Adapalene / benzoyl peroxide topical and Redness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• --c...
• May 28, 2013

For Acne "I've been using it for 5 days. I think it's a VERY strong medication. It hurts, it burns, and it's really irritating. It has made my pores very small, my pimples are almost gone, but I called my dermatologist because of how it was feeling, and she told me if it starts to feel very irritating, only use it once in a while. But the irritation seems to be going down, but it's still RED!"

• Cwo...
• September 11, 2013

For Acne "I am 13, and for about a year or two, I struggled with acne. I literally was obsessed with my skin. I was spending my free time looking up reviews of products and trying everything from cheap over-the-counter products to expensive department store ones and getting facials with my own money. All I can say is stop wasting your time and money looking for other products other than Epiduo. It took me a couple of months to start working, and I'm happy to say that my face is acne-free. I was also using another product that I got from my dermatologist called Ziana, which was amazing also. I have to admit that my skin is a little more red than usual after using this wonderful product, but it can easily be concealed with a BB cream or tinted moisturizer."

• JDi...
• May 28, 2016

For Acne "I am a white teenager with combination and sensitive skin that flares up really badly at the slightest of things. My dermatologist prescribed me Epiduo, and I tried it for nearly three or so months, but I found that it did nothing but dry out my skin and caused it to turn red. My acne did not go away, so I looked for other things. If you have skin like mine, look for things with salicylic acid. I have a set of facial wipes with 1% salicylic acid and Clinique Acne Gel with 2% salicylic acid, and this, in addition to a normal Clean & Clear facial wash, has cleared up my acne entirely. Hope this helps."

• Epi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2016

For Acne "I'm 25, and I've tried lots of different approaches to get rid of my acne. This is the first time I've had any success. I should add that I had been prescribed benzoyl peroxide in the past, but I think I started getting side effects and stopped. I should not have stopped. That is my advice to anyone who starts using any benzoyl peroxide creams. Stick with it through the first few weeks of pain. It gets better. At least it did for me. It was so painful to begin with. My skin was red and so sore. It felt like a stinging, burning, itchy graze all over my face. No, it's not an easy treatment, but this is exactly what I do...clean my face at night, one pump of Epiduo, then Bio-Oil, not moisturizer, wash off in the morning. One month in and I'm spot-free."

• Jan...
• June 25, 2015

For Acne "I was prescribed this product 4 days ago, and I've been taking it every night since in pea-sized amounts. The first day, I put a little extra on a big spot on my cheek, and it's dried out and flattened in that 4 days. I have very small red bumps all over my right cheek and a small breakout on my left (mostly clear though), my forehead is clear also after only having small bumps before I started the treatment. What I have noticed is results in the bigger pimples, but the small bumps on my cheek haven't gone down, and they're still unsightly. My face burned on the third day, but not very bad, although my right cheek was especially red. I think I'll probably experience more drying and redness to come, so I'm going to update changes every week till then."

• Chi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 30, 2017

For Acne "The only RX that treats my acne immediately and empties my pores of all impurities. When I skip a few weeks of using, my acne comes back. It does make your skin itch a little when you first put it on, but it goes away as you sleep. People experiencing burning and redness (stay out of the direct sunlight and no sun lamps!!) only use once a day or less! This stuff truly does work like a miracle on my skin. Sucks my insurance never wants to cover it!"

• 89J...
• July 25, 2016

For Acne "Perfect!!! I've been on this medication for about 3 months now. Omg, a huge improvement. My face was horrible, huge acne cysts that I would try to pop, and nothing worked. When I started the medication, my face was very irritated, started peeling, got very red, looked like I was sunburned. I couldn't be in the sun for more than an hour because I would look like a tomato. Now, my face is clear, redness-free, acne-free. Best thing ever, highly recommended."

• lew...
• November 25, 2015

For Acne "I am 32 years of age, and I have tried everything, I mean everything. I started using this, and my skin is now amazing. Yes, the first week, my skin was red in the evening when I put it on, but it has to settle at night and was fine the next morning, a bit dry, but just use a good hydrating cream and serum or rosehip oil after, and it settles down. After a week, the redness at night disappeared as my skin got used to it. After a week, I had no new spots, and my old ones were clearing up nicely. It's now been 3 months, and I'm on my second bottle and can't rate this stuff enough. My skin is 99% clear apart from that once-a-month flare of one or two, and that's it. I also use MD Formulations glycolic cleanser and a hydrating serum morning and night."

• Anonymous
• September 10, 2014

For Acne "I do not have sensitive skin. The first time I tried using this product, it dries up my face, causing redness and flakiness. Now it hurts so much I have to discontinue this product. My face is so dry and red now."

