Differin for Acne User Reviews

• Gael
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2024

"This gel, applied once in the evening, has eliminated my usual weekly breakouts. My face is clear. I always get large, painful pimples after eating chocolate and, although I have eaten small amounts for several days in a row, I haven't had any acne."

• Rach
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 31, 2023

"Legit AMAZING for small bumps/congestion. I had them for years and I've tried Tretinoin in 3 different strengths but could never get through the months of purging. I thought it might be fungal acne so tried Nizoral which dried tf out of my face and ruined my skin barrier. With Differin, I had about a month of flaking/peeling but wasn't bad at all. Now my forehead has NO bumps and I use it every night. Highly highly recommend."

• Arth
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2023

"I’m currently on week 14 - and not seeing much improvement. I used to have mild acne and that has changed to moderate. My skin feels dry with Differin, and it has severely harmed my self-esteem. I have periods where I think it is getting better, then I have another huge breakout, although I think the overall texture of my skin may have slightly improved. I will persist with this for another few weeks but am going to slow it down to once every other day to see if that makes a difference. At my wit's end, I just want clear skin."

• Shan
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2023

"Differin, wow what a journey. I am just into my 4th month of this treatment. My skin still isn’t how I wish it to be, but it’s improved unbelievably. The first two months were hard. The acne does decline and it’s really hard to persevere however, if you do your skin will benefit. I have minimal spots, and I still have scarring but the texture of my skin is smooth and not bumpy. Please keep going. I will update in 2 months to let you know any more of my progress… keep going guys."

• daph
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 16, 2023

"I've been on 0.1% Differin for a few years now, can't remember exactly. I read a lot of reviews before I started - I was so nervous about the "purge" everyone talked about, but my skin never got worse before it got better. I didn't experience any change at first, but over the course of a few weeks (changes within a month, HUGE improvement within 10 weeks, but kept improving for around a year before reaching a new normal, my skin gradually cleared up. My life stopped revolving around my face. I rarely ever think about my skin anymore, which has been such a blessing. Sometimes if I'm very ill-rested, sick, or experiencing hormonal changes, I'll notice acne appear. But the way Differin helps me is I'll go to sleep with acne, and wake up without. When a blemish appears it's almost fully gone the next day. My skin has a much faster "renewal" rate. It's also helped with cystic things, though those do last longer and hurt more than normal pimples still due to the nature of them. Tldr: Recomme"

• Medae...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2023

"I used this for over four months and the purge never ended so I called it quits. My skin was better before I used it, so that helped me make the decision to quit. I used it every night after cleansing and before moisturizing. My routine is very minimal but I am no stranger to skin care and so many products cause pimples on my face. I’m sad this didn’t work for me and I don’t like that people say you just have to stick it out for long enough because for some people it just doesn’t work."

• 5 mon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2022

"I’ve had on and off bouts of acne for the past few years and was previously using retinol but decided to try Differin gel to clear up my skin. The purge was awful but I decided to stick it out. After 5 and 1/2 months my skin was still much worse than when I started so I decided to go back to using retinol instead. It had improved slightly since the initial purging phase but I was now dealing with lots of scarring and hyperpigmentation and acne that was much worse than when I started. Maybe if I continued to stick with it, it may have cleared but I decided 5 1/2 months was long enough given that it seemed to making my skin much worse. Be careful. This product doesn’t work for everyone. It’s not always simply a matter of time."

• Anon
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 22, 2022

"BEWARE of Differin, it doesn't work for everyone - their website says around 80% of people had positive results, so there's still 20% that don't. Differin ruined my skin, it made it 100x worse than it had ever been. I had mild/moderate hormonal acne, and I started using Differin every other night for the first 2 weeks then increased to every night. I only used a pea-sized amount as instructed. I used Differin for just over 4 months and there was a purge for the whole of the first month, then it started to get a bit better, so I had hope. But for the last two months it just got significantly worse, until my whole face was covered in cystic acne, which I'd never had before. It made me feel awful. A lot of comments about Differin said to stick with it so I kept going, but if you've reached the 3 month mark and your skin is getting worse, you really should stop. I wish I stopped earlier, it gave me bad scars, but my skin is finally recovering 5 months later."

