Epiduo and Dryness: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 29, 2018

For Acne "I have used Epiduo on and off for 2 years. At the end of the day... Epiduo strips your skin of its natural oils and leaves it dry and pale because it also bleached your skin. I had decent skin before using Epiduo, but the moment I started taking it, my skin broke out EVERYWHERE and flaked and was extremely sensitive. The whole “gets worse before it gets better” never worked for me - it is not worth it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 1, 2015

For Acne "I have been using Epiduo for over 1 year now, and besides the side effects, it has helped my face, chest, and back acne tremendously! For the first few months of using it, I had terrible dry, flaky, and very red, irritating skin. I didn't care as much then, but it really became a problem when I began to wear foundation. I now know to moisturize constantly and only apply a thin layer! Overall, thanks to Epiduo, I barely have any acne on my chest. My back is no longer severely bad but now moderate and controlled. My moderate facial acne is so much better! Only downfalls: sometimes my skin was terribly burnt and dry. Also, really expensive, but worth it!"

• Lin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 7, 2016

For Acne "I've been using Epiduo for around 8 months and have seen a drastic improvement in my skin. I've seen a lot of complaints that the product is very drying to their skin and am wondering if these people are using it after 1-3 coats of moisturizer or gentle lotion. I use it at night with this combo and got rid of my horrible acne. I'm now, after 8 months, working more towards removing my acne scarring and using the Epiduo as a daily treatment to prevent further breakouts."

• Zol...
• August 23, 2016

For Acne "So I was prescribed this medication a while ago, but I basically gave up every time things got painful. That, for me, was about the 5th day in. I'd been told to persevere and that the pain and dryness would stop after the first 2 weeks. But I decided to only use it when I had breakouts. However, this medication brings out the acne before clearing it, so of course your acne is going to get worse before it gets better. HOWEVER, I now use it every day. I have very sensitive skin, so I can't use a lot of moisturizers because they burn. But I'm using some Garnier moisturizer and an oil-based one from Lush whenever my skin feels a little dry, and I have not had a painful night since. And no extreme dryness or flaking either. Brilliant!"

• Sha...
• August 24, 2016

For Acne "I am currently taking Minocycline, and I just got a face peel a week ago. A few days after my face peel, my face still wasn't improving very well. I started using my Epiduo cream, and my face is almost completely clear. It has made my face dry, and it burns pretty bad, but with lotion, it isn't bad at all. I am very impressed. I am sure that the medication and the face peel have both made an impact on my face, but the Epiduo is helping a lot! I was skeptical of using this product since I have read that the acne will get worse before it gets better. That has not happened to me."

• Dar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 23, 2016

For Acne "I have been using this Epiduo gel since 2012 until now. This gel is effective in clearing out the acne. Yes, it may cause your skin redness, itchy dryness. This past few days, my skin is very dry. But I know that this gel is effective, so I'm still using it. Half of my face is already clearing out. Some pimple marks. The other half needs patience to be able to clear as well."

• Ale...
• March 27, 2017

For Acne "Well... I've never had acne-prone skin. I have mixed-oily skin and I have some acne when I get stressed. That's the reason why I visited a dermatologist. The doctor recommended I use Epiduo (every night), after I wash my face with a foam (I use the same foam in the morning with a gel cream after it and a moisturizing cream, as many times as I want). The doctor informed me that this cream may affect me (redness, itching, dryness, pain), but my face got like sunburned and it was scratching me so much. I was afraid, and I stopped it yesterday. I don't know if I should continue using this cream."

• C19...
• February 21, 2021

For Acne "I've started using this for the past few weeks. I have sensitive skin, and due to my skin being so pale, acne and blemishes are very obvious on my skin. I'd get very large blind pimples, blackheads, and regular pimples. My routine starts at night when I get home from work, have a shower, and use Phisohex to cleanse my face in the shower. I then apply Epiduo more as a spot treatment. Throughout the night, I have dinner, etc. Then, before I go to bed, I rinse my face and then apply moisturizer to my whole face and spots of Vaseline on areas that I know are drier. In the mornings, I cleanse my face again with Phisohex, then I apply a vitamin B serum, moisturizer, sunscreen, then my makeup as usual. My red spots have lightened and healed quickly, and my large painful pimples have started to pop and diminish in size. Currently, I am still very happy with my use of this product in my face care regime."

• Yoo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2013

For Acne "I am 23 with adult onset acne. I have tried so many things from natural products (honey, banana, cinnamon, etc.) to about every store-bought product in existence! Nothing helped. I've been on Epiduo for 4 days and have noticed my acne is already stopping. However, areas on my face are very dry with peeling, red, itchy, and painful to touch. Basically feels like a bad sunburn! I do expect that this should go away from other reviewers' results and plan to use a recommended lotion and avoid putting the Epiduo on the dry areas of my face for now. I am also on amoxicillin twice daily. I would recommend this so far!"

• Let...
• August 19, 2015

For Acne "I'm 17, I don't really have pimples, but I do have clogged pores and minor blackheads. I've been using Epiduo for about 2 weeks (prescribed by my doctor), and so far my face is itchy, dry, and I'm breaking out (I don't usually have breakouts). I'm not impressed with the product."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 5, 2015

For Acne "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but this is what I have to say. The doctor is most likely going to tell you to stay on it for 6-8 weeks. At least that's what they told me. Well, this medicine for the first week will make you super dry, but it stops soon. And after that, nothing happens. Just get on a pill. Epiduo does not work at all for me."

• 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."

