Adapalene topical and Dry Skin: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 13, 2019

Adapalene topical for Acne "I used Differin for about 1.5 years. The reason I started it was I had entered my 40s. I wanted something that would help with skin texture and some painful cystic acne. I never had a retinization period or experienced any purge, but now, after more than a year into it, I am calling it quits on the advice of my aesthetician and dermatologist, both of whom never recommended adapalene to their patients (I think that says something). It has dried out my skin to the point where my skin is overcompensating for the oil that is being stripped away (and I have naturally oily skin), thus making my pores look HUGE and oily. If you are over 30, I suggest not using this, as it will dry out aging skin, even with moisturizer. This stuff pretty much destroyed my moisture barrier over time, and now I'm left with trying to repair it and all the effects from it."

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 26, 2017

For Acne "Took 1-2 months for FULL improvement. 34 yo female with chronic acne since teens. I use adapalene 0.1 twice a day, wash with CeraVe 'normal skin' cleanser twice daily, and apply unrefined coconut oil over the adapalene twice a day. I change my pillowcase at least every other day, if not daily. I take TruBiotics probiotics daily, which is actually very important for your body as a whole, skin included! It took me 16 years to figure out that my acne was being caused by numerous things and change my habits. I am acne-free with one blemish at a time (that never turns into a whitehead) or none. Over-drying your skin will cause more acne, so coconut oil and a moisturizing wash are just as important as adapalene. Don't give up in a week or two!!"

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

Adapalene topical 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."

• KAR...
• October 14, 2017

Adapalene topical for Acne "This gel has been a lifesaver! I went off birth control last August. My acne was out of control. I tried Differin, and I noticed a change immediately. I've been on it since August 26th. It's now October 14th, and my skin is clear and glowing. I even went off of it for a week to see if there would be a difference, and all my acne did come back gradually... so I recommend this to anyone willing to try a new acne cream! I'm Canadian, and I go out of my way to pick it up in the US when I visit. My only complaint is that my skin is a little dry, just moisturize an hour after application to reduce sensitivity."

• Dir...
• November 8, 2017

Adapalene topical for Acne "For a while, I was struggling with the worst, most painful acne of my life. I bought a tube of Differin for $15, and within a week, inflammation was down and things were looking good. Two months into it, I don't have a single pimple on my face. I only wash my face once every three days to help prevent over-drying, and every night, I remove my makeup, use micellar water, apply a layer of Differin, and then an oil mixture to moisturize. I've found that facial oil, rather than a moisturizer, increases the effectiveness of Differin, it almost seals it close to the skin at night. I wouldn't recommend Differin to everyone, but it worked wonders for me. It's all about patience and dedication."

• Kiw...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2016

For Acne "It works! I was prescribed Differin along with doxycycline for my acne by my GP. I've always had oily skin, and as I'm prone to stress and lack of sleep, I used to break out all the time. I've been on Accutane twice, but the acne kept coming back after approximately a year of clear skin. Within about 3 weeks of using adapalene, I noticed a considerable difference, and after 2 months, clear skin. It got rid of my black and whiteheads, and it reduces inflammation of any little spots that do appear around my time of month. It does dry out your skin quite a bit, but as I have extremely oily skin, this hasn't affected me adversely. Definitely recommended if you have oily, acne-prone skin! Glad to be using something that is a lot safer than Accutane."

• wir...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 11, 2017

Adapalene topical for Acne "I began to have breakouts after the mastectomies... had to take hormonal pills. I tried so many things, went to a dermatologist and tried stuff. What really worked was a skin regimen and taking a low-dose antibiotic (doxycycline). Then my daughter told me about Differin. I have been on this for almost 3 months. There has been some good clearing up, dry patches where the blemishes were. My face is very oily, and so this didn't bother me. I never moisturize because of the oil.. all of them make my skin break out even more. Expect to have some breakouts as you get used to this. I am almost down to the wire, things are clearing up slowly but surely. Medicare doesn't cover lots of meds like this, so OTC."

