Differin for Acne User Reviews (Page 2)

• Kano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2021

"So before I started Differin I had moderate cystic acne. My skin quickly got used to the medication and I was able to start using it daily without irritation. After about a month, the purge began. My skin got worse and worse but I stuck with it because I knew the purge was part of the process. However, after 4 months I’m now left with the most deep painful cystic acne I’ve ever experienced in my life and it’s spread across almost my entire face. I used to just have acne mostly on the sides of my cheeks and the occasional pimple or two elsewhere. I’ve decided to discontinue it after reading other reviews from people who had a similar experience of trying it out for 4+ months and the purge never got better, only worse. Please use with caution."

• Jana
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 6, 2021

"Hi, I have been using differin for more than a year now. I am so disappointed with the cream. I had clear skin earlier and had 2 -3 acne spots and some warts. I asked my Dermatologist to recommend me something for my acne because for warts there was different treatment going on. She recommended me this and told me it will be showing results in 3-6 months. It is been more than a year and I have used 3 tubes already. My cheeks are full of pimples and acne. Earlier I had a problem on the right side of my face but after using this cream both sides of my face. I am going to stop it today. I had enough of differin."

• eden
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2021

"It was my fault, for not reading reviews particularly this site before trying. I'm 26 now, never had breakout. I have combination skin, my T-zone is oily but the rest of my face is normal. No pimples on my cheeks until I started adapalene. When I first use it did nothing, I applied a thin layer and locked it with moisturizer. Until one day I woke up with several whiteheads on my cheeks, I honestly thought it was the result kicking. Fast forward to 9 weeks later, now, my skin is horrible. I have tons of whiteheads on my cheeks, my forehead, on my chin. I tried apply it anyway but it gives me no result other than.. a lot more more more whiteheads. It drives me crazy so much I feel like my anxiety coming up but on different cause than usual; my own face."

• steph
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2021

"I've just passed the 2 month mark after having my doctor prescribe it to me. I've always used benzoyl peroxide, which has always worked for me, but I told my doc I didn't want to put something on my face every single night for the rest of my life. She prescribed Differin. She said I had to wait at least a month to see improvements, as purging is normal. 2 months later and I'm still purging. I've gotten painful acne in places I didn't have it before, and I'm overall very unhappy with the results. The prescription says it may take 1-3 months to see results, so I will continue for another month, but I don't think it'll make a difference. Would not recommend."

• Rune
• July 8, 2021

"I tried differin twice: for 5 months and for 7 weeks. The first time gave me horrible, huge, scarring acne that I never had before. It took half a year to fade the scarring and I still have marks and divots in my face even though it's been 3 years. Never had any issues with irritation/dryness. I decided to try again with a moisturizer as a barrier. It started out alright because I slowly built it up this time, but I started getting the same acne as before: giant pustules that were liquid-filled that'd take weeks to go away and left huge marks. I eventually stopped using it because I was getting concentrated breakouts in spots I've never had acne before. From my understanding, it's normal to breakout where you usually get acne because of the cell turnover pushing everything to the surface, but my usual acne was almost always on my forehead which was spotless this entire process. Again no issue with irritation or dryness."

• frankie...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 30, 2021

"My biggest regret in life was taking Accutane before actually trying out differin gel. the gel helped me more than the tablets ever could. Mixed that with taking probiotics, digestive enzymes, avoiding dairy and limiting junk my skin has never been so clear. Now I only need to focus on improving acne scars"

• Gugu
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 16, 2021

"I would never ever recommend this gel to anyone. I already stopped using it but the acne didn’t go away. They keep on coming back everyday. My face was never that bad, it hurts to touch, I can’t sleep. I hate it, I literally cry thinking why I used it for my face it was so much better before. I wish this acne go away soon :("

• Olga
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 2, 2021

"I wouldn’t recommend this product . Started with some mild acne and I have gone trough the purging stage even after 5 weeks of using it. I’ve never had so much scaring left on my face. I kept using it for about 2 months. I stopped using it 3 days ago and my skin looks so much better now . Been also told that once you stopped using it acne returns back which means skin messed up and waste of time. Never again."

