Duac and Redness: What Users Say

• Mee...
• January 3, 2020

For Acne "So I've always had big, painful cysts and small pimples. I turned 27 and thought I've had enough, if I haven't grown out of this now, I never will. So I went to my GP and got Duac. I started using it every morning and evening, a light layer on my face in November. It's now January, and I have never had such perfect skin. Ever. I love this product, it changed my life. There are some side effects at the beginning, but honestly, just be patient. I got SUPER dry, red skin around my mouth and chin for 2 weeks, and the acne didn't go for a month. It's a bit of a tough time, as you're sore from spots as well as dryness, but just trust the process! I switched my moisturizer to bio oil gel, which is okay to use on the face, and it helps to reduce spot scars and discoloration. It is a heavy-duty moisturizer, but you need it, especially to begin with. Everyone in my life keeps commenting on how fresh my skin looks. My only regret is I didn't use it sooner. Honestly, don't waste any time, go get this stuff. XX"

• zoz...
• December 2, 2015

For Acne "Honestly, this cream is a MIRACLE! About 3 years ago, my skin was full of spots and acne, and I had blackheads all in my T-zone, and they never went away. I went to my doctor as I couldn't stand looking in the mirror anymore. He gave me this, and yes, it gave me very bad, painful, red skin and peeling skin, but after a few weeks, it went away, and you could see a difference in my spots in a few days as my family was commenting on it. I did it for 12 weeks, and my face was COMPLETELY clear. I was so happy. Then, after about a month, it all came back, so I went back to the doctors. He said I should try the cream again but for as long as I needed it. I'm still using it now, and that was nearly a year ago. My face is clear, and it's because of this cream."

• Acn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2014

For Acne "Great product, but the side effects are awful! I've been using Duac for a week now, and literally all of my blackheads have disappeared. It's amazing! My spots have also shrunk in size a lot and have almost healed, and my scars are fading too. The only trouble I have had with Duac is that when I first put it on, it dried my skin out a lot and made it extremely flaky. Then, when I continued to use it, applying it on most of the area of my face, I woke up the next morning and both of my cheeks were burning, bright red, and really itchy. I stopped using it for a couple of days until the redness had gone and then applied a smaller amount, but still, the burning and itchy sensation has returned."

• Mel...
• February 9, 2014

For Acne "What an amazing product. I have struggled with acne for about 10 years (now 22). My entire T-zone has always had blackheads, which (although not good for the skin) I have been extracting almost every second day. It has made me extremely frustrated that no matter how much money I spend on keeping my skin healthy, it was always a temporary fix. I wanted an alternative to the pill as I was terrified of the side effects it came with. The doctor gave me Duac. I have been using this product every night (after I moisturize), and I am now on my fifth day - ALL OF MY BLACKHEADS ARE GONE. Don't ask me how! I have not had any peeling, dryness, redness, or burning. There is only a small tingling sensation when applied. This is a lifesaver of a product."

• Anonymous
• September 29, 2013

For Acne "Duac has a magical effect in just two days. Duac gave me very good results, but it makes my skin dry, and when I use it, the first day it makes my skin too red, but when the redness is gone, my skin is clear."

• Pri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 14, 2019

For Acne "I started using Duac gel about a week ago. On the good side, I have actually seen some improvements on my forehead, however, I had to stop using it as it has really badly irritated my skin. It’s red, blotchy, dry, flaky, itchy, burning, and rough. At first, this started on my chin but has now spread all over my face and is extremely uncomfortable."

• Mid...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 6, 2019

For Acne "I used Duac for 3 nights, and although my acne has greatly reduced, I have huge red patches that feel like burns on my face. I only applied it to the spots, but the soreness and redness have spread out. My skin is too sensitive to even dry my face with a towel. I have been advised to moisturize as much as possible, which I have been doing for the last 3 days, but have seen little improvement - fingers crossed!"

• Sia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2018

For Acne "I have previously done a review on this before, saying how good it was, which I still think it is. However, I’m not sure if the advantages cancel out the negatives of having a lot of redness often in blotches, the burning sensation, and itchiness. This gel really does do the job of clearing the skin, which is amazing, but you do have to put up with the side effects."