• Repy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 7, 2022

"Differin sucks!! I suffered from moderate closed comedones around my forehead so I started using it but it only made my condition x100 worse and even started having pustules & cystic acne & closed comedones on my cheeks and chin!! I tried to persist but even after 6 weeks of use it still continued getting worse so I went to facial to have them all extracted and discontinued it!! Now my skin is much smoother but differin has left me with so many post irritation redness / hyperpigmentation. Waste of money and affected my self esteem for so long!!"

• Anony...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 3, 2022

"Differin works. When I began differin I began to purge immediately. As some others have mentioned, don't expect your purge to get better and better linearly. Towards the end of your purge, your skin will repeatedly clear up for one or two days and then have a sudden outbreak in places you never had pimples before, and it gets very emotionally draining after a few of these cycles. My one piece of advice which I wish my derm had told me about before starting differin is that if your purge becomes very severe, ask for a topical antibiotic like clindamycin which is very anti-inflammatory and kills acne-causing bacteria, and also buy lots of hydrocolloid patches so you don't have to break your skin popping your pimples and risk scarring. Did the six week purge suck? Absolutely. Would I do it again for the clear skin I have now? Absolutely, 1000 times over. Push through those tough few weeks and it will pay off I promise. Sending you all so much love, you've got this :)"

• Amanda...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 25, 2022

"As a long-term individual with acne across chin, temple and cheeks, I have been differin for a very long time. Throughout the years of relentlessly battling acne, I've come to realise that it is both hereditary and hormonal-related, which could possibly not be treated at all, only minimised. I am using Differin as a topical cream that to increase skin turnover. My experience of coming on-and-off Differin has led me to the conclusion that Differin WORKS to decrease the amount of acne (if I keep using it) but not entirely prevent pimples from emerging every month. It is still better than not using it at all."

• anony...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2022

"Well, this acne cream is a roller coaster. I have been using differin for about three months now and I have been left so so upset with the results. I started off using it every three nights and gradually upped how often I was using it until it was every night. I thought that this would reduce the purging … however, I could not have been more wrong. Everyday I was waking up with a new cystic pimple and for someone with mild acne this was really alarming because I had never had to deal with these before. There were not just slightly sore cystic pimples we are talking sore for weeks cystic pimples and I am still left with the aftermath. This cream is shocking , it may work for some people but it definitely didn’t work for me and has completely ruined my skin. Never again , do not use this unless you are willing to endure the lengthiest and most painful 3 months of your life I would NOT recommend find ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVE!!!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 22, 2022

"Bad experience with Differin gel. Skin dried up horribly but also didn't help acne but made it worse. Would never recommend use."

• Bena
• January 22, 2022

"I’ve always had a normal skin with a few blemishes and I had two to three pimples every now and then and I was doing research on products for breakouts and found this and bought it the next day. On the first day I got some burns but read it was normal and kept going. I’ve been using this for only a week and I just had a major breakdown in my bathroom crying because of it. I woke up with 5 cystic pimples and I never in my life had cystic pimples and never had them in those places. They hurt so bad I immediately washed my face with water and I am never ever going to use it again. Makes your skin looks so bad. Definitely not worth it. Would give it minus 1 if possible . Please do know your skin type, mine is combination to oily and a little sensitive and please do not ignore the red flags. If your skin does not tolerate it, throw it away!!!!!!!!!!! This product was awful for me!!"

• Maria
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 2, 2022

"I started Differin on the 20th October so it’s been just over 10 weeks. I have consistent acne that just won’t go away no matter what I try and even if it does go away it will shortly come back. The acne is normally around my chin and cheeks and I also have prominent Post-inflammatory erythema (PIE) in those areas. Till now my skin is really dry and flaky in some areas but that’s my fault for either using to much or forgetting to put moisturiser. My diet probably doesn’t help either. But I can say that I have seen some difference in the quality of my skin and a reduction in acne on my cheeks and chin. While I’m still getting whiteheads in the areas I would normally get them, I’m still considering that as purging as I would normally break out in those spots and I do think with continue use it will stop. It’s also helped with my PIE. I do think there are upside and downsides with using this product but I do think it’s worth a try if you have acne and it’s the last resort."

• 12345...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 30, 2021

"Differin was definitely a huge mistake. I went into it thinking the product would help because of the reviews, so during the first few months I thought it was just the purge stage, but after that it never stopped. Fast forward 6 months and I stopped using it, and my acne improved little by little, but my face is still terrible because of this."