• Ann...
• May 27, 2013

For Acne "I've been using Differin and Clindamycin for several weeks due to moderate acne around my chin and jaw, mostly painful whiteheads. The meds have made a difference, clearing up the many scars and reducing breakouts. It has caused mild irritation (flakiness, dryness, peeling, and itchiness). I try applying a non-oily moisturizer to reduce these side effects but then risk more pimples. Moreover, I warn against waxing! I have two rough, discolored, and sensitive patches of skin recovering from waxing my upper lip. It started out as just burning and redness, so I'm hoping there won't be a scar. So, be sure to avoid these treatments when using Differin."

• Mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 6, 2018

Adapalene topical for Acne "I've been struggling with adult hormonal acne for a while now, I would always break out on my jawline and have tried everything. I saw a post about Differin gel and some good experiences with it, so I decided to give it a try. I started using the product last December. By mid-January, my face was clear. And it has continued to work. I use it faithfully every night. I did experience very dry skin in the beginning, but I found a great face lotion to help with that. I recommend this product to anyone struggling with acne."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2016

For Acne "Pros: My breakouts are almost completely gone. The breakouts I do get are usually because it's 'that time of the month.' Pimples usually disappear after 1-3 days and are much smaller. No more painful cystic acne. Cons: The first month sucks. Dry, scaly skin (especially around the eyes). Skin was red and blotchy, and makeup just made it hurt worse. You just have to keep pushing through and accept your face will be ugly for 1-3 months. Night routine: Wash face with plain water (cleansers just made my skin irritation worse) and a clean washcloth. Apply a pea-sized amount to whole face (spread thin over everywhere but my cheeks since I didn't have acne there, and they were just getting dried out). Make sure to moisturize and never skip a night."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2016

For Acne "Pros: My breakouts are almost completely gone. The breakouts I do get are usually because it's 'that time of the month.' Pimples usually disappear after 1-3 days and are much smaller. No more painful cystic acne. Cons: The first month sucks. Dry, scaly skin (especially around the eyes). Skin was red and blotchy, and makeup just made it hurt worse. You just have to keep pushing through and accept your face will be ugly for 1-3 months. Night routine: Wash face with plain water (cleansers just made my skin irritation worse) and a clean washcloth. Apply a pea-sized amount to whole face (spread thin over everywhere but my cheeks since I didn't have acne there, and they were just getting dried out). Make sure to moisturize and never skip a night."

• gir...
• July 7, 2016

For Acne "I'm on around my second week or so, and my skin is itchy, red, drying out, and burning. To top it all off, my acne is getting worse. I heard you have to wait a few weeks before it starts getting better, but wow, my face looks really bad right now. I don't even want to go out in public!!!!!"

• Thi...
• March 28, 2015

For Acne "Dried my skin out and almost burnt it a bit, it hurt so bad, and the only thing I could put on to relieve it was cold water. I think it must work for some, but it doesn't on people with sensitive skin!"

• Fro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 30, 2020

Adapalene topical for Acne "Alright, so I just finished my 6th week of using Differin, and I decided to switch it up. Also, if you're new to reading this, maybe read my other posts. Anyway, I decided to start putting this on every night after moisturizing, and let me tell you, my skin is flaky. It's weird because my skin isn't really dry, the top layer is. Later, I woke up and looked in the mirror the other day, and I could rub off the dead skin, kinda satisfying tbh. Anyway, since I increased my dosage, I started breaking out, but it'll hopefully go away soon."

• Joe...
• March 25, 2017

Adapalene topical for Acne "At the three-month mark using the over-the-counter, I posted previously. I started out using it once every three days and then went to every two days to make sure no issues, and eventually each day. Skin got very dry at first. I apply each evening about two hours before going to bed. In the AM, I apply Benzoyl Peroxide and then Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture with Sunscreen SPF 35. Wash and dry, and reapply as needed throughout the day. At the 9 or 10-week period, I had a serious outbreak after a calm period, but it cleared up. What works for me... When applying Differin, use an ample amount and massage into areas where you need it most. My sunglasses were irritating my nose where the pads sit. Turned out I was not making sure moisturizer was being applied in that region of the nose. Same for around the eyes."

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

Adapalene topical 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."

