Adapalene topical for Acne User Reviews (Page 5)

• Car...
• December 9, 2018

Adapalene topical "This product is awful and has made my life hell for the last 11 weeks. I am a 30-year-old with mild comedonal acne on my cheeks. Other products haven't worked for me, so after a LOT of research, I decided to give Differin a try. I knew I would experience redness, drying, and a purging period where my acne would get worse and that it's normal. I read hours of reviews where people told me to stick with it until the 12-week mark. I am 3 days away from that mark and my face has NEVER looked or felt this bad in my life. I have painful red pustules popping up every night and continued redness and drying despite constant moisturizing. It's bad enough I have adult acne and that I've been trying to stick it out with this product for 12 weeks, but this product has made it SO MUCH WORSE! I will be sure to tell everyone I know NEVER to use it. I am embarrassed and upset I wasted my time and money for the last 3 months to make my face look worse. Not only that, but now I have SCARS all over as well."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2019

Adapalene topical "30, male, extremely oily skin. I had cystic acne, and I have some of the worst scars, and now I get the occasional huge cyst/pimple. I rotate my use of this daily-one day cheeks, one day forehead, one day nose, kind of like that, because all over every day, even a thin layer, it burns because it's too potent. On this, I realized my brow ridge and nose produced less oil, and they look less 'congested.' I've been on it 3 months now. For the first time, I've healed a cyst without a scar in my life. There are absolutely fewer lines on my forehead, my nose gets no cysts and looks smoother like my forehead. To prep skin for dryness this causes, I use the CeraVe PM moisturizer before Differin. It just dries me out too much on bare skin. I also use SPF 50 daily on my face. I live in an area with a high UV index all year."

• Jes...
• January 26, 2017

Adapalene topical "After benzoyl peroxide made my skin worse, I was prescribed Differin cream 0.1%. Results were slow at first, but with maintaining a good skincare routine and a healthy diet, my skin showed huge improvements after about 2-3 months of use. Little side effects, some dryness, but as to be expected with any acne product and easily resolved with moisturizer. Felt a lot less harsh on my skin than benzoyl peroxide. I am left with some spots and scarring, but the effects have been overall brilliant. Would recommend sticking with it for a few months to see the best results!"

• Sen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 19, 2020

Adapalene topical "I am 42 years old, and I have fair skin. Recently, I have had the worst acne rosacea outbreak I have ever had in my life. After a few months of antibiotics and Soolantra cream, the inflammation and new pimples were getting better. But, I still had rough, bumpy skin with lots of red hyperpigmentation where the acne has been. My dermatologist ordered azelaic acid, and I waited for over a month for it to come in at the pharmacy. It didn’t come, they claimed, because of Covid-19. I was furious and canceled my order. I decided to buy Differin to help skin turnover and prevent new pimples. My skin is so smooth! I have used it every night except 1 night for a month. The redness has improved, and if I get new pimples, they go away quickly. I never got the purge. I am wondering if antibiotics helped with that. Also, my skin seemed dry for a minute, but it was my skin getting ready to slough off. Overall, I believe the product is doing a fine job. I also use CeraVe day and night moisturizer recommended by my doctor."

• Gri...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 28, 2017

Adapalene topical "I've had acne when I was a teenager, it cleared up during my 20s, then came back - with a vengeance - when I was 33. Differin gel and cream have been the BEST stuff I've used, and I have used A LOT of different lotions and potions, which have cost me a fortune over the years. I'm now 39 and still suffer breakouts, but I keep a tube handy for them, and it clears them up in a couple of days. I would say to ONLY put it on the papule or pustule and not on any clear skin around them. That's when it will make your skin flake and peel off! If you use it on the spots ONLY, it will work just fine. I'm also a beauty therapist, and I recommend that some of my clients see their GP for it."

• Anonymous
• July 10, 2009

Adapalene topical "I've been using Differin for 5 weeks now. My skin had seemed to be improving, but then, all of a sudden, the last few days I've had several new breakouts. It's a little frustrating, but I'll continue using it, as it can take up to 12 weeks for the best results. I'll just keep my fingers crossed."

• Car...
• September 25, 2018

Adapalene topical "I purchased this product after seeing the commercial for it several times. I had tried everything OTC and thought that this might actually work. It didn’t. I’ve had moderate acne for about 5 years, and it always comes in spurts. I really didn’t notice anything the first week of using it. In the second week, I noticed my acne getting worse, and by the third week, my acne was unbearable. I had the worst acne of my life, and so I finally did research because I hadn’t before I started. All the reviews I read said that it gets worse before it gets better, but usually starts really working after a month or so. I decided to stick with it and kept hoping it would get better. It didn’t. After 12 weeks of using it, my acne was awful. I had developed more scars than I ever had before. I threw it away and went back to my old routine. My face started clearing up right away. Everyone has different reactions, but I wouldn’t recommend this product to any of my friends."

