Differin for Acne User Reviews (Page 4)

• ahb...
• January 14, 2020

"I had mild to moderate acne. By that, I mean 3-4 active blemishes at any one time. But the marks they leave behind had accumulated since they take so much longer to disappear, so I decided to do something about it. I have been using adapalene 0.1% for about 6 weeks now. But for the first 3 weeks, I only used it twice a week. My skin cleared up completely. For the past 3 weeks, I have increased the frequency to every other night. For the first two weeks, my skin wasn't showing much change. Now it is the third week into this new routine, and I am experiencing dryness and irritation around the eyes and mouth. These dry patches would burn slightly when I apply moisturizer or sunscreen. Not the best feeling in the world, but bearable. 5 new blemishes have also started popping up. 3 of these were actually small comedones that never really surfaced until now. I suspect the other two were microcomedones deep within. This is a difficult stage, but I am determined to power through."

• Bow...
• January 12, 2020

"In November 2019, I noticed a couple of breakouts (one or two per week) on my left cheek and decided to use this product. It’s week 7 and my acne is so bad. I started out with one big papule on my left cheek and one pustule. Clear everywhere else. At the moment, everything is inflamed (7 weeks in), and I have 3 big papules, 1 pustule, and 1 cystic pimple on my left cheek, 2 papules on my right cheek, 1 papule on my forehead, and 3 cystic pimples on my chin. Plus, I’m left with deep red marks from all of these pimples. I haven’t changed my skincare routine, same birth control, etc., so I know Differin has had a bad effect on my skin. I do, however, have no blackheads on my nose and chin, which I used to have a lot of. Still hoping that it might get better. Pretty much given up, as you should start seeing improvement by week 8, and my skin won’t be looking like week 1 or better any time soon. However, it may work for you! Just beware as the “purge” ruined my skin!"

• Ash...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2020

"Starting from age 15 till now age 33 I’ve fought the good fight against acne. Nothing worked. I saw a dermatologist and was prescribed Differin gel. The first four applications or so, all good. After that, peeling and pain. I thought about pushing on, but I decided clear skin wasn’t worth that much pain. I stopped using it after 6 applications, but it took a few weeks for the pain and peeling to stop. After that, I suddenly had terrible acne. I had it in places I had never had it before. My face was covered. After a couple of months, my face returned to semi-normal acne levels. I decided to try to treat the acne at its source, so I got a small tube of benzoyl peroxide and applied it. It was like a miracle cure. Overnight I had clear skin for the first time in years. I use it every few days. I recommend it to anyone suffering like I was!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2020

"No effect whatsoever after 2+ months. I had irritated and dry skin for the first month, which I expected, and afterwards it stabilized."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2020

"Been using for months. Works so well to get rid of acne! Love!"

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 2, 2020

"I personally used Differin by the recommendation of my dermatologist, but it didn’t help, and it caused my skin redness."

• how...
• December 21, 2019

"I’m 20 years old and have had breakouts since I was about 16. I don’t necessarily have acne, but very bad breakouts, mostly hormonal. I started doing research and found Differin gel. Now, the reviews were extremely scattered. I saw plenty of good and bad reviews. I went out and got this gel at my local Walmart. The first 1-2 weeks were completely fine, no difference in my skin at all. The 3-4 week mark hit, I was breaking out BAD. PAINFUL HUGE PIMPLES, and my skin was dry too. I kept pushing and continued to use it, even though my confidence was out the window, I even struggled with wanting to leave my house. I’m on the 8 week mark right now, and my skin looks pretty damn good. Scarring, a few active spots. I like this product A LOT. I’m not even at the full 12 weeks yet, and things are looking up for sure. If you have the patience to go through the terrible purging phase, then get this product. KEEP GOING, DO NOT STOP. IT WILL BE WORTH IT."

• Cha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 20, 2019

"I had started using it about a year ago. Used for six weeks before my skin started to clear up a bit. That’s where it went downhill... I started to break out even worse, and it was almost as if my skin started to become immune to it, so I stopped using it. Just recently started using it again, and as I suspected, my skin started to clear up a bit, but I can already feel the effects reversing. I hope others have better luck than I did."

• Rac...
• December 17, 2019

"I've been using Differin for 3 months. I'm 40 years old and have had acne my whole life. I also need help with pigmentation and oiliness, this is supposed to help. I started using it at night and in the morning. I never had any dryness or irritation. It has not helped my pigmentation at all. I think it has helped my current acne slightly and has definitely helped the oiliness on my cheek area, decreasing my pore size. Didn't help oil in any other area. I notice that when I am using this, I do not get any new breakouts. If I miss days, I will feel a pimple coming under the skin, and it may be a little red, but as long as I put this on as soon as I feel it, it disappears and never makes it to the surface. Differin is the only medication that has ever done that. I must say this is the best product I've used."

