Differin and Pain: What Users Say

• Lif...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 9, 2013

For Acne "I am a 29-year-old female who has suffered from severe acne vulgaris all my life and was recently diagnosed. I used everything known to man, and when I finally saw a dermatologist, he prescribed me this as well as a face wash. The first two weeks, I had experienced redness, peeling, pain, hot to touch skin (I used cocoa butter to soothe it) just as the doctor said I would, but later into the 3rd and 4th week and even now, my skin is extremely clear and almost flawless. The difference expedited the shedding of my skin and caused the old dead scarred skin to peel off, revealing new soft, youthful, and unscarred skin. My skin is very beautiful now, and I will continue to use this medicine until my acne subsides. Great product."

• HPD...
• October 16, 2019

For Acne "I've been using Differin for 13 weeks now, and I'm still breaking out in painful cystic acne EVERYWHERE. I've got 10+ cystic pimples on my forehead, whereas I've never had them there before, and it's been two weeks, and they're still not gone. It's painful, itchy, makes you self-conscious AF. I hate it. If your skin isn't too bad but you're thinking about it, find an alternative. It's not worth it. I feel like I have depression because of this."

• Van...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2020

For Acne "Honestly, I have a love-hate relationship 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."

• Ash...
• February 28, 2019

For Acne "My experience with Differin was horrible. I know they said you may get purging, but believe me it’s not worth the pain and scarring caused by the purging process. Research for more natural remedies that are soothing for your skin. This product is designed to keep you buying more since you think it will get better over time. I have read reviews where some said it got better after months, and then purging started happening again, so this sounds like a never-ending cycle. Please beware, this is not the only acne product on the market, and believe me all products don’t cause purging like this. My skin has never looked this bad. I’m in the medical field and feel so embarrassed going to work with my face like this. I figured makeup would irritate my skin more, so I’m trying to stick it out. I have stopped using Differin and wish I never started."

• Dog...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 13, 2013

For Acne "When I first started using Differin, my skin was really red and peeled for several days. After that, it started to look a lot better, but then out of nowhere, it started to break out more, especially cystic acne on my face, and my skin is really hot to the touch and painful. I hope it's just that it gets worse before it gets better."

• Hil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 28, 2019

For Acne "I wanted to share my experience with Differin as someone in the middle of the dreaded acne purge. I am coming into 6 weeks, and I have to say this has been the worst my skin has looked since I first started breaking out 17 years ago. I am not only getting whiteheads that seem to burst at the most inopportune times, I am also getting a lot of actual raised acne. It is all happening in the majority of problem areas. The worst thing is that it is happening in clusters. It seems to be more painful than my normal breakouts since they come hard and fast. They also subside fast, but as of right now... more seem to be not far behind. Right now I can't help but give this 1 star because this is pure awfulness... plain and simple. That being said, I am moving forward using the medication. I will update next week and week 8 when most of the purging is supposed to be at an end."

• Pri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 11, 2015

For Acne "I used Differin, and the first month was horrible. I guess I needed to use moisturizer, especially SPF, or lotion. I got sunburned really bad all over, my face was peeling and really scabby. I just looked crazy going to school, and my face hurt so bad, so I started using it less. I even went to get my eyebrows waxed, and the wax was too hot for my face and sensitive skin, it ripped and scabbed up really bad. Ouch! But luckily, after one month of suffering, my face, and especially my nose (where I got it), was all clear, gone, and smooth! Seems like similar experiences where it starts off bad then ends up good. I now put Olay SPF moisturizer on every day and use it every other day with Cerave face wash."

• mad...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 26, 2017

For Acne "I've been using this product (Adapalene 0.1% gel) for 13 months now. I had a lot of small zits on my forehead and a good amount of acne on one of my cheeks. The first week or so is the worst, it dries your skin and is very painful. After a month, you start getting huge cysts and under-the-skin pimples, especially in the areas where there were little zits before. It's embarrassing, but push through. After about three months, my skin started clearing up. I still use this product daily, and my skin is better than before I started, for sure. Around my period, I get more acne, but it goes away quickly. This product is not a fun process, but it works decently in the long run. Make sure you invest in a good moisturizer to use daily."