• lv1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2021

Adapalene topical "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 bitten me. Tonight, I'm done with this stuff."

• Meg...
• November 1, 2013

Adapalene topical "I've been using this gel for probably about 2 or 3 years now. I started getting acne in around 6th grade, whereas I didn't start my period until 9th grade. I've never had severe acne, there's just always been at least a couple of zits on my face for as long as I can remember. I had no significant peeling or dryness when I started using Differin, and I also had no immediate results. Slowly over time, however, my acne is becoming less severe and less frequent. Maybe it's because of the Differin, maybe it's because I'm growing out of it. I did stop using it last summer as a test, and my skin got worse and worse for the entire month I stopped using it. It took a solid 3-4 months after I started using it again for my skin to return back to normal."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2019

Adapalene topical "The purge I experienced lasted in two different waves from the end of week 2 to week 6. Yikes. However, the acne from it was no worse than what I had been dealing with already on some of my worst breakouts. I seemed to be able to combat inflammation by using a benzoyl peroxide face wash and aloe vera gel as part of my routine. For me personally, dryness and skin flaking were far worse than the purge. It took about 7 weeks for my skin to adjust to adapalene, and even with two moisturizers layered on, I had the worst dryness and slight irritation. That said, once I hit 8 weeks, noticeable improvements started happening. About half of my comedones are gone, dryness is now manageable, and hyperpigmentation scars are starting to fade a little bit. I expect all of these areas to keep improving now that I'm getting closer to the 12-week mark. This was a process that had growing pains, but I am so glad to have stuck with it. Be patient, it will reward you!"

• jmp...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2020

Adapalene topical "Differin was absolutely awful! I was using a prescription tretinoin for anti-aging/clear skin purposes, but I lost my insurance, and the medicine is about $400 without insurance. I figured, 'Yay, I can buy Differin, it's similar and OTC now.' BIG BIG BIG MISTAKE!!!! My skin normally has one pimple at a time, AT THE MOST every 3 weeks around my cycle. I'm currently battling multiple cystic outbreaks, and it's week 5 of my Differin journey. I wanted to give it a chance, but I stopped cold turkey 3 days ago because this is traumatizing. I'm going back to my old routine. Please be careful with this product, and if you decide to try it, do it only 2x a week for 3 weeks, 3x a week for the next 3 weeks, 4x a week for the next 4 weeks, and so on because it WILL ruin your day."

• Jim...
• August 25, 2010

Adapalene topical "I started getting a few too many zits the summer starting after freshman year in college (that summer is just about to end), so I started using Differin. A full 10 weeks later, I see pretty darn good results (there is less acne and the zits that are there are smaller). It does get worse before it gets better, though. Week 2-6 were hell. I didn't have severe acne (or that close to severe) to begin with, but I wanted to clear my face as much as possible, and in a week and a half when school starts back, I will be well into my 12th week, and I think it's entirely possible that I could be completely clear by then. I also have been taking 65 mg extended-release Solodyn (minocycline) the entire time, as well as Differin."

• Ken...
• December 29, 2009

Adapalene topical "I started using Differin when I was 12. I was going through puberty and getting the worst acne anyone has ever seen. I saw significant improvements in my skin immediately. On the downside, it dries some parts of my face and has increased oiliness in other parts, so now every morning I wash my face and apply moderate-strength moisturizer. It doesn't prevent blackheads, and I still get some pimples and boils here or there. Now I am 20 and still apply it to my whole face every night."

• loe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 18, 2013

"It's my 5th week using this medication. You do get breakouts, but that's part of the treatment. I have noticed a difference on my right side. I have hope that by the 12th week, my skin will be clear. It just takes patience!"

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 22, 2022

Adapalene topical "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 100 times worse than it had ever been. I had mild/moderate hormonal acne, and I started using Differin every other night for the first two weeks, then increased to every night. I only used a pea-sized amount, as instructed. I used Differin for just over four 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 three-month mark and your skin is getting worse, you really should stop. I wish I had stopped earlier, it gave me bad scars, but my skin is finally recovering five months later."

• Pin...
• December 15, 2017

Adapalene topical "STICK TO IT!!!! I did and my skin looks amazing. At first, I saw more acne, especially whiteheads. I also got really dry skin, but I moisturized all the time and it relieved it. You can also get burning, irritating skin, but don't give up. Eventually, you see your skin clear, even-toned, and tighter. I also noticed some of my fine lines gone. I know you might want to give up, but DON'T. I'm 50 years old and I never had pimples until the past two years. Nothing worked. I went to the dermatologist, got prescription meds, but the only thing that worked was this product."

