Epiduo and Dry Skin: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Niq...
• July 13, 2015

For Acne "I started having really bad breakouts, and my dermatologist prescribed me Epiduo. After the first 2 days of using it, all the bumps on my face had flattened and began healing. I guess I'm just waiting to see how it will do with scarring. The Epiduo didn't begin to dry my skin until the 6th day, and it's normal and nothing too much. I think this is going to work well, seeing as I have had positive changes within 1 week. The bad thing is Epiduo is very expensive if your insurance won't cover it. Even with the discount card from the doctor, the total was $350, so I'm using the sample tubes they gave me to hold out until I can buy it."

• Gon...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 13, 2015

For Acne "Age 36. I thought I had tried everything. Acne was not too bad, but I was tired of having constantly three or four spots around my jawline, neck, and forehead, sometimes more. A doctor prescribed Epiduo for me and also some tablets, which I did not take. Epiduo worked after about two weeks of initially dry skin and very dry eyes, and now I hardly ever have to use it, my skin is so much better. I never use it anywhere near my eyes, but around my jawline, two days in a row, and any breakouts have gone. Brilliant, but use sparingly and only on affected areas as it's very powerful, and ease up to once every two days till you get used to it. I think there are different types of skin and different types of acne, but it's worth a try in my opinion."

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 5, 2022

For Acne "This product worked great, and it corrected my hyperpigmentation and occasional acne. I was prescribed Epiduo back in 2017, and recently got another prescription this year (2022). I don’t remember if it reduced my skin’s oil production, but I’ll never forget how well it worked and the painfully dry skin. Yes, the dryness was painful! Like the old adage - you live and you learn - and this time around, I use it every other day, and I use a good moisturizer to prevent that from happening again. If you apply it before bed, don’t sleep on the nice pillowcases because it may fade them. This includes shirt collars too. I have white pillowcases specifically for the nights I apply Epiduo. Please follow the instructions carefully, and you’ll be glad you did. Be patient; it doesn’t cure acne overnight. Depending on how severe your acne is, it may take about 6-12 weeks. PS: It will cause more breakouts in the beginning, and that means it's working. Keep using it!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 17, 2018

For Acne "I am so happy with the results I have been experiencing so far after weeks of using Epiduo! At first, I often had redness on my face and extremely dry skin as I had read in other reviews. However, this got a lot better as my skin became used to it, and it was not extremely painful, there was just a slight tingling sensation in the first week. I wasn’t sure if this product would work as I have not had success with any other spot treatments, such as Proactiv Plus. I would say that you definitely need to be patient when using Epiduo and only use small amounts per application, but it really does work! I’m a few weeks in already, and I have very noticeable changes because I have very few blemishes at all now. Would definitely recommend to anybody who struggles with spots or acne! :) (Make sure to purchase a good moisturizer as your skin can get very dry during the process)"

• hop...
• November 2, 2015

For Acne "I started this 9 days ago and I really don't break out that bad, but I was just sick of it. My doctor gave me Epiduo, and it hasn't made my skin very dry. After reading other reviews, I have high hopes because I know after about 3 weeks it will really work (right now I am breaking out because of it). Epiduo has worked great for my friends, too!"

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2021

For Acne "Started on Epiduo 3 weeks ago after being given the option to go on Accutane, yet I’m waiting a while before I do that. Sides of mouth absolutely burning, and because I have to put makeup on to cover my huge spots, it looks horrific because the skin is dry as well as spotty. Trying to put it on in the morning and moisturize at night. Acne is so hard :("

• Pre...
• December 5, 2015

For Acne "I started my treatment back in October, stopped my treatment because I didn't see a change. I did see a little change but became very impatient because my skin became very dry, especially around the eye area. It became so dry that every time I raised my eyes, it was painful. The skin irritation is bearable but painful. I am currently back on, when I stopped, my acne issue came back and was getting worse. I have an issue with picking my pimples until they become black, scarring my face. And yes, my skin around my eyes is very dry and painful, but no new pimples, and I have stopped picking, so we shall see. I'm also taking two other types of medication. I am supposed to apply two times a day, but my doctor told me to apply once a day if I ran into this problem."

• Anonymous
• February 26, 2011

For Acne "Using Epiduo and oral antibiotics for 3 weeks now. No change in my acne. Made my skin burn the first few days, but not now. Have to use moisturizer now, and my neck is also dry. I have large spots as well as loads of tiny white ones, mainly on my cheeks going towards my chin and on my neck. I will stick to it for 12 weeks now. I hope it works. I am 26 and have had severe acne for about 6 years now."