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2019

"If you have sensitive skin, don't use this, it made me break out in cystic, painful acne. I think it's the paraben in the medication."

• Sky...
• December 15, 2019

"Do not use this, especially if your acne isn’t very bad. I would get a few spots around my mouth, nothing much, and when I used Differin, it made huge red ones come up all over my face. I continued to use it for another 2 months as it’s supposed to get worse first, but it never did get better and never worked and put me through lots of pain. Now I am stuck with dark scarring and texture all over my cheeks. I was using a recommended moisturizer, so I don’t blame the products I put with it. Differin ruined my face completely, I do not recommend."

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 13, 2019

"I used Differin for about 1.5 years. The reason I started it was I had entered my 40s. I wanted something that would help with skin texture and some painful cystic acne. I never had a retinization period or experienced any purge, but now, after more than a year into it, I am calling it quits on the advice of my aesthetician and dermatologist, both of whom never recommended adapalene to their patients (I think that says something). It has dried out my skin to the point where my skin is overcompensating for the oil that is being stripped away (and I have naturally oily skin), thus making my pores look HUGE and oily. If you are over 30, I suggest not using this, as it will dry out aging skin, even with moisturizer. This stuff pretty much destroyed my moisture barrier over time, and now I'm left with trying to repair it and all the effects from it."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2019

"The purge I experienced lasted in two different waves from the end of week 2 to week 6. Yikes. However, the acne from it was no worse than what I had been dealing with already on some of my worst breakouts. I seemed to be able to combat inflammation by using a benzoyl peroxide face wash and aloe vera gel as part of my routine. For me personally, dryness and skin flaking were far worse than the purge. It took about 7 weeks for my skin to adjust to adapalene, and even with two moisturizers layered on, I had the worst dryness and slight irritation. That said, once I hit 8 weeks, noticeable improvements started happening. About half of my comedones are gone, dryness is now manageable, and hyperpigmentation scars are starting to fade a little bit. I expect all of these areas to keep improving now that I'm getting closer to the 12-week mark. This was a process that had growing pains, but I am so glad to have stuck with it. Be patient, it will reward you!"

• Kal...
• November 27, 2019

"I've been using Differin for a little over 2 months now. I was struggling with hormonal breakouts and closed comedones for a long time and decided to go for it because nothing else was really helping. I got rid of everything in my skincare routine with SA or glycolic acid in it and simplified it just to double cleansing with a mild cleanser, a moisturizing gel, and Differin. I definitely had a purging phase, my skin looked the worst I ever remember it looking, I had acne all over my cheeks. I had a breakout of literally 8-9 cysts clustered on my chin. It made me feel really self-conscious! However, I'm starting to see some real improvement, I'm not getting as many comedones, and the ones I did have mostly vanished. The acne I do get though is kinda painful and appears in places I normally would never breakout in, like my temples. I realize it's a little early to be making judgments on it, but I feel confident that I'll continue to see more improvements with time."

• Tan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 26, 2019

"Words cannot describe how much this has changed my life. I’m now 40 years old, and my skin looks the best it’s ever looked. I’ve tried every product under the sun, from prescriptions to over the counter, for 20 years. Nothing ever worked. Finally, I realized that Differin was available OTC, so I had nothing to lose. After about 6 weeks, I noticed my acne slowly started subsiding. After about 12 weeks, I noticed my hyperpigmentation was starting to fade. And now, after about 6 months, I’ve noticed my old acne scars are starting to smooth out. Is this some sort of miracle gel? For me, it is. Because it gave me my confidence back. I can now look in the mirror every morning and not be ashamed of my skin. So thank you, Differin, for a wonderful product."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 25, 2019

"I have suffered with cystic acne on and off for years. In the past, benzoyl peroxide and lymecycline tablets have helped, but following a recent terrible period of cysts on my chin, I was recommended Differin. I have been using Differin for 6 weeks and can honestly say, even with the purge in mind, my acne is the worst it has been in 20 years. My chin is a mess of scars, bumps, new cysts every week. I get that over a longer period it may help, but like other reviewers on this site, I'm simply not prepared to put up with this any longer and will return to benzoyl peroxide. I just hope I can get back to where I was, which was the odd cyst. Be careful what you wish for!"