• Sar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 30, 2020

For Acne "Okay, so my acne was incurable, horrifying, and painful. NOTHING helped until I tried Differin. It took about 2 months to clear up. It stung like crazy, and it hurt, and it burnt, but I went through it because it was my last option. After it finally cleared up, my face was like a baby’s bum. Perfect. I love Differin, but it’s super expensive."

• Lau...
• October 12, 2016

For Acne "This gel has been horrific for my skin. As a result of taking it, I have come up with an allergic reaction on my neck and around my eyes, which is so painful, itchy, and red. I really wouldn't recommend trying it unless you are really desperate. I have read a lot of other reviews where people said this happened to them too, but the GP never informed me of the potential side effects."

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

For Acne "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. Every day 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 three months of your life. I would NOT recommend. Find ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVE!!!"

• WTF...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2018

For Acne "I'm reporting back after not knowing whether to keep using this product or not... For 2.5 months, I had acne for the first time in my life because of Differin! The skin 'purging' never got better. The bleeding from just washing my face left spots that took forever to heal. My face hurt for weeks. Red, flaky areas around my mouth, I'd itch and get tingles. I had a million bumps under my skin, uneven, leathery, burnt skin. I stopped using Differin, and now it's been 2 weeks of washing with antibacterial soap/charcoal bar, applying hydrogen peroxide as a toner, and then 2 drops of tea tree oil mixed with salicylic acid clarifying moisturizer, and my face is super soft. All my dry skin patches are gone, I have no pimples, no blackheads. Very upset I wasted my time thinking this product would work. ***THE ONLY THING I would recommend it for is fine lines and wrinkles (I'm 32), and it does wonders to apply to forehead and laugh lines with no irritation. Hope others find this useful."

• Sky...
• December 15, 2019

For Acne "Do not use this, especially if your acne isn’t very bad. I would get a few spots around my mouth, nothing much, and when I used Differin, it made huge red ones come up all over my face. I continued to use it for another 2 months as it’s supposed to get worse first, but it never did get better and never worked and put me through lots of pain. Now I am stuck with dark scarring and texture all over my cheeks. I was using a recommended moisturizer, so I don’t blame the products I put with it. Differin ruined my face completely, I do not recommend."

• Lan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 29, 2021

For Acne "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, moisturizer, 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."

• bgu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2019

For Acne "I used Differin Gel, hoping it would help with my minor acne as well as my cystic acne. I used it on my chin and around my nose. I only used the product for 6 days before it started to dry my skin out to the point where it would peel off in several layers and then scab over. It made my skin inflamed, and even lightly touching it was painful."

• Emm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2018

For Acne "This medication is okay. When I first started, I had maybe 3-4 active cystic zits. It got better after the week, and then all my acne broke loose. I had probably 10-12 painful, raging zits. It was horrible. I pushed through because I knew it was going to get worse before it got better. It did get better, but not in the way I liked. I am back to having 3-4 cystic pimples, but now I have a bunch of scars, hyperpigmentation, and leftover cysts. Differin really only made my initial breakout better, rather than fix my acne overall. It may work for you, but it did NOT work for me."

• Mad...
• December 17, 2020

For Acne "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 sync 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 the 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 it if your acne is moderate to severe, but you must have patience for it to do its thing."

• fla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 30, 2024

For Acne "So I'm a teenager with mild/moderate acne, and I decided to give Differin a try since benzoyl peroxide and other treatments weren't helping anymore. I followed every step, watched numerous reviews, and started using it. Let me tell you, my skin immediately went berserk. On the second day, I had deep red burns, peeling, and my eyelids were crusting and hurt so much. Moisturizers didn't help and just burned (yes I used gentle ones). It got so bad I threw it away and put Vaseline all over my face. The next day my skin was healing, and the burns were getting better. Do not use this product unless you know what you're doing!"