• Anonymous
• December 27, 2020

For Acne "I was actually really worried about using Epiduo on my dry, sensitive skin. I started using it for just 20 minutes every other night. It didn’t sting, and my skin went through a horrible purging phase, which lasted like two weeks. I got dry patches after about 3 weeks around my face, which I neutralized with Cetraben. Six weeks in, I realized the initial big breakout was clearing up, but now I had big, red, dry, itchy patches around my eyes. My eyelids, in particular, are really red and dry even though I never put the product anywhere near my eyes. I also noticed that the spots on my chin just keep coming back, it hasn’t actually done all that much to clear my skin up. Now I’m still spotty, with really painfully itchy, dry, red rings around my eyes. I use a really gentle hemp seed moisturizer, which even stings now when I put it on. My skin feels super sensitive and sore and not that much clearer, to be honest."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 9, 2013

For Acne "I appreciate that this medication makes it easier to remove dead and dull skin. For those with issues with the flakiness, use a toner like witch hazel to remove the flakiness. After I use toner, I use DML Moisturizer, which has sunscreen. I put a very small amount (I think less than a pea-sized) at night only. So far, I am happy with the medication. Can't wait to see what the results will be in a couple of weeks."

• han...
• January 7, 2017

For Acne "Epiduo is honestly the best. I was discouraged the first few months due to my face breaking out worse, having sensitive, red, dry, patchy skin, but it is worth it. The clarity of my skin after using this is refreshing. I'm 20, and I've been using it since I was 18. Currently, I just use it for spot treatment whenever I have mini breakouts!"

• Mer...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2015

For Acne "Since using Epiduo, I broke out in painful cysts on my face. Which defeats the purpose of why I used it in the first place. Two years ago, I had the worst breakouts ever. But that stopped after four months on Aldactone. My skin went from breaking out in four to five big painful cysts on my face to one tiny pimple around my period. I don’t wear foundation or concealer, as my skin's pretty clear, but not 100% clear. Which is why I asked my doctor for a topical treatment to remove old scars. But since applying Epiduo, my painful cysts returned, and it dried out my skin so bad, it’s itchy. I used to use Proactiv, which does clear scars, but Epiduo has the same ingredient, 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, so I’m confused. Hopefully in the near future, it does clear my scars, but I wish I never used Epiduo."

• I...
• December 20, 2015

For Acne "So, when I had just turned 13 last year, I started experiencing some breakouts on my forehead. They weren't that bad, so it wasn't much of a worry, but over the summer and throughout the year, it had gotten a lot worse. So, I went to a dermatologist in November, and they got me set up with some Epiduo. At first, I actually saw a good difference the first week, but into the second week, I experienced common problems, such as my face drying out, burning, redness, dryness, and flaky skin on my face. That all went away in my fourth or fifth week. I'm seeing some differences. Still have acne, but it's not as much as I had before, so it did help."

• Aus...
• August 26, 2017

For Acne "When I first started using Epiduo (roughly 2 years ago), I really struggled with dry, red, cracking skin. I was worried about the reaction and read a lot of reviews, many of which said, 'the redness and dryness stick around for 3 months and after that, it works perfectly.' In my experience, this was exactly right. After 3 months of the dry, cracking skin, my skin had adjusted and I had far fewer (and less severe) breakouts. At the time, I was taking doxycycline, which eventually became ineffective, and I've since been on the contraceptive pill for roughly 1.5 years. Epiduo is excellent for preventing small, bacterial pimples, and my skin is noticeably worse when I don't use Epiduo for a while."

• Kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2016

For Acne "I was prescribed this due to acne around my chin/forehead and blackheads on my nose as well as my cheeks. The first two days of applying this at night it was fine. On the third day, I woke up to wash my face and noticed that my face was red, and when I used my daily face wash, it stung like crazy. After washing my face, I always use a facial moisturizer, and that even stung when I put it on! Later on in the day, I noticed that my face was so flaky. I did not apply the following two days due to stinging and extreme dryness. I plan to use it again when my symptoms die down, but instead of using it every day, I'll use it every other day instead. I think that this product is too harsh to use on your face every day."

• Kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2016

For Acne "I was prescribed this due to acne around my chin/forehead and blackheads on my nose as well as my cheeks. The first two days of applying this at night it was fine. On the third day, I woke up to wash my face and noticed that my face was red, and when I used my daily face wash, it stung like crazy. After washing my face, I always use a facial moisturizer, and that even stung when I put it on! Later on in the day, I noticed that my face was so flaky. I did not apply the following two days due to stinging and extreme dryness. I plan to use it again when my symptoms die down, but instead of using it every day, I'll use it every other day instead. I think that this product is too harsh to use on your face every day."