• Hil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 24, 2019

"UPDATE: I had to quit. Just a quick reiteration of my backstory: I had been using benzoyl peroxide for a long while with okay results. I still would have 2-3 zits on my face sometimes (mostly around my time of the month), but looking back, it wasn't too bad. I just started to notice my skin was looking dull and congested, so I thought I needed to change up. My dermatologist suggested Differin last time I saw her, so after much research, I decided to give it a try. I knew there was going to be a purge phase, so I thought I was prepared. I was not. TODAY: I look like I have a disease on my face. After week 8, and seeing no improvement and suddenly developing itchiness that was driving me crazy, I made an emergency appointment with my dermatologist. I am now on 3 medications to counteract the effects of Differin. It may work for some, but unfortunately, I was not one of those people. I regret it so much. Please be cautious, because I now have months of recovery ahead of me."

• Lia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 18, 2019

"My face was so clear, and suddenly I got acne all over my forehead, very small bumps. My dermatologist prescribed this to me, and it's amazing. It's week 3, and the bumps are almost gone, and my face is glowing, and old acne marks are lighter. Everything is great, I think I'll continue using this for a while."

• CS_...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 17, 2019

"I have used retinol for years, recently switched and gave Differin a try. I purged, and then waited, and waited. My skin was a mess for months. I couldn’t ever get it happy or calm, even after the purge period. Deep cystic acne combined with these weird superficial blemishes that I’ve never had. This is honestly one of the worst products I’ve ever used for my occasional hormonal acne and fine lines. I’ll stick with glycolic acid and retinol from now on."

• not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 16, 2019

"A bit of a backstory: earlier this year, I started breaking out quite badly with cystic acne all over my forehead and chin. I was prescribed benzoyl peroxide, which cleared my face completely in a matter of months. However, everything came back when I stopped treatment. This time, however, benzoyl peroxide did not help, so I was prescribed Differin cream about 8 weeks ago. I introduced it gradually, trying to avoid the dreaded 'purge.' My forehead and chin did clear up mostly; however, I noticed that with the cream, the marks that are left after the inflammation take significantly longer to fade, and I have been getting acne in places where I haven't before. Overall, its effect is evident, and it does keep (most of) the violent cysts at bay, but my face is still far from clear."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2019

"I guess I’m one of those people who Differin does not work. I suggest if you are going to try this medication, you purchase the small tube since this medicine is not cheap. I only have a few occasional breakouts but wanted to find a product other than benzoyl peroxide (BP) to get away from the bleaching effect. I gave it a 6-week try, and like others who have left reviews here, initially, things looked positive. The “purging” seemed to clear my blocked pores, but I was having breakouts daily where I never had them before. After stopping for 5 days and going back to benzoyl peroxide, my skin has cleared and back to normal. I’m willing to put up with the side effects of BP for a third of the cost."

• Hil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 28, 2019

"I wanted to share my experience with Differin as someone in the middle of the dreaded acne purge. I am coming into 6 weeks, and I have to say this has been the worst my skin has looked since I first started breaking out 17 years ago. I am not only getting whiteheads that seem to burst at the most inopportune times, I am also getting a lot of actual raised acne. It is all happening in the majority of problem areas. The worst thing is that it is happening in clusters. It seems to be more painful than my normal breakouts since they come hard and fast. They also subside fast, but as of right now... more seem to be not far behind. Right now I can't help but give this 1 star because this is pure awfulness... plain and simple. That being said, I am moving forward using the medication. I will update next week and week 8 when most of the purging is supposed to be at an end."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2019

"I've been using Differin for only 6 weeks, and my skin isn't perfect, but I can definitely see a difference, and I can tell it'll get even clearer! I was really worried about the purging and the dryness, but my dermatologist gave me minocycline (prescribed pill for acne) and also a really nice coconut oil-based moisturizer, and I haven't had any issues except a couple of minor breakouts! I definitely recommend going to the dermatologist before using this product because they can give you products or tips to prevent any irritation!"

• Yay...
• October 19, 2019

"I was prescribed Differin by my dermatologist in March 2019, and it has been the best decision I've made for my skin. I complained to her about my acne and how I had hyperpigmentation from it. When I started using Differin, my skin was pretty sensitive for a week, it felt like I had a burn on my face, but it was bearable. I wouldn’t say my skin purged like crazy because, as I was getting more breakouts, the acne got smaller right after. Mind you, my skin is usually oily and not sensitive. After about two months, my skin was dramatically clearer. The red marks on my skin have also gotten lighter but still haven’t gone away completely. I love waking up with clear and smooth skin because I wouldn’t have thought this was possible seven months ago."

• Adu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 17, 2019

"I am 38 years old and am suddenly dealing with large cystic acne after several years of clear skin. I have tried every topical treatment since age 17 and decided to try this one that it's OTC. The retinoid purging process is definitely real and it's ugly, but the texture of my skin truly is improving day by day, even with the large breakouts from the purge. I'm going to stick with it as it's only been four weeks and I'm pretty confident it's going to dramatically improve my skin's texture and appearance over the next couple of months."