive for the first two weeks.
I am 23 and never had acne problem before. Just over a year ago my face started to break out and its degree increases over time. Finally, a friend recommended Differin to me. I've been using it for almost 3 weeks now. It made my skin more sensitive than usual and took me about 2 weeks to get used to it. I broke out more initially but it heals alot faster than before. I do notice a huge improvement with my skin tone. With Differin, you really need a very good sunscreen (I really like Clarins sunscreen) and a cap. Try to stay inside as much as you can. I don't know whether or not if Differin is a permanent solution but it is working so well for me right now.
April 6, 2009
Pros:
I don't remember any.
Cons:
scarring!!!!
I hate this product and would never recommend it. I used this for occasional forehead breakouts. It cleared up my forehead, but made my cheeks (which rarely broke out before) look horrid. It left scars. I stopped using it, but the scars are still there, red and new-looking even years later. I don't get any breakouts anymore, but I still have people telling me to try this or that product, because my face looks like it is in a constant state of being broken out. It is scarred!! Red, ugly scars. And it never happened before I used Differin. Only the breakouts from during the time that I used Differin scarred my face. An occasional pimple that I get now will come up, fade away on its own, and not leave a scar. What does this product do to your face???? I would recommend letting your acne run its course; when you're in your late 20s, you will wonder why you worked so hard to get rid of something that wasn't so bad... But if you use this and scar your face, it will las
April 6, 2009
Pros:
According to my GP, it hopefully would work compared to Dalacin T Topical Solution. Last year I had servere acne, Dalacin cleared it up. Aso long as anti-biotics, now my acne is back, Dalacin has no affect. So I was hopefull?
Cons:
I am in week 1 of the treatment, extreemly dry skin. Takes half hour to apply the cream or a moisturizer (due the EXTREEM PAIN). And my acne seems clearer than what it was. I am using it with Dalacin T Topical Solution and Anti-biotics.
So far the product seems good. Except the dry skin is worrying. I'm using it during the half term break. So when I go back to school, I have clear skin. As well as no braces. <uOverall Opinion</u. Pros: Clears skin quickly.
Cons: The dryness and "scalley" skin. Note. Still not sure if i want to recommend the product or not.
Pros:
clears blackheads