• Chl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2015

For Acne "At first, I hated this cream. I suffered from really bad redness (people thought I was sunburned). Then came the peeling face and irritation, burning feeling, it was awful. However, after using it frequently now for a few months, the effects have all disappeared, and now applying this cream is just a part of my bedtime routine. However, I would recommend starting the treatment when you have free time off work or school, whatever, because the first few days you can have irritated skin, redness, and it's not exactly pretty. Overall, I have grown to love this cream, as I've already noticed my acne clearing, which has given me the confidence to go without makeup because I think that just makes my acne worse. I highly recommend a good moisturizer."

• Lar...
• May 15, 2016

For Acne "I have been using Duac gel for 9 days now, and my advice to anyone would be to persevere. I have very sensitive skin, so I was expecting some sort of reaction to the gel. After day 3, my skin was so red and sore. I moisturized throughout the day, and this has really helped the patches of dry skin. On day 4, I only applied the gel for an hour, and the next night didn't apply it to the worst area. Now on day 9, the redness has completely gone, and my skin looks better than it has in years. I am so happy that I didn't give up on day 3, and that is mainly because of the reviews below. There is a chance that it will be painful that first week, but don't give up! I will provide another review once I have used it for 2 months - can't wait to see the changes!"

• Wes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 7, 2019

For Acne "I've been on this for 3 weeks now, and unfortunately have seen no change in my skin whatsoever except that the acne seems to be getting worse. I have had no redness or dryness at all from using it-just more acne. I am 23 and had clear skin my whole life until I was 22 when I started to get hormonal cystic acne. Duac doesn't seem to be effective against this kind of acne."

• Abb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 1, 2015

For Acne "This stuff is a miracle! I haven't really got bad acne but am always getting blemishes. The doctor prescribed me with Duac, and after the first few days, my spots had cleared up already. No redness or irritation whatsoever. I would highly recommend giving Duac a go and also to use moisturizer with Duac as it dries your skin."

• Jen...
• August 19, 2016

For Acne "I went to my dermatologist after suffering throughout my teenage years with acne. They prescribed me Duac gel. The first few days of using it, my skin was fine, apart from a few red, patchy areas of skin. In my second week of using it, I was in constant pain. My face was inflamed, swollen, incredibly dry, and unbearably sore. I decided to stop using it and allowed my skin to recover from my traumatic ordeal, I had honestly never felt worse about myself. I then decided to give it another go, but this time using it for an hour a day, every other day. Once I felt my skin had acclimatized, I did an hour every day. Now I can apply it overnight without any redness or dryness. My skin has cleared up so much, but I recommend acclimatizing your skin."

• meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 4, 2019

For Acne "I am a teen who has had severe acne for two years with red, angry spots and whiteheads. I was prescribed Duac, which I have been on for a week now. It hasn't taken away all my spots but has shrunk them considerably. It doesn't sting but can cause redness and can make your face feel very tight. If you use makeup, wash it off in the morning because it will come up really weird under foundation and flaky, and I would recommend using moisturizer before using and in the morning. I'm not getting any new spots coming either :)"

• Lac...
• January 13, 2014

For Acne "I have been using it for about 2 weeks now. It works a little, but it takes a long time. I have noticed my acne scars going away. However, it makes my face red, and it burns really bad! So much that most of the time, I'll go and wash it off with freezing cold water."

• Use...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2021

For Acne "So I’ve been on the Duac cream for around 8 weeks now, and it started working well after 2 to 3 weeks. But unfortunately, my skin broke out at about 4 to 5 weeks, and now, in my 8th week, it’s starting to improve because it’s finished purging. I suggest people should stick with the cream because it’s normal to purge after a month of using the cream, but by the 7th to 8th week, it should start to get better, and hopefully, I will have significantly clearer skin by the 10th to 12th week. I also experienced really dry skin, redness, and because I didn't put the cream on my mustache area by mistake, it looked horrible as my cheeks and everything were red, and that area was milk white. So make sure you use the cream everywhere on your face if you want your face to be the same color all over."

• msn...
• May 24, 2009

For Acne "I've been using this for almost 2 months now, and it helped clear my face. It also regulates the skin's sebum production, hence reducing oiliness. Side effects are peeling, redness, increased sun sensitivity, burning, and itching. I recommend to first-time users to put a very small amount on parts affected. Patience is the key. For a week or two, your face will really adjust to it, but it works. My face even has a pinkish glow to it now, and I feel more confident."

