Topical Antibiotic
Efficacy
55%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Should never be used on its own and for a maximum of 3 months.
Topical Antibiotic
Acne.org’s Real World Take
One of the less effective treatments out there. It should never be used on its own or for longer than 3 months and may lead to resistant strains of bacteria. It may provide a slight improvement in mild acne in some people.
Topical Antibiotic
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Clindamycin? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
August 25, 2018
Gives Headaches
Tried this for a few weeks. Saw some decent improvement in my complexion. Started getting tension headaches and I could not understand why. Stopped Clindamycin treatment and they slowly faded. About 2 weeks later the headaches finally stopped. These headaches were like no other headaches I've gotten before.
September 7, 2015
Nothing really
Made my skin very red and didn't control new outbreaks or give me the results I was looking for.
February 6, 2015
Works, but not for long - try Benzaclin instead
For the first 4-5 months I used this, I saw some (but not total) clearance of my moderate acne. However, around month 6 it seemed to completely stop working. My dermatologist encouraged me to stick with it for YEARS (in conjuction with other treatments), even though all it seemed to be doing was making my skin dry. Eventually, I stopped using it because it did not seem to be helping my acne at all. After the fact, I read research papers showing that acne bacteria starts to develop a resistance to this topical as early as 6 weeks into use. So, while you may see some clearance with this product, it will eventually stop working. However, I think it's worth noting that many studies have shown that benzoyl peroxide can prevent the emergence of antibiotic-resistant acne, so I would recommend trying Benzaclin. The combination of benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin should keep your skin from becoming resistant to treatment for much longer then the clindamycin alone.
February 4, 2015
Risky
i'm using the topical pads, which is similar to the topical gel. i've noticed, when used consistently it works amazing! nothing has ever cleared my skin before, and for the first time in a long time most of my pimples dried out (leaving the skin extremely dry).
BUT- huge downside. i got lazy and stopped rubbing the pads on my chin and my jawline; and i broke out worse then ever before in those places. i never broke out like this, cystic terrible acne that hurts. now i'm terrified to go off these pads.
September 4, 2014
works on smaller pimple
I tried to use this before I'm trying to get pregnant so Retinol is not my option. This can be too drying if I use it for longer than 2 days. I can only use it as spot treatment. And it works on smaller pimples. It does absolutely nothing on big cystic acne.
June 13, 2014
Useless for any serious acne
I was on Clindamycin August 2013 until October 17th, and of all the treatments I tried this was the least effective. You could skip a whole two weeks while on this medicine and nothing would seem different, I understand it is effective on very minor acne sufferers, but if you have more than 3-5 active pimples and they seem persistent I would recommend something more effective.
October 24, 2013
Ehh...
I tried using this and it didn't change anything. It smells gross and it's sticky. it didn't make my skin worse or better.
March 25, 2013
Pros:
-Did work very well at making my acne a thing of the past
-combated blackheads as well
-made my skin feel smooth with no dryness/flaking
-I felt like I didn't have to wear makeup after using regularly.
Cons:
Well, this stuff poisoned me! I was prescribed it initially when I was 8, but being young never used it consistently. When I was 18, I rediscovered it and used it every day 2x. Soon after, I developed debilitating nausea and panic attacks. My life was over and no doctor could find the culprit. After cutting everything out and ruining a year of my life- I found a list of side effects. I had colitis induced by clindamycin. It can cause intestinal bleeding! As soon as I stopped- all symptoms gone!
Great product for acne- but not if you'd like to stay alive to be pretty with your clear skin. It took 6 months to get even remotely back to my old life and the anxiety occasionally lingers. I really messed up my stomach for 2 years and it's been a long time recovering. I'm finally doing better- 2 years later- but the time off was not worth the results. I use Azelex and Retin-A Micro 1% now and I feel amazing. Better results too IMHO
September 4, 2012
Pros:
none for me
Cons:
did not clear my acne
did nothing for my face
Everyone's skin is different and clindamycin just didnt work for mine :((
March 14, 2012
Pros:
made my acne reduce in size in the first day
Cons:
-strong smell
-had an allergic reaction to it and had a rash
-made complexion look worse (skin peeling)
i have been using this product for less then a week and i can say in my personal experience it doesnt work well with sensitive skin and i had a horrible rash on my face that took 2 weeks to get rid of. so in the long run i wouldn't recommend it to everyone...
Cons:
Smells
Sticky
Didn't work for me