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
January 19, 2007
Cons:
like any medication...only hides symptoms - - does not destroy the root cause
I've had acne ever since 5th grade (i'm 20 now). I've tried every thing, but nothing works like the differin - duac combo my Dr. prescribed. I use duac once in morning, once in afternoon, and then differin at night. As my Dr. put it, the duac gets rid of the acne you have now, while differin helps prevent acne from forming. At first, the duac gel made my face burn so bad, I began to cry. But after about a week my skin was used to it and now it justs drys up a little. (try cleanser, then duac, then moisturizer). Differin is perfect- no burning sensations, goes on easy with no residue or anything....works better the longer you use it says my doc....says you should use if for the rest of your life to help your skin. However...like any medication..they merely hide the symptoms of a disease...(acne is a chronic disease)...so pimples do come and go....but no where near how they used to be in jr and sr highschool. Bottom line...the duac and differn combo is perfect for me..and hopefully u 2
January 17, 2007
Pros:
doesn't smell or irritate skin
Cons:
my skin is breaking out so bad
I had a laser treatment done 3 weeks ago and started using the differin afterwards and my skin looks horrible. my dr said it would make my skin "purge" and it really is. I'm hoping that when its finished purging it will clear up because i'm miserable right now.
January 12, 2007
Pros:
Clears acne at first.
Cons:
After initial clearing my acne returned with a vengeance. I had the worse acne of my life due to this retinoid.
I've used it for over 3 months without any good results. The Differin made me break out so much that I had no clear spot on my face. I had such bad acne from it that I didn't even want to leave my room. I don't understand why I had such a bad reaction but not only did it make my skin red it also made it oily. After I stopped using it my skin returned to my normal complexion and my acne reduced.
December 13, 2006
Pros:
It works, you will see results after 4 weeks of nightly use. Dryness not a problem if you use a thin layer of aqueous cream on your skin first.
Cons:
For more severe acne, it's not enough on its own.
You may need to use it for the rest of your life as the benefit stops once you stop using it!
It's the step to take before Roaccutane. I have moderate acne on my face and got good results after 3 months of nightly differin ( the cream is much better than the gel)...you must make sure you use as little as possible and you must rub it in well, it has to get down into the pores to work!Pair the differin with an antibiotic like lymecycline ( also known as tetralysal) for better results. If this doesn't work, go for Roaccutane
December 13, 2006
Pros:
clears skin,
Cons:
i really like this product but honestly, if you dont use it for one night you will break out. I am dependant on it and that is a con! it also makes my face a little tight
clears skin, but you need to use it consistantly.
December 11, 2006
Pros:
.....
Cons:
way expensive and made me break out in places that i have never had a prob. with. Not only that but when i did break out it was 200 times worse and cystic.
i do not recommend the gel at all....though the cream may be better.
December 8, 2006
Pros:
Doen't leave residues, feels good on the skin, no-smell
Cons:
may cause a little bit of dryness
Well, i'm using differing for a week, the dermatologist also told me to use benzac AC 5 (benzac one night, then the other night differin and so on, being careful of using just the little of the product as i can), and well, i was a little scared before using this products because i had red they could bring new breakouts, besides leaving your skin red, dry and worst, well i took the risk and know that i have a week in the treatment the results are better than i thought, my skin it's just a little dry and the acne dissapears more every day, i hope to see improvements soon, and a little advise when you have the skin dry use a little of honey and leave it 30 minutes in the skin, this helps a lot, and have a natural antibiotic too that kills bacteria
November 26, 2006
Pros:
nothing
Cons:
a big list
this stuff doesn't work.
November 20, 2006
Pros:
you need to apply one time on night, before sleeping
Cons:
price
I used BP for 2 years and it really works very well, but my skin was becoming kind of dry old red skin... so I tried Adapalene. At first, I saw no diferrence between it and BP, but, 2 weeks aftet, some little pimples appeared.. I'm sure that Adapalene istn't so effcient like BP, but it makes skin more 'elastic' and erase some hipopigmentantions, makes the skin younger and clean, but with some little pimples, once or twice a week...
November 14, 2006
Pros:
Clears skin, actively removes any skin problems under the surface, non-greasy, non-smelly, can be used before bed.
Cons:
Causes irritation in the beginning on sensitive skin - red, itchy areas. Takes a while to work, making the problem worse before better.
I have been using it on my upper back and face. I have to say it works WONDERS on my face... clears the problem beautifully, now and again an odd red bump, but I've only been using Differin for about 4 or so weeks, and I am really quite happy with the results. The itchiness of the first two weeks is gone, and now I am just applying it consistently. I'm yet to see the similar results on my back, but the skin is really clearing up now and spots healing faster than expected.
This product works - so have patience, and stick with it.
Pros:
*no left over residue
*doesn't burn
*does its job