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 21, 2021

For Acne "My son is currently using Epiduo gel and lymacycline, he is 4 weeks in, and his face is really red. Not as bad as it was, but still red, which at 17 is causing him some embarrassment at college. I bought him some aloe vera cooling gel from Holland & Barrett about a week ago, which slowly seems to be helping the redness go down, and he said his skin doesn’t hurt since using it."

• Xav...
• February 29, 2016

For Acne "I have been using Epiduo for 3 months and even more, I think. It is so bad - no joke, it just peels my skin, burns my skin so much that I can't even sleep at night, and I hate applying it because once I put it on, the burning begins, and I usually put it on at night. It makes my skin so red, like a sunburn!!! I'm not sure if I have to wait any longer to see results, but in my opinion, I have waited for quite some time, and yet no results at all! The first week I saw a big difference in my skin, but that was all. Moisturizer just helps with the peeling. Do I recommend it? Yes and no. Yes, because some skin types are different, so just give it a try to see your luck. And no, if your experience is like mine. I'm not saying to not use it, just sharing my experience."

• Rab...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2016

For Acne "I have never had a problem with my skin until I hit my second semester of freshman year at college. I broke out horribly, and I never felt more insecure. I tried many different remedies, but nothing worked. It wasn't until the beginning of October when I started Epiduo, and it has been a journey since then. My skin became red and broke out more, and I was beginning to think, 'this isn't working.' It wasn't until I hit the end of the third month when my skin completely cleared up. I have the occasional breakout of one or two pimples, but they go away within a few days. Epiduo has changed my skin, and I have never felt more confident. I can actually leave my house without makeup! It takes time, but this product DOES work."

• Est...
• December 2, 2015

For Acne "I do not use Epiduo, but I am an esthetician. I read a lot of reviews, and I just really needed to say this: BPO is extremely drying and irritating to almost anyone and SHOULD NOT be used daily if you no longer have the breakout! If you are experiencing dryness and redness, that is the BPO working, but once your breakout is dried out, you should stop using Epiduo and switch to a salicylic product so you are not stressing your skin and causing more damage than good! If you are especially sensitive to the BPO, maybe try it every other day until your breakout is cleared up. Okay, I just had to share that info! Remember, you all are gorgeous, and positive thinking is like magic sometimes ;)"

• K94...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 7, 2019

For Acne "Epiduo worked, except it didn’t make my subclinical forehead acne go away in the long term. I didn’t have any redness or flakiness, it was great, but I’ve used two rounds of this, and I understand you have to use it every day. But there’s been a day here and there I’ve accidentally missed, but have been fairly religious with it, as I noticed a massive difference, just haven’t seen the forehead acne disappear forever, unfortunately. Trialing more natural products ATM."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 19, 2018

For Acne "I have bad acne. I tried birth control, which didn't help. I then tried Purbac (sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim antibiotic) that helped a little, but my doctor said it isn't a long-term solution. I then tried Epiduo. The first two weeks, I had no side effects, but then my third week, my skin went super dry, it was red and peeling. This was a horrible experience, however, I saw it already started making a difference, so I continued, but I put a fragrance-free lip balm around my eyes, mouth, and nose, and it helped with rehydrating my skin. I'm on my sixth week now, and my skin is almost completely clear. Epiduo is definitely worth using!"

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2016

For Acne "I started using Epiduo approximately 3 weeks ago with very little advice from the GP. I suffer from breakouts and really sore lumps under the skin across my jawline and neck. Anyway, after about 2 weeks of using the cream, the skin around my eyes and jaw was so red and sore I thought I was having some sort of reaction. I was trying to moisturize as the skin was literally flaking off my face, but the stinging was unbearable. After reading this forum, I started using Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer, and my skin is no longer sore and is clearing up brilliantly. Advice - use Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer before applying a tiny amount of Epiduo. I don't wear makeup in the day, so I take my moisturizer with me and top up around lunchtime. Bear with it!"

• MJ3...
• January 2, 2015

For Acne "Like everyone else mostly is, I was scared to use this medication at first because I was worried I would get an initial breakout, but that wasn't the case. This acne cream has cleared up almost all my acne. Right now, I'm currently just battling acne marks. (Also, I've noticed this product may help with fading them faster since Adapalene is a skin peeling agent.) But the only reason I'm not rating this a 10 is because of how dry it makes my skin and red. When you use this product, make sure you moisturize! At least twice a day. Besides the acne marks, my skin looks much better than it did 2 months ago. I've been using this for 2 months, and 90% of my acne disappeared. I still get some whiteheads, of course, but they're gone so much faster."

