Duac and Dry Skin: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• November 16, 2015

For Acne "I've been using this medication for over a week now, and it's made my skin extremely dry. I can't apply foundation without it looking patchy, regardless of the amount of moisturizer I use morning and night alongside primer. It's broken my face out with pimples. I didn't even have pimples to start off with-the medication was for scarring. I am so disappointed with this because it's further spoiled my skin."

• Arl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2015

For Acne "I've used it for a week, and the first three days were okay besides the peeling off the skin; it was moderate and not itchy a lot, so I gave it a chance. After a week or so, one morning I woke up with completely irritated skin, red; it was like I had a laser procedure. I didn't use it the following night, hoping redness and itchiness would go for good, but the following day was even worse. Puffy, red, itchy, and irritated skin, dry like a raisin. So, as it's the weekend, I have to stay calm till tomorrow's doctor's appointment, hoping it will all get cured. It really seems like an allergy or chemical burn. I really hope it will be healed. I really advise using it on small parts of the acne-affected places just to give it a try."

• All...
• January 13, 2016

For Acne "So I was prescribed Duac on Monday, the 11th, by my doctor after trying three different types of treatment, which didn't really work! I know it's early days, but I have seen slight improvement already! I have had no side effects at all, no burning sensation, no flaking skin, it doesn't make my makeup go cakey either! I absolutely love this so far!"

• Chi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2016

For Acne "I had a clean face, but since I had dramatic weight loss, I had an outbreak of acne. My dermatologist gave me Duac. I've used it since September, and it has been slow, but I've seen a big change. It's doing its job well, the only thing is that it leaves your skin dry."

• Ber...
• February 28, 2018

For Acne "I've had bad skin since I was 11, and I'd been using Duac on and off since I was 15, but never correctly. At the age of 19, I decided to give it another go. I started using it in Nov 17, and I saw fantastic results by January. Like many other users here, I did experience some side effects, such as my eyes puffing up a bit, itching, and really dry skin. I told my doctor, who told me to continue using it daily but to apply moisturizer frequently. Although my skin stayed dry, after a couple of nights of wearing the Duac, all the other side effects went away and never returned throughout the course of using it. I finished after 12 weeks as prescribed. Although I still had visible acne scars from the previous 8 years, I had no spots and no blackheads. It worked perfectly! The only problem was, 2 weeks after not using it, my skin is back to normal, if not worse. Although it does work fantastically, it seems to have short-term results - at least for my skin type anyway."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 13, 2016

For Acne "I went to the doctor's about my acne, and she prescribed me this gel. I used it on my face the first night I got it, and it was fine, I woke up with a few red patches, but overall thought it worked well. I applied it on the second night, and I woke up to severe redness and itchiness on my face, as well as big dry patches on my cheeks, chin, and forehead. Turns out I had an allergic reaction to this gel, which has left my sensitive skin unbearable to look at. It has caused my eyes to swell up, and itching still persists."

• Ell...
• November 26, 2019

For Acne "As a teenager, I suffered from small acne spots that got worse. I didn’t cleanse my face well and was doing all the wrong things. But when I finally went to my GP, she said maybe try Duac for a bit and see how it works. I then waited patiently, and after a month, most of my spots were gone! I also went to see a dermatologist, and she told me what my skin type was and how to clean my skin properly to keep it healthy (although it’s expensive, it’s worth it). Getting to know my skin was the key to fighting acne. Like most people, Duac dried my skin, especially under my eyes and my smile lines. However, if you are using Duac to clear forehead spots, it’s perfect, as I experienced absolutely no dryness on my forehead, and it’s stayed smooth and shiny. :) I love Duac and will continue to use it as I’m afraid the hormones inside my contraceptive pill may make the spots come back!"

• Sta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 14, 2016

For Acne "Tried this twice, have really bad hormonal acne and was prescribed this by my GP, completely dried my skin out and it hurt to use anything but simple face wash on it, stung and itched a lot and made my dermatitis so much worse. That was last year, gave up on prescribed treatments until 2 months ago, again was given Duac even after describing my first experience with it. Have used it for 6 weeks now, skin has adjusted to drying but has done nothing for my acne, still have as many breakouts if not worse."