• kuush
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 8, 2021

"Tried it, really wanted it to work, but my dermatologist recommended that I should stop using it. My skin started purging at the end of my first week of using it. It’s now my 3rd or 4th week and I'm still purging, like crazy. I got a lot more acne than before. My face hurts to touch and its heaaaavily irritated. I actually got some kind of allergic reaction, at least my dermatologist said so. Really wanted it to work and I was so willing to push it thru the purging part but.. I guess it just wasn’t for me. I know it’s a OTC acne medication or whatever, but please discuss with your dermatologist before using it!!"

• Aryan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2021

"So I had high hopes for this product. Not only because I had exhausted most topical solutions for my acne but because I had seen some great reviews online. My acne was mainly on my cheeks and some spots here and there on my forehead and chin. I never really experienced cystic acne until I started using this product, 3 months in and the purging hadn't stopped. I thought I'd give it more time, 4 months in the acne is cystic and has shifted to my forehead. My right cheek is mostly clear but I have acne on my left cheek. I'm 1 week away from 5 months and my skin feels greasy, I'm getting blackheads on my forehead not to mention I now have pitted scars and hyper pigmentation from the on going purge. I'm contemplating whether I should continue with this product till month 6 or pack it in and start on trying to clear my HPI and scarring. Right now I'm in the process of making my own coconut kefir so I can heal my gut using probiotic rich foods. I honestly feel like I'm at my wit's end."

• Zack
• January 13, 2021

"I am a 22 year old male, I have mild to moderate acne mostly on my chin but very few on my cheeks and forehead , decided to start using differin along side with benzoyl peroxide 2.5%. At first I started using 10%, it burned my face completely so I stopped using it immediately. After that I switched to the 2.5% and it still caused me some major allergies and inflammation so I quit it. Now I have been using differin cream for over 2 months (about 9 weeks), consistently. I would give my face a break for a couple days when it gets inflamed then go back to it, my acne didn't go away, it has gotten worse than ever, the purge has lasted way too long. I'm kinda worried if it will get better soon. For anyone who's using any type of acne treatment, make sure to wear some broad spectrum sunscreen on a daily at least SPF of 30, I hope that my purge will be stopping soon, and have a clear face."

• Brown...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 3, 2021

"This product has positively changed my life! I did my research so that I use it correctly. I only wear it at night with my normal skin care routine. My skin has never been this clear. I did break out the first week but I kept at it and it’s almost completely gone. I have no noticeable acne. Wear sunscreen no matter what race!"

• nik
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 30, 2020

"Hello I was excited to start this product. I knew I was going to have face purge. However it has been over 2 months and my face is really red and has so much acne. My face is worse than when I started. I don't want to give up but it is making it so much worse and I feel so ugly - disappointed."

• pants
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 29, 2020

"I only used this for one month but my skin got so terrible I had to stop. I started off with a few pimples on my cheeks & a bunch of small bumps (only I could really see them when I got up close to the mirror but they really annoyed me). I thought the differin would clear up the pimples and small bumps, but all it has done is purge the pimples. I now have so many pimples and my cheeks have so much hyperpigmentation (and I used sunscreen). It didn’t do anything for the small bumps. I think maybe differin works better for people with moderate to severe acne. I only had mild acne but now it is so much worse. Praying that I didn’t seriously mess up my skin."

• anony...
• December 22, 2020

"I have pretty sensitive, and kind of oily but dry skin, at the age of 12 I would get massive breakouts, and blackheads, so I started differin. I already knew I had sensitive skin to instead doing it every night I would put it on whenever I got a break out to help calm my skin down, and not for regular acne use. Now it also seems like a lot of people aren't having a skincare routine while doing this and let me tell you, having a consistent skincare routine is the most important part. So after my breakout cleared out I would stop putting differin on and instead I would wash my face twice everyday with a soap that wasn't too harsh on my skin, like Dove. And I'd put a natural face mask on every Friday, made of aloe vera, honey, and cinnamon. At first it's going to seem like nothing is happening but after 2 or 3 weeks you'll start to see some of your acne clear out. DO NOT PUT MAKEUP ON! That'll take away at least a weeks worth of progress on your skin, I learned this the hard way."