• SD9...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2017

Adapalene topical "This is a miracle in a tube! I had moderate to severe adult acne and would have breakouts on my cheeks, jawline, and chin that would leave dark marks for months. I have oily/sensitive skin. At first, the gel burned a lot, and I got a few more pimples, which are side effects of the product. But now, after about a month, my skin is adjusting and looks better than it has in years! Little to no pimples and dark marks are fading! My routine: Morning - wash face in lukewarm water with Dove Exfoliating Soap, then apply Aveeno Clean Complexion moisturizer. Makeup - e.l.f. Blemish Control Primer and BB Cream. Night - same as morning routine, but add Differin gel after washing face with soap, and apply Aveeno moisturizer about an hour afterward if needed."

• Anonymous
• July 25, 2017

Adapalene topical "Well, I've only been using this face med for a few days, and my skin burns and is super dry! I put it on at night, go to bed, and wash my face in the AM and apply makeup, but I can't wear makeup because as soon as I apply it, my face burns very bad. What do I do? Had anyone experienced this?"

• Lia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 18, 2019

Adapalene topical "My face was so clear, and suddenly I got acne all over my forehead, very small bumps. My dermatologist prescribed this to me, and it's amazing. It's week 3, and the bumps are almost gone, and my face is glowing, and old acne marks are lighter. Everything is great, I think I'll continue using this for a while."

• Pei...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 4, 2017

Adapalene topical "I started using Differin last January in 2016. It was prescribed by my dermatologist together with antibiotics, and I have to say - it's the best ever! I don't know if it was because of the antibiotics, but my acne healed in less than three months, and the only thing I had to worry about was the scars. The only (common) side effect I had was dry, scaly skin. The doctor told me it was fine during our second checkup, so he gave me moisturizer. (Side note: I've been moisturizing my face since I was young, but I didn't dare to aggravate my skin, so I stopped.) And I love the fact that Differin does not discolor clothing and bedsheets. Before this, I was using Duac, it was also beneficial to my acne, but it discolored my favorite bedsheet horribly!"

• Joe...
• January 3, 2017

Adapalene topical "Using the over-the-counter product for just a few weeks. Oily skin has always been a major problem. Seems to have knocked down excess skin oil big time. I apply early evening. I use it with Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture with Sunscreen SPF 35. Been in the sun and no burning or dryness noted. Did the beach yesterday for about an hour, no problem. I first started using every third day after reading a number of postings. Thought I'd ease into it as some reported issues using daily right off the bat. No issues. Did notice dryness of the skin before using my moisturizer. Just went to every other day. The skin has calmed down and a few flare-ups that were just not going away are clearing. End of the week I plan on daily use."

• Dru...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 8, 2019

Adapalene topical "The has been the best for my acne. I have skin issues all my life, and finally, at 57, I used Differin Gel, and it works great. It takes about three months, but please hang in there. I have used Retin-A and so many other products. I have gone to many dermatologists, chemical peels I can't remember them all. Walmart has it for $13 or $14.00."

• Lun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 4, 2019

Adapalene topical "Give it time. It took longer than 12 weeks to work for me. It took about 4 months for me. I previously had severe acne, 'aggressive' cystic acne, where I was ashamed to go out in public, and now it's mild to moderate acne. It's not perfect, but a vast improvement. Doctors wanted to prescribe me Accutane in the past, which I cannot take because of my mental health. Differin has been a lifesaver, though, but you have to be patient. My acne is not gone, but Differin has been a success. I only wear a thin layer of makeup now by choice, and my foundation and concealer routine used to take an hour before Differin. I also use benzoyl peroxide-clindamycin gel, which complements Differin well. STAY PATIENT! The first month is hard because your face will get extra sensitive and sometimes burned a little bit in the beginning, but Differin is worth it, I promise."

• Anonymous
• December 30, 2008

Adapalene topical "I don't have that severe of acne, but I do have regular pimples, including the cyst-like kind that hurt. I get them on my face, back, and chest. Differin worked wonders on my skin with very little irritation. I recommend it for sure!"

• Amb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2017

Adapalene topical "I've only been using this for about 5 days, and I can already see very clear results! It says to not expect anything till 2 weeks, but with my skin, it seemed to start working overnight because the next day it was already clearer, and scars had faded a bit! Bearing in mind I have very, very mild acne, not very noticeable, just wanted this cream to prevent it from getting worse. Will keep you guys updated :) Would definitely recommend this for oily skin with some blackheads and mild acne or moderate acne."