• Six...
• April 8, 2017

For Acne "I'm 19 and have quite bad acne on my lower face, especially on my cheeks, and I was prescribed Duac 5%, and have been using it for 3 weeks. I was really excited at the prospect of my skin improving, as my self-confidence drastically plummeted each time my acne worsened, but as of yet, this hasn't happened. The gel dries out the skin massively, and every moisturizer I have used has failed to help this. This has left me with no improvement to my skin, but now I have the added bonus of dry, flaky skin that makes it impossible to cover with foundation, so now my dry skin is visible, as is my severe acne. This hasn't helped my skin or confidence, and I'm nearly at the end of my prescribed time of 5 weeks. My confidence is at an all-time low due to my acne."

• G95...
• May 29, 2016

For Acne "I've been suffering with really bad acne since the removal of my implant about three months ago. I tried all the over-the-counter 'remedies' and face washes, etc., with no success. I have incredibly sensitive skin, so I was worried about using it at first. I'm on day three now (early days I know), however, I couldn't be happier with it. My skin is so much clearer! All my spots have dried out, and I haven't had any new ones since using it. When I wake up, my skin can be a bit dry, but my doctor said just to give it a good soak in the shower every morning, and it will be fine. Which I have, and it really helps. Overall, I'm very happy with the product so far, feeling a lot more confident with my skin."

• Car...
• January 6, 2017

For Acne "I was prescribed Duac gel for my acne. At first, it worked wonders on my skin and cleared up my acne. I found sometimes that it would dry out my skin, though, so I had to moisturize every day. After using it for about 5 months, I took a break from using it. About 5 months later, I started to use Duac gel again, as I saw my acne was slowly starting to reappear. However, when I started using it the second time, I woke up the next morning and my eyes were very swollen, red, and itchy. I thought it may have been something that I had eaten the previous day, but as I continued to use Duac gel every night, every morning I woke up, I had very swollen, red, and itchy eyes. Last night I used Duac gel and I woke up with severely swollen eyes and had to go to the GP."

• Kee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 19, 2017

For Acne "I never really had acne, but around 2 years ago, I started to get pimples on my hairline, but nothing too serious. I went to the doctor, and he prescribed me Duac. Though my pimples cleared away, my skin got extremely dry, to the point where I was so embarrassed to go anywhere 'cause my skin was so flaky and dry. I was so upset because it just didn't go away. After about a year, I went to the dermatologist, and he prescribed me this cream called 'ELIDEL' (prescription only), which basically saved my life. After about a couple of months, my skin was much better. So, after multiple visits to the doctor and almost 2 years later, my skin is finally close to how it used to be. So, in short, be careful when you use Duac, but I would recommend never using it."

• pip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 17, 2018

For Acne "Duac cleared my skin! I suffered with mild acne, so I cannot say what it will do for more severe acne, but in my opinion, it's worth trying. Duac is the only thing I’ve found that clears my closed comedones and whiteheads and gets rid of blackheads. Lots of people give Duac a bad name due to the side effects, but if you persevere through them, you will most likely see great results! I did suffer from the side effects fairly badly, I had a rash/burn on my cheeks and chin, had dry skin all over, and also got a rash on my neck despite not applying Duac to it. My advice with Duac is to slowly incorporate it into your skin care routine to allow your skin to adapt to it. Also, use a very hydrating moisturizer (even if you have oily skin) twice a day. Oh, and don’t put it on any clear areas of skin, or you’ll have unnecessary dryness and irritation."

• blu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2021

For Acne "I have been told by many people that they can see a difference in my skin and how much less I’m breaking out, which is amazing! However, much like everyone else here, I am suffering from burns and dry, itchy skin. It has come to the point that even using moisturizer hurts for me to use. I’m hoping it goes down soon, and I think I’m gonna have to take a break for a few days."

• EP1...
• May 9, 2016

For Acne "Had the worst experience with this gel. I'm not the type to suffer from side effects, and I reacted badly to this. It burned my skin and went red raw for at least 4 to 5 days. It was also very, very dry. Having acne is horrible, but this cream is not worth it."