• Meg...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 28, 2012

For Acne "One year ago - dozens of pimples on my face at a given time. Very severe. One year later - acne nearly gone! Here's my story: I am 17 years old today, I began Epiduo a year ago. My acne was very bad and very embarrassing. It made me so insecure about myself. Epiduo is very bittersweet. The first month I had it, my acne has reduced significantly. However, after the first month, my skin broke out even worse than what it had before I started. My skin was red all over for a good 2 months, my skin was dry as could be and peeled very badly, had acne all over, etc. It was very painful too, my face burned! Today, the side effects are gone and so is my acne! I have only 2 pimples on my face! But if you stop using the product, the acne returns!"

• Shy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 6, 2018

For Acne "My dermatologist recommended Epiduo for my acne. Tried everything, but nothing worked for me. Finally, this came to me as a rescue. My doctor advised like this: Apply moisturizer - Episoft first at night. Then apply Epiduo as a spot treatment. First two days, leave it for one hour and wash it off. Increase to two hours the next few days, thereby slowly making your skin adapt to the gel. Gradually increase the time and leave it overnight. By this way, my skin didn't become dry and red, which is the nature of Epiduo. Thanks to my doctor for making my skin acne-free. This cream won't do magic overnight. Patience is needed!!"

• Jad...
• August 4, 2015

For Acne "If you're a person who normally has sensitive or dry skin, then I highly recommend NOT using this. I was recommended Epiduo Gel by my GP to treat acne. Three days after using it, my face became very dry, and it got worse even after I stopped using it. It started to sting and burn a lot, and when I'd apply my normal moisturizer, the stinging I experienced was so severe, especially around my eyes, and my skin became very red. Any product that really dries out the skin is very bad because it makes skin age quickly and causes wrinkles. My experience with Epiduo was bad, but reading other people's reviews, most say it worked for them aside from the dryness and redness of their skin."

• Anonymous
• December 7, 2011

For Acne "My doctor told me to just put a pea-sized amount of the cream on my face (not the moisturizer) because if you put too much, it will cause redness, dry skin, and stinging. He also said if it continues to work, just lower your dosage to nighttime only. Epiduo is AMAZING. I recommend this to everyone. You should be fine with it as long as you do as your doctor says, other than that, you just might be allergic to it."

• Dre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 2, 2016

For Acne "WARNING TO ALL! If you have sensitive skin, this is not for you! I informed my doctor over and over again while at the office that my skin is sensitive and to prescribe something safe for me, and this is what I got. I got peeling, burning, redness, itching, painful skin as a result and have had 2 months of my skin like this! I thought acne was bad, but I feel so ugly with such tomato red peeling skin. A coworker asked if I went on vacation because she thought I got a sunburn. My face looks like it's shedding skin, and my skin feels paper thin, and overall I'm angry and sad that my skin sucks right now. It decreased some whiteheads on my forehead, but I still have pimples. Going to the derm this Friday and asking to get off this awful product!"

• Tan...
• May 31, 2019

For Acne "I'm using Epiduo gel for 5 weeks now and still am ... no difference! If anything, it's made me break out more and more. Every single day, I wake up to a new 5 spots, my right cheek is filled with redness and spots I can't even see my own skin on my cheek anymore. My left cheek never used to get spots, but now I'm getting loads. My chin ain't even my chin, it's just a spot location. I was soooooooo excited about this medicine (Epiduo gel). The doctor even gave me oral medication, but nothing is working. I drink water all day, green tea, I do everything correctly but see no difference. I've had acne since 14/15 and I'm 21."

• Acn...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 8, 2016

For Acne "I used the original Epiduo all through 4 years of high school, and in combination with a generic triphasic birth control pill and Neutrogena salicylic acid face wash, I completely cleared my terrible, depressing cystic acne. After high school, I switched birth control and got the acne again, so I went back to my high school routine, and it was better, but not as perfect. I tried the new Forte version, and I'm clear as can be again at 21. It has always made my face redder than my body, but I have no problem tolerating that for otherwise PERFECTLY CLEAR skin. It's only noticeably red at night when it's on anyway. I've tried all the other top treatments dermatologists recommend, but this one changed my life. Just give it a chance."

• jen...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 25, 2013

For Acne "I broke out with major cystic acne in my early 30s. I used Epiduo, and it took a while to work, but I am acne-free today. If I get a cyst, I apply Epiduo to it, and no matter what, I don't touch it. It's gone in 2-3 days. Also, I pick at my acne, so I realized getting acrylic nails prevents me from picking even if I wanted to. If you do pick on one, wash with soap, dry, and apply Epiduo. I notice that if I put a thicker layer on, it works better. I love Epiduo. It does cause redness, but I'd much rather be red than cystic. Plus, being female, I can use concealer and base to cover the red. I do use Retin-A too."