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 22, 2013
itchhhhhhhhh
it leaves your face red & itchy (it burns like hell) & it makes your hyperpigmentation worse
September 9, 2013
I didnt work for me
Cons:
Worsen acne
Expensive
I gave t a hot and thought this was the one for me.. Unfortunately it did nothing for me.. It wasnt harsh nor irritating to the skin but did a number on me.. I used the stuff for probably 4-5 weeks and my acne got worse..
February 2, 2013
Pros:
Works great if done correctly if on nhs its £7.25 a tube and lasts a very long time
Cons:
Dry skin with a good moisteriser this can be fixed
This really good been on it for 2 weeks and honestky didnt think ot would work as nothing works on me but it did, have to be very carefull only apply a tiny amount onto the areas of acne and then your cream on top iam using creme de la mar radiant serum which is quite greasy so the combo works differin drys d skin n my serum puts moist back on i have massive cysts which has calmed down alot but i would test differin on your skin before using it on all areas and remember a tiny amount is needed
December 10, 2012
Pros:
Clears skin for a while
Cons:
Dries and reddens skin
Makes skin sensitive to sunlight
Stops working after awhile
Worked great at first. Had clear skin for about a year then had to switch to stronger tazorac, as my cysts came right back regardless of having upped my dosage of this.
April 24, 2012
Pros:
None really so far
Cons:
Dries my face out so much! I literally have flakes of skin coming off my face.
I have been using this for about a month and a half and the only result I have had is excessive drying, redness, and irritation. My face hurts! This is just based on how long I have been using it.
April 18, 2012
Pros:
none
Cons:
doesn't clear, need I say much more?
expensive
bottom line, this product did not clear my face, made it worse, and I even used it for awhile /:
January 6, 2012
Pros:
Really stops whiteheads from getting any bigger
Stops infection
Cons:
Dont apply too much: this will result in large patches of flaky/dry/sensitive/irritated skin
Dries out skin a bit (use moisturizer!!)
Differin gel really helps to keep the whiteheads under controll. I've used it for over 6 months now and I don't get any whiteheads anymore, if I do, I immediately apply some differin and they are gone the next day. It's cheap, it works, but dont use too much and only use it on whiteheads! This was my experience, thanks for reading!
March 5, 2010
Pros:
It worked for me!
Only thing that came close to completely clearing me up.
Cons:
Pretty strong chemical/ not natural.
Can be expensive
makes skin a bit more sensitive
I have used this in the past, and it worked within weeks. I went from having acne all over my face to just a few minor whiteheads, for the first time in years. It does make skin more sensitive and dry, my skin was very flaky at first but it could have been because I was using this with Clindoxyl. Once I stopped the clindoxyl my skin flaked less but acne didn't get worse. I decided to stop using this in pursuit of a more nature friendly product. We'll see if I can find it. Otherwise, I'm very impressed. I have used benzaclin, salicylic acid, proactive, and none of them were close to the results I achieved with this. It helped with redness and scars too and made my skin smooth.
January 31, 2010
Pros:
Smooth skin
Cons:
My face became so red that it hurt to even breathe. I became blotchy all along the jawline and everywhere else looked like I had an extremely bad sunburn. My face was so dry and irritated that even putting moisturizer on it caused me pain. There was also a lot of peeling, no amount of Physicians Formula mineral makeup could cover it. I developed a cyst on my nose, I only ever get cysts from prescription medications.
Even though I only used the product for a week, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with dry skin. My skin doesn't produce many oils (I don't even get blackheads or whiteheads) and I've realized that topical acne creams are not the way to go. SO REMEMBER: if you have dry or sensitive skin, Differin isn't even worth trying. It will only cause more pain.
November 17, 2009
Pros:
HONESTLY NONE.
Cons:
I HAVE BEEN USING THE CREAM FOR OVER 4 MONTHS AND I AM WORSE OFF NOW THEN WHEN I STARTED. THE ACNE BECAME MORE SEVERE AND MY FACE IS DROOLING WITH WHITE PUSS ACNE.
WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY FOR ME, BUT YOU HAVE TO TRY OR YOU WILL NEVER KNOW .
Pros:
Not irritating