• Mck...
• January 7, 2017

For Acne "This made my skin incredibly sensitive and irritated all the time, it dried out my cheeks and nose. It didn't get rid of hardly any acne. I have to stop using it after only about 2 months of use due to the sensitivity."

• Isa...
• December 16, 2017

For Acne "My poor daughter. Middle schooler suffering through acne... Tried everything but no avail. She tried Epiduo! Recommend it but beware of burning of face and dryness, that means it works! Beauty hearts. -Isabella W."

• Mar...
• October 17, 2015

For Acne "I was using this medicine on my face, and it caused my face to burn and sting and be really dry and peeling. When I would play basketball, I would sweat a lot, and the sweat would make my face sting and burn even worse. My acne has not gotten better at all. I think it has even gotten worse. I do not recommend people with normally dry skin, and if you sweat on your face a lot, to use it."

• Rac...
• January 29, 2017

For Acne "I've never written a review before, but from the use of Epiduo and two other medicines (tretinoin and minocycline), my cysts have been brought to whiteheads overnight. I'm only on my 4th day of using this, so I'm probably in the purging stage, but I'm so happy they aren't deep cysts anymore. I also have a problem with scabs all over my face, and with the slight drying this medicine causes, the scabs peel off so easily and don't leave a mark. I haven't experienced any of the burning people talk about, but my skin has gotten flaky. Hopefully, it keeps getting better!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 15, 2022

For Acne "Started using Epiduo 2.5 weeks ago. Yes, you do break out more, but the breakouts come and go so quickly it’s almost trippy. I rarely got big pimples before I started Epiduo - I usually had a lot of congestion and whiteheads, which made me very embarrassed of my skin. On my period, I would get loads more and bigger pimples on top of that. It’s been 2.5 weeks and the amount of purging is kind of comical because you have a breakdown at how bad your face looks, then you apply Epiduo and in 2 days those same cry-inducing breakouts are basically gone. The dryness is definitely a problem, but it’s not as bad if you have a system. You might be getting such intense peeling and dryness because you applied it before moisturizing/applied too much. Week 1 I used the medication exactly as I was prescribed. Every other night for 7 days and then every night. I used it directly after cleansing & light hydrating serum. BIG MISTAKE. I'm still not using it every night because it is STRONG STUFF."

• Van...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 23, 2024

For Acne "Hi, so about 4 years ago, I was coupled up with antibiotics and Epiduo gel. The first 4 weeks of my life, I felt a burning sensation and dryness. As time went on, my skin was clear, and it was amazing!! I did this for 6 months and came off, but I’m recently just starting again! I would highly recommend this coupling up with antibiotics and Epiduo gel, it’s the best treatment I’ve had."

• JJD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 7, 2024

For Acne "Wow! Epiduo really works. The first time I used the cream (pea size), my face was red, raw, and burnt for a few days. I started using it once a week, then two days a week, then three days a week, and so on. Now I have been using it since August, and I use it every other day. My face went really dry when I first started using it. I apply Vaseline around my eyes and mouth before applying Epiduo, as those are the areas that dry out. Once I’ve put on Epiduo, I leave it for about half an hour before applying the Simple Repairing Rich Moisturizer with 22% ceramide boosters. This is the only cream that gives my skin the moisture it needs. I had multiple spots before I started using this cream, around a month in, it got better. I have never felt so comfortable with my skin now. I’m so glad I braved the dry and sore skin at the start. Also, make sure you wear sunscreen every day, as your skin will get sensitive."

• Ecr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 11, 2025

For Acne "Used it for acne during puberty. I applied a thin layer on my facial acne areas once or twice a day. It initially caused dryness and redness, but that resolved quickly, especially when I moisturized properly. It pretty much cleared most of my acne within a month. I also have no acne scarring in my T-zone, but some scarring outside as it would rub off in my bed too soon. So the gel does take a decent amount of time to absorb for full effects, even after drying. I am considering going back on it for acne and scarring as cosmetic retinoids are either not helping or worsening it."

• Jim...
• April 8, 2016

For Acne "I've been on this medication for 3 weeks and the only thing it's done is brought down the cystic acne and made my skin red and flaky and dry and IDK what will help anymore I've been on every acne medication bar Accutane."

• Mol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2016

For Acne "At the age of 24, I unfortunately developed severe acne on my lower face. Tried everything the dermo suggested, antibiotics. Some prescribed creams, then Epiduo. Doctor told me I'd have some irritation, dryness, redness and my acne might get worse before it got better for a few weeks. So for 12 weeks, I patiently followed the doctor's directions using the suggested cleanser, moisturizer for the dryness and my nightly pea-sized application of Epiduo. This product, *sigh* made my acne WORSE for 12 weeks! More painful deep zits, bigger pores, more outbreaks. Like I didn't even go out anymore, it was so bad. I quit using it from frustration and oddly my acne cleared up 90%. Maybe I had a reaction? Who knows."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 14, 2013

For Acne "I'm 19 and have been using Epiduo for just less than a week. I have never had acne, but for some reason, within the last 6 months, I have started to get it on my cheeks. I obviously have put too much on because, for the past two days, my face has been flaky and dry and is currently very red. I'm hoping the redness goes away soon."

• Aus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2023

For Acne "I (25F) was prescribed Epiduo for my hormonal acne along my lower face and neck. I had only used it for 3 nights when my face started to burn and form a red rash. I had to use a cold face washer to calm down my skin. Afterwards, my skin was very dry and flaky and held onto the rash for about a week. I would recommend doing a patch test first to avoid my mistake."

• 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."