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 6, 2021

For Acne "I have been using Differin for 6 months. The purge lasted 1 month and a bit super sore as I was working outside every day. After that, skin would start to clear, but I would always have 5 pimples or cysts and irritated skin. Skin never fully cleared. And if it did, it lasted for one day, then I got more pimples. I recently changed how I apply at night, and it started to clear and be less irritated. *Wash CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser *Neutrogena Hydro Boost Moisturizer (while skin is wet) *Niacinamide 10%. ('let dry) *Neutrogena Hydro Boost (let dry) *Differin (wait 20 min) *Moisturize CeraVe Dry Skin."

• Sam...
• September 22, 2015

For Acne "A dermatologist (a different dermatologist than I usually see) recommended starting to use Differin along with taking my Doxycycline. I have been using the topical gel for 3 days on my face and back, and I only have negative things to say. My face is peeling badly, and the skin is very red and irritated. I have tried different moisturizers, and they just burn. The outer corners of my eyes are red and painful. My back broke out with large blister-like pimples. I do not have sensitive skin, and my acne is not very bad. I feel this product has actually worsened my condition. I am going to stop using Differin immediately. I don't know how long it's going to take my skin to heal."

• ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2019

For Acne "The first 2 weeks while using Differin, my skin seemed to clear up and didn't break out as much. However, when the 3rd week of me using this treatment commenced, I woke up with leathery skin and flaky skin on my upper lip area below my lip and on the side of my lip (basically my mouth area). I'm in so much pain, and I look horrible and feel horrible. I've never cried so much in my life. DO NOT buy this!"

• Em2...
• November 10, 2017

For Acne "I used this one time before sleeping. I put on moisturizer about five times the next day, and my face still hurt. Today is the second day after using this product, and my face still hurts, is red, and is puffy after applying moisturizer another five times today. I don't think it's supposed to hurt this bad, even if there is a purging process. I would not recommend this product."

• Ash...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2020

For Acne "Starting from age 15 till now age 33 I’ve fought the good fight against acne. Nothing worked. I saw a dermatologist and was prescribed Differin gel. The first four applications or so, all good. After that, peeling and pain. I thought about pushing on, but I decided clear skin wasn’t worth that much pain. I stopped using it after 6 applications, but it took a few weeks for the pain and peeling to stop. After that, I suddenly had terrible acne. I had it in places I had never had it before. My face was covered. After a couple of months, my face returned to semi-normal acne levels. I decided to try to treat the acne at its source, so I got a small tube of benzoyl peroxide and applied it. It was like a miracle cure. Overnight I had clear skin for the first time in years. I use it every few days. I recommend it to anyone suffering like I was!"

• cmf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2017

For Acne "(A little background on my skin, I get a pimple here and there and overall have pretty normal skin.) I saw a commercial for Differin and immediately went online to buy it. I thought that the product sounded great for the price! After I purchased it, I started looking into side effects and reviews on the product. They were pretty mixed, with some people saying they loved it and others saying they hated it, but the main thoughts were that it might make your breakouts worse for a few months, then get better, and it can make your skin dry and sensitive. Well, let me tell you I used this product as directed for 3 nights in a row, and it gave me a chemical type burn on my face. My skin is flaking off, and I am using a TON of moisturizer to try to keep it as hydrated as I can, and it hurts to even touch my face. And I don't mean like when your skin is dry type of flaking off, I mean like worse sunburn in your life type of flaking off. I also have a pretty high pain tolerance, and anytime I touched my face, took my makeup off, put makeup on, or used my moisturizer, it felt like 10,000 needles stabbing me in my face while getting burned by a hot iron. I have now stopped using the product, and two days later, my skin is still the same; flaking, red, and hurting like no other. Do NOT use this product unless you are ready for some serious pain and skin damage."

• Lea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 21, 2019

For Acne "Used this product for 1 week. During this first week, my face turned red and started burning to the point that rinsing my face was painful. However, it cleared up my acne for a few days, then the breakout started back."