• Bar...
• February 26, 2016

Adapalene topical for Acne "2 weeks into the treatment, the first week was awful, burning, redness, peeling, more pimples. Slowly improved. I'm feeling a lot better, still a little bit of peeling and dry skin and a pimple here and there, but it doesn't burn anymore. They say 8 weeks, others 3 months to see results, so although it's too early to say that Differin won the battle, I have to say that I'm satisfied. Also, I use Clinique bar soap in the morning, Clinique acne cream, and tonic. And at night just St. Ives scrub and Differin. I wear my regular makeup, Revlon, but I want to switch to Clinique. It doesn't hold all day, my skin starts to get itchy in the evening. Just be patient!"

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

For Acne "I’ve been on adapalene since September. This product has ruined my skin. It never cleared up but only kept producing more bumps on top of dry skin. I have permanent dry, leather skin with millions of bumps on my face. I will never use this product again. My self-confidence is shot. At 27 years old, I should have clear skin, not scarring, dry leather skin."

• tay...
• February 19, 2016

For Acne "This gel has dried my skin out so badly I could barely put makeup on because my skin was flaky and very painful. It has cleared up some of my acne (I have hormonal acne), but it's definitely not worth the pain from the dryness. Steer clear of this."

• hap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2017

For Acne "My skin is sensitive and combination/oily. I have never had horrible or cystic acne, just a few pimples on my forehead all the time. About a month ago, the acne spread all over my forehead. I knew the problem wasn't my diet or a product because I tried eliminating these things. My dermatologist prescribed me 0.1% Differin gel a few weeks ago. There was no difference the first two days, but on the third day, I had no new pimples, and it's been that way since! I did experience slightly drier skin than usual, but no redness or flaking. I believe the key is to use as little product as possible and moisturize as soon as the product sinks into the skin. Also, it's important to exfoliate daily to help the product remove waste from your face."

• Kaz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2018

Adapalene topical for Acne "I used Differin as well as about 6 other prescription acne products in high school. They didn't work so well or clear up the acne, but left me with painfully dry, patchy, flaking skin. I tried Differin again after about 10 years because the sulfur products that were working stopped being effective. After about 4 months of use, my skin is completely clear and feels so soft. My skin was already looking better after one month. It had also helped fade the dark marks from my acne."

• Rac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 24, 2018

Adapalene topical for Acne "I’ve been using this product for about 4 months now, and it really does help your skin, and I recommend you use it at night before you go to bed. For me, the only side effect I’ve had was SUPER dry and flaky skin, that’s the only downside to this product. I try to moisturize my face right after I get out of the shower in the morning, and then I put on my makeup. Some days in the morning, even though I do moisturize, I put on my makeup, and when I’m done, I realize it looks like I have a beard because that’s how dry your skin gets. But if you do remember to moisturize, it won’t be as bad."

• MZe...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 18, 2015

For Acne "When I told my OB/GYN that I thought my Mirena was the cause of my acne, she put me on adapalene. I have used it for 7 months now. Initially, it made my skin break out terribly with large, irritated, dry patches. I was only using a small amount. This went on for about 4 months. As I understood it, this was normal and would subside. Eventually, it did, but I wasn't satisfied with the results, as I was still breaking out regularly. So, I had my Mirena removed and went on an anti-inflammatory diet, along with turmeric supplements. My skin finally cleared up! I fell off the diet a bit and began breaking out again, so I attribute the clearing of my skin to dietary changes, and not to the adapalene. For me, it just didn't work."

• Nin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 22, 2019

For Acne "I am in my 40s and have had bad acne since I was 12. This adapalene actually works! I had some skin flaking around my mouth and nose, which was annoying, but it went away after 3 weeks. I just used an ultra moisturizing lotion to help get through that process. Now my skin is beautiful. I have never had clear skin like this before."

• Hi ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 2, 2017

For Acne "At first, when I used it, it was really terrible. My skin got worse, and I also got dry patches all over my face, and it made me less confident, seriously! But I have been using it for almost 2 months now, I can really see the difference on my face. I've already read a lot of reviews, some said that when you use it for about 6 months, then you'll see the perfect results. And that's what I'm actually trying to do. My skin is not the best for now, but I'm sure it will eventually be gone. Thanks to adapalene! And this was actually recommended by my dermatologist. My skin has a lot of whiteheads going on on my forehead and chin, but it really lessened up."