• pawpow
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 20, 2020

"I have struggled with acne since I was 18 years old. I am now 25 and Differin is the ONLY thing that has cleared my skin. I tried so many things before Differin and went to dermatologists that only recommended me accutane, a treatment that I really didn't want to do. I started using the ordinary retinoid about 6 months before Differin, so I had a lot of purging before and really feel like I prepped my skin for Differin by using lighter retinoids months before. At first I did break out a little bit and my skin sometimes is slightly dryer, but those days I don't use Differin and deep moisturize and I am totally fine the next day. I have never had clearer and brighter looking skin in my life and I feel so much more confident now. I would say you definitely have to take it slow and prep your skin but for me it has 100% worked."

• Maddie
• December 17, 2020

"I started using Differin 4 years ago and my skin is definitely completely adjusted by now. It helped me get rid of the small bumps and pimples all over my forehead, chin, and cheeks. The first couple of months that I used it, my skin was very dry and painful, and I had many large cysts come to the surface before disappearing. Four years later, I still use Differin every night and I get breakouts every month in synch with my menstrual cycle, but it definitely helps get rid of the pimples I do have very quickly and in general my acne was helped a lot by Differin, especially considering my bacne is still where it was 4 years ago and my face acne has improved a lot with use of Differin. I do wish my acne problem was solved completely but I would much rather just keep using Differin and have occasional breakouts than go on Accutane and maybe never have acne again. I would recommend if your acne is moderate to severe but you must have patience for it to do it's thing."

• Lila
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 13, 2020

"Was on DIfferin for 3 months and it never gets better. I started with 2 acnes on my chin and now I had it on my forehead, cheeks & chin. Everyday felt like nightmare & I had major breakdowns here and there. I had high hopes for this product, but I guess it failed me."

• Nikas
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 6, 2020

"HORRIBLE!!!!! Made my face breakout 10 times worse redness dried out my cheeks smh! Didn't help anything after 7 long weeks I quit using it and felt better in 1 week"

• Anonymous
• September 16, 2020

"I recommend you to be very patient with Differin. In total, my skin had to support Differin for one whole year (with interruptions) + comedones to get better. It's a long process that has to be followed very rigorously. Exercizing + eating good food + not smoking and drinking few + sleeping well really helps everything going faster. Keep going, you gonna see the end of it"

• Willi
• September 3, 2020

"I started Differin 3 months ago. I began with inflamed hormonal acne on my cheeks and chin. My dermatologist prescribed me clindamycin topical, and recommended I also use Differin. The first month I did not notice a difference in my acne, but I did notice my overall complexion was looking more even. The second month the purging started, and it was bad. Then it would seem okay, and then get bad again. Push through this, I know its hard, but purging is essential for clearing your skin with this medication. I started to get breakouts in new places which was rough. I now am on month 3 of Differin and I have no active breakouts! I do have some red marks on my cheeks from hyperpigmentation, and am now using some serums to help with that, though the marks will fade naturally with time. Be consistent and persevere because this medication does truly work I promise! It will be a rocky road but there is a light at the end of the tunnel :)"

• Acne
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 2, 2020

"After suffering with acne for 10 years, I finally had it under control. It broke out a little on my cheek so I went to a dermatologist who prescribed differin. One side of my face (the clear side) was left glowing but the side with a few spots has never been so painful. It caused deep, painful cystic acne so severe that I couldn’t touch my face, smiling was excruciating and putting my face in the shower felt like it was melting off. It’s starting to spread across to my forehead. During my worst acne breakouts, I’ve never had spots this painful. Hoping it will clear up fast now that I’m not using it anymore."

• Joano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2020

"I am on month 4 and my chin is still breaking out horribly. Not sure why my skin is still purging this late in the medication!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2020

"I’m too old for this. I had some hormonal acne which didn’t surprise me since my skin is sensitive and acne prone. My dermatologist friend suggested Differin. What an awful experience. My skin looked worse even after 3 weeks that I had to stop using it. I had a lot of large cystic acne like a teenager, horribly embarrassing. Stopped it cold turkey and went back to 2% benzoyl peroxide and they went away in a week. Never again."

• Vano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2020

"Honestly I have a love hate relationships with Differin! It cleared up my pimples BUT made my skin so unbearably painful that I had to stop using it. My skin was stinging literally all day and I couldn’t even apply a sensitive skin calming moisturizer. I also had awfully scaly and flaky skin on my eyelids/around my eyes even though I was extremely careful NOT to apply it there."