• Ham...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2018

For Acne "I used this cream for 3 nights, and for the past 72 hours, my face has been red, extremely dry, very tight, and I’ve had a painful burning sensation, and my face can’t seem to cool down whatsoever. For the dryness, I tried a very small amount of moisturizer on an area of my face, and it just burned and stung more :("

• Cha...
• December 16, 2009

For Acne "This stuff is magical, it works really, really well. Although my skin dried out and went red occasionally, this was solved with a bit of E45 moisturizer in the morning after my Duac at night. WARNING: DO NOT GET IN EYES OR ANY OTHER MUCUS MEMBRANES (lips, mouth, etc.). I didn't take any notice and put it NEAR my eyes (just on the bags underneath the eye), and it dried out my eyes the next morning, having eye drops for 3 days. But if the instructions are followed correctly, Duac is great."

• mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 23, 2013

For Acne "I applied Duac on my face as instructed, and after 2 days of using it, I noticed that my pimples started to disappear, but the problem is my whole face got swollen, itchy, and red. I can't even sleep and go to school for days. So what I did is visit my doctor again, and he told me that those were the side effects of the product and told me to stop using it. To relieve the stinging and redness, I used an ice pack on my face and put moisturizer non-stop. Luckily, after a few days the swelling and redness disappeared. Thank God my acne disappeared, and since then, whenever pimples appear on my face, I just applied the gel directly on the pimples."

• Lou...
• February 14, 2016

For Acne "I'm 26 and have suffered from severe spots since my early teens. I've been using this cream for around 3 weeks now. I had quite severe spots on my chin that would become really sore. My Dr. gave me Duac along with tablets to take for 6 weeks. I've noticed such a massive improvement already, and I've got so much more confidence. It does dry your skin, but I've started using cleanser and a cleansing oil after washing my face, and I've got no dry skin. Only apply to areas that need it because it can make your face really red and itchy. Overall, I think it's brilliant. I'm so glad I finally went to my Dr."

• Meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 11, 2013

For Acne "Love this, and it's only been three days. I have had acne since I was 16 and just put up with it after trying Proactiv, Chinese medicine, every brand of stuff from the supermarket and chemist (well, almost), the Dianne contraceptive combination pill, changing diet, washing face compulsively, and also washing face less often! Nothing seemed to work! After having my son 3 months ago and frustrated with my acne, I decided to ask the doctor! I got a sample tube of this miracle cream and noticed a huge improvement on the first application, after half a day, my acne was less raised, and my older spots were healed with just a little bit of redness! Into my third day, and I'm so impressed, gained a bit of confidence back, and feeling good about myself!"

• Di ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2016

For Acne "I started to have acne issues after. Was trying to treat it with simple anti-acne medicines. Didn't help to recover fully, but managed to reduce a bit. Thought it's taking too long (1.5 months), so went to GP, who prescribed me Duac. Started to apply, the next morning, acne seemed to start drying. So continued for the next night. On day 3, woke up with severe redness on my forehead, chin, and places around my nose. It was the weekend, so couldn't go to see my GP straight away. Had to call my friend, a doctor, who said that the redness is caused by an allergic reaction. Apparently, it took time before Duac got absorbed into my skin and reached the blood capillary. That's why it took a while before the allergy appeared. Be very careful with this gel!!!!"

• Whi...
• July 16, 2019

For Acne "I was prescribed this by my doctor for some minor cystic acne around my chin (I'm in my mid-20s). I used it as instructed, knowing that due to the benzoyl peroxide, it would irritate and dry the skin initially, but after five days, I just had to stop. My skin became raw, red, flaky, excoriated, discolored, and painfully dry. It made my skin WORSE, instead of a few ugly spots, I now had angry, red, peeling patches on my face, and for nearly a week, I had to slather on liberal amounts of moisturizer and bio-oil just to keep the itchiness, irritation, and pain of my dry cracked skin down to tolerable levels. Five days of using Duac, and it took my skin over a week to get to the point where I don't have to layer on moisturizer to get through the day (still not even back to where it was pre-Duac), and the worst part was, it didn't even help with the spots! They're still there. Completely useless, made my skin so much worse. 100% would not recommend."

• Pat...
• August 16, 2016

For Acne "Had a cyst-like spot thing on my chin that lasted for 3 years. Would come and go, always raising its ugly head. I got this cream from my GP, used it for one month, and any recurring spots have not completely gone. It's been nearly a year and clear skin! Very, very happy with the results. It does cause your skin to dry out when you use it and can be a little red, but this goes down after a few days. Worth it for the end result."