• Cas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2016

"I suffer from cystic acne and was experiencing really big, red spots around my mouth, chin, and neck. The first couple of weeks using Epiduo was a bit traumatic - all the spots I was experiencing all raised up at the same time. I had around 6-7 large swollen spots on my chin. The Epiduo really made my skin red and dry also, which meant that any makeup I used to try and cover the spots would just come off. My face looked pretty terrible. However, I kept using it, and after 2-3 weeks, all the spots had gone. I have not been using Epiduo for around 7 weeks, and I haven't had any new spots occur. There is still some redness and scarring, however, it's getting better. Great product!"

• com...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 16, 2022

For Acne "I strongly recommend this medication for comedonal acne. I am 33 years old and underwent fertility treatment. Other prescriptions wouldn't help the bumps on my cheeks. A few days of Epiduo (Tactupump in Canada) and my comedones are almost gone! This is a seriously strong medication - do not put it anywhere near your mouth (2 in. on either side of the corners), or anywhere near the eyes, including the cheekbones. You will be red and shed so much dry skin. This cream is the reason I started using Cetaphil moisturizer - first to cover all areas but my cheeks and T-zone, then to coat and seal over the gel once dried to concentrate the product. Epiduo seems to bring my many close acne bumps into one whitehead on each cheek that bursts. There is pigmentation after, but this goes away over time, with the use of other products. However, this is so worth it for the ultra-smooth skin. It truly sucked all the oil out of my hormonal face in a matter of days!"

• akz...
• July 14, 2017

For Acne "This product is so bizarre and dangerous. I stopped using it after two months of it doing nothing but dry out my face to the point where it was constantly peeling and actually made my acne worse. Still looking for a treatment, but I will never go back to using synthetic products like this. The chemicals burned my face sometimes when I applied it, and ultimately the cystic acne that it healed came back even with continued use. If you're looking for a treatment, try natural methods first. I don't recommend this product; it's what my dermatologist gave me because she gives that to everyone who walks in with acne. It's not for everyone."

• Ban...
• May 18, 2019

For Acne "My sister uses Epiduo, and it works wonders for her, so I went to the doctor and got prescribed it a while back. I started to use this medication recently, and it started to clear my skin while I was appropriately using it. After less than a week of using it, my skin started to burn and turn red, and it was incredibly dry to where I couldn’t hydrate it. I woke up with an awful hive on my cheek and dry skin with a red complexion, and that was me taking one night off with it. It might just be my skin, but I am very uncomfortable with how I look right now, and I don’t think I will be using this product anymore. If it works for you, then I would suggest keeping using it because it does get rid of blemishes fast, but once you notice something wrong, please stop using it immediately."

• Rur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 28, 2019

For Acne "I used this product when I was 14, and it really helped my acne. My skin would thin, though, and flake, so I stopped using it. I am now 17, and while my skin is 10 times better than it was 3 years ago, I decided to try Epiduo again to help my forehead acne. I would apply it every night over my night cream on my forehead, however, when I slept, it would get on my pillow, and the gel would go on my cheeks. This would cause extreme sensitivity, and I couldn’t even touch my face without tearing up. My skin was also peeling all over. I then decided to use it during the day instead of at night. This did WONDERS. The gel stayed on my forehead, and the rest of my face is back to normal. My entire face is not peeling or sensitive, my forehead acne has cleared up significantly. I am so happy with my skin. I recommend using it during the day for the best results."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 20, 2014

For Acne "I've been using Epiduo for two months now and it doesn't help at all. It burns my skin and dries it out so badly! It gets flaky, red, and very irritated. It feels like a horrible sunburn and it looks like you take horrible care of your skin. It stings to put anything on it, even water. It does do its job though, dries out the acne. But I still see the redness or dark brownness of the acne. It's so annoying, ugh."

• Geo...
• November 5, 2016

For Acne "I hated it! Did not help my skin whatsoever, and I had to get off it within a week due to bad side effects. Epiduo made my skin burn extremely badly whenever I put it on my face, it made my eyes water and almost had me in tears. As well as that, it made my skin super sensitive, it now stings to put moisturizer, foundation, or anything on my skin! My skin went super red and flaky. Would definitely not recommend as I'm still experiencing the redness, sensitivity, and extreme dryness after being off Epiduo for 4 days."

• Kat...
• February 28, 2017

For Acne "I have been recently having bad acne for a year now, I went to my dermatologist and they prescribed Epiduo. For the first week it worked great and really helped with my acne. But during the second week, that's when it started to get bad. After I would use it, my skin would burn and it hurt so bad that I was in tears. Nothing helped the burning but applying ice to it. It also made my face very red and my skin started to flake off. I don't tend to have sensitive skin either... would not recommend."

• Anonymous
• May 10, 2010

For Acne "Extremely dry skin, and my acne has cleared up, but I get at least 3 big pimples a week."