• Aly...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 31, 2018

For Acne "I've never had bad acne on my face, but I got some inflammation on my shoulders. As I got older, it started to fix itself, but I wanted something to help it along a little. I went to the doctor's and was prescribed Duac. Due to my pale skin, I was given a slightly weaker version of the gel. As expected, I had dry and itchy skin, but it passed. My shoulders became clearer, but I noticed that my face hadn't improved at all, it seemed to have gotten worse. It caused me to have a breakout on my chin that, two weeks on, still hasn't cleared up. I only apply it to my cheeks and chin, but noticed that I was getting small red lumps on my forehead. My skin has turned really red, and it seems like the irritation that you experience when you first start using this gel has returned. I have read the reviews and comments here saying that people could see improvements within several weeks to a month, but I've seen no change and it appears as though I'm just wasting my breath with this product."

• Vic...
• May 12, 2016

For Acne "I get quite a few red spots only in my T-zone, along with loads of little red bumps on my forehead. I've been using Duac cream for about 5 days now, and I have seen quite a good improvement, especially on my forehead. However, my skin is bright red and flaky that it almost looks worse. I don't have as many spots at all, but my whole face is red and constantly burning to the point where I cry. Yes, it is good for spots, but for me, it's not worth it."

• Al9...
• April 11, 2016

For Acne "Honestly, so happy that I was prescribed this! Never ever had problems with my skin, and then recently I was diagnosed with 'mild acne' and given this. Absolutely over the moon with how much it's cleared up my face, and I had results within the first night of using it! Skin is dry in the morning, but overall would definitely recommend this product!"

• Anonymous
• December 16, 2011

For Acne "I had really bad acne. The pill takes about 3 weeks to kick in. The creams help a lot too! Although they do dry your skin out. Just put some baby lotion on your face - works for back, arms, and chest as well."

• Jul...
• March 28, 2017

For Acne "Used this product for 2 years. Be careful. It was very effective in clearing all of my acne. As a result of this cream, I previously got seborrheic dermatitis, which I had to cure with antibiotics, and it gave me a scar. It also made my skin swollen and the scar more visible, it feels as if it stops your skin from repairing and keeps stripping it of all moisture, even if moisturizing constantly. It makes your skin very dry. I stopped using it two weeks ago as I thought the side effects outweighed the positives, and my skin feels much better. The scar is less visible and healing. Currently using glycolic acid with Differin, and I'm on the Dretine contraceptive pill, moisturizing with mango butter (non-comedogenic) - very effective."

• kxm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2025

For Acne "I was prescribed this after having painful acne and random hormonal bumps, and as a 15-year-old in high school, this started taking over my life. But ever since I was prescribed this, my deep acne (no whitehead) cleared within a night. Without Duac, I would even skip school due to no remedy for these bumps. Duac has really saved my skin, and whilst it does leave your skin (make sure you apply little) a bit dry, following with a hydrating cream afterwards feels amazing. I really recommend this, you won't regret it."

• Pho...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2018

For Acne "I've been putting up with acne for 3 years, and now have been using this product for a few months, and for me, it's the best solution to clear up my skin. I can also recommend Acnecide gel, which you don't have to get from the doctor, but it doesn't have antibiotics in it like Duac does, so it isn't as strong. It still works, though. I put my gel on and follow it up with an oil-free moisturizer, so it isn't dry, and I do this for my face, chest, and back. Incredible results. I'm so much more confident and never thought I had any hope of my skin clearing up. The only thing is you have to persist with it. I waited about a week for my doctor prescription to deliver to the pharmacy near me, and my skin got bad again within that time, but not as bad as it had been before."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2021

For Acne "I found that it made my skin dry, red, and patchy. Dry/red/irritated skin, on top of acne, was not ideal! So I decided to come off it only 2 weeks into starting it. I know I should've probably given it a better chance, but I just thought it made me look 10 times worse than having acne alone! It made me look like I had another skin condition. It did dry out my skin majorly, and even 2 weeks later I still have the dry patches, although I am moisturizing well. For some that worry about oily skin contributing to acne, this could be a positive. I just note that it is a very, very harsh cream, and anything with the ability to bleach my towels would, in my opinion, be too harsh for my skin."

• DSC...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2015

For Acne "Annoyed when they first gave me this, but it appears to be working well. Runs out fast, though, and dries out the skin a lot."

• Lit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2017

For Acne "Less problem with dry skin if you use sparingly. One tube lasts me about 10 weeks, using daily on face, neck, and upper back."