• ra23
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 28, 2021

"I started differin in April 2021 we’re December 2021, hoping for it to make my skin look better. I had a pimple here and there but nothing really serious comparing to after using differin gel. It made my skin much worse. I was hoping a lot from this product after hearing a lot of good reviews on it. It caused me pimples in places where I never had acne. And I still have 2 tubes that I bought in advance because I was so confident about it. Now I’m on month 9 and I think I’m willing to stop using it. I don’t recommend it."

• Lana
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 29, 2021

"I’ve struggled with acne for the better part of my teen/adult life (I’m 25) and had tried every product under the sun. My acne is mostly hormonal. Before I started I had about 2/3 pimples a week around my chin and jaw area. I started applying Differin every other night, to ease my skin into it. After a month I applied it every day. The purge was real, and long. A month in I already had so many pimples, despite easing my skin into it. Another month later and it hadn’t gotten better. When the 12 week mark hit, I expected to see at least a small difference but there was none. I wanted to keep going until 5/6 months because some people seem to need that long, but by the 4th month my acne was so cystic and painful, it hurt to sleep on my face. So I stopped. My skin is very sensitive. I am now using only a gentle cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen in hopes to heal my skin. Maybe I should’ve persisted, I’ll never know, since I won’t be trying this again."

• Vinny
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 17, 2021

"Differin really works! I was very reluctant to start using it because of all the terrible reviews and horror stories but my only regret is not starting it sooner. Yes, it does make your skin worse to begin with. It’s probably gonna get to a point where it’s the worst it’s ever been but it’s only temporary and here I am a year later with almost flawless skin. I get the odd pimple from time to time but for the most part my skin is completely clear and all the hyperpigmentation has faded at this point as well."

• Great
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 7, 2021

"Stops acne before it happens, cleared up my scaring and even reduces wrinkles !!!! Best product I’ve used!!! :) Some advice for new users: 1) DO NOT use much of the product. I put on a pea size amount on my trouble areas . That’s it, anymore and you’ll peel. 2) Wash your hands after applying the product. 3) DO NOT put it close to the skin under your eyes, or the skin will peel. 4) Wear sunscreen protector if you go outside, or you’ll burn. Trust me on this one… 5) When you first start using the product, your skin may actually get worse for a few weeks. Trust me, just keep using it, it’s just the product bringing the clogged pores to the surface. After this rough period, everything is cleared and your skin will be fine. 6) DO NOT mix the product with other acne products, or you will peel… This includes: face washes, spot treatments, masks etc. 7) Use a very light, all natural face wash and moisturize."

• Marzy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 6, 2021

"I have been using differin for 6 months. The purge lasted 1month and a bit super sore as I was working out side every day. After that skin would start to clear but I would alway have 5 pimples or cyst and irritated skin. Skin never fully cleared. And if it did it last for one day then I got more pimples. I recently change how I apply at night and it starting clear and be less irritated. *Wash cerave hydrating cleanser *Neutrogena hydro boost moisturiser (while skin is wet) *niacinamide 10%. ( "let dry) *neutrogena hydro boost (let dry) *differin( wait 20min) *moisturise cerave dryskin"

• lv14
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2021

"Tried Differin for almost 4 months. In that period of time it totally ruined my skin. I started with a few pimples and now my face is completely covered. It has absolutely destroyed my self esteem. I can hardly look at myself in the mirror. I see people stare at the sides of my face and it is so hard on me. A kid even asked if ants had bit me. Tonight I'm done with this stuff"

• Marzyg
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2021

"Been on differin for 5 month I use it every night. My purge was really painful lasted a month and a half after that my skin adjusted and started to slowly get better. I started to get less irritated skin but the redness would never go away. My skin would break out then clear for a week, then break out and it was so frustrating because I don't know what to do. 5 months in IMA just keep going my skin is currently ok I got heaps of pimps around my jawline some around mouth and cheeks."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 13, 2021

"I’ve had been experiencing mild acne since I was 12. About a year ago it had cleared up and my skin was looking great, but once school started again stress caused me to breakout along my chin and jawline. My friend recommended differin and I started using it a couple months ago. For the first few weeks I could tell it was working. Immediately my skin felt softer and smoother. My acne didn’t get better but it didn’t get worse. Around the two month mark my skin was completely clear and I was extremely happy with differon. I kept using it daily and around the end of the third month my acne came back in full force around my chin and jawline. I was horrified. My acne hasn’t been this bad in years and I don’t know whats wrong. I tried reading reviews to see if anyone else had the same experience as me but no such luck. I’m going to keep using differin gel hoping my acne gets better soon."

• 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."