Epiduo and Pain: What Users Say

• tad...
• October 9, 2014

For Acne "This stuff is amazing! At first, I had my doubts because in the first week, my face became red, sore, dry, and flaky. However, that is something that you have to put up with for a week or two. My skin is almost completely clear, and I am up to about month 4 of using the gel. My advice is do not give up on the gel, keep using it, and you will see improvements!"

• Tay...
• August 20, 2019

For Acne "I was prescribed Epiduo for moderate acne. She unfortunately didn’t discuss how sensitive my skin was, otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have been prescribed this. Epiduo is brutal. I thought I could perhaps tolerate the effect it had on my skin in the hope of combatting my acne, but it gradually got worse instead of better. I experienced extreme dryness and cracking. My face felt like it was on fire, and it was as if I had a chemical burn. It started to dry out my eyelids, despite completely avoiding the eye area. My lips became chapped and cracked. It hurt to even shower, as the water was uncomfortable on my face. I use CeraVe face wash and Cetaphil moisturizer, as they are non-comedogenic, but even this made me feel pain. Today, I was driven to tears at the extreme pain I was feeling, so I’m going to have to stop using it. I appreciate all the success stories, and I’m glad that people have experienced positive outcomes with their skin, but the experience for me was absolutely awful."

• Hol...
• April 3, 2014

For Acne "Part 1: This stuff is amazing, by far the best product if you are looking for something to help with your skin. If you have gotten this product from a dermatologist and you've come across my review, make sure you aren't just slapping it on thinking it will give you faster results, this will dry out your skin if you aren't careful. Use enough that it will cover your whole face (don't get too close to your eyes), but only do this once a week and slowly add it into your routine. Then the next week, do it twice with a few days in between, then the next week three, etc. Your skin needs to adapt to this product, otherwise, it will hurt. If your skin does get a little dry, I suggest using 'Nivea Cream', it comes in a 100ml blue bottle."

• Sta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2019

For Acne "Please do not get your eyebrows waxed or threaded whilst using this! Recently had my eyebrows waxed and ripped a whole layer of my skin off. Very painful and so inflamed, leaving me unable to leave the house."

• Meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2017

For Acne "Epiduo hurt. And stung. It hurt when I put it on, it hurt when I put on lotion, and it hurt when I tried makeup. I only put it on at night; washed my face, put on the Epiduo for 15 minutes, then covered myself in Nivea Soft lotion (the one that stung the least, $4.99). Today is day 18, and I am THRILLED! I only have scars, which are fading day by day. My skin is still peeling and stings! But it's tolerable. I haven't worn makeup to college or work for the past 3 days for the first time in my entire life, and I looked fine. A guy even hit on me in the parking lot! I will continue to use Epiduo even if the peeling face never goes away. It's done wonders! I'll wait another month and post on here again for the same results. STICK TO IT! TRUST!"

• Jam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 15, 2013

For Acne "I have been using Epiduo for a week now, and wow, has it made a huge difference. I have tried many other products with no success. For years, I saw the Epiduo commercials and just ignored them. (A huge mistake.) I am 16 years old and have had a big acne problem for years now. I am so glad I finally suggested to my doctor to try this. I will say that it hurts, but during the day, I wear an oil-free facial lotion. I wear the Epiduo at night. I am getting used to it, and so far, I am very pleased! I wish someone would have suggested this to me years ago!"

• Yoo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 3, 2013

For Acne "Update: My skin initially cleared up for the first week, but then the next 2-3 weeks were horrible, with a lot of breakouts! For the first 3 weeks, my skin was so red, painful, dry, and peeling. Then, all of a sudden, everything went away... My acne is minimal, almost completely gone after a little over a month, and my skin feels so hydrated! Such a great product!"

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 15, 2015

For Acne "So I'm 16, a teenager with acne, as usual. I used this product from my dermatologist, and I have to say I love it! I didn't get any peeling, redness, or pain at all. I really noticed a difference after the first day. It smoothed my skin and took away some scars. I love this product and would definitely recommend it for other teenagers like me dealing with acne."

• Fal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2014

For Acne "I started using Epiduo, and it was working perfectly. Then, one day around my eyebrows started to hurt, then, the next day, the skin was peeling. It wasn't sunburn for sure because there was no sunshine for days. I put the lotion on it, and it stung. Three days later, my skin is still peeling, it hurts when I touch it, and my acne is back."

• Joa...
• March 10, 2016

For Acne "I've been on this product for about 6 months. Yes, the beginning is hard. You will get more pimples, and your skin will burn and turn red, but realize this will pass and the struggle is worth it. A couple of weeks is worth it compared to years' worth of bad acne. Do not wax your upper lip if you are applying Epiduo there - very painful. Also, after applying, use a fan or roll down a car window so that the air dries your face fast, so the irritation will go away quicker. I have no irritation of any sort anymore - just skin that gets better and better each day."

• Aly...
• April 17, 2017

For Acne "I'm 18 years old. My acne started very severely when I was 16, and I was given medication by a dermatologist when it was at its worst. After a year, the pills stopped working, and my face broke out with giant, dark red cysts. I was then prescribed Epiduo. Not gonna lie, it was painful at first; my face was the darkest shade of red, super flaky, and burned something awful. Applying lotion to try and stop the peeling stung, and I was so embarrassed to go to school looking like I'd gotten the worst sunburn ever. After a little over a month of this, I became discouraged, BUT I continued using it, and I'm glad I did. My face is no longer red, and my acne is almost completely cleared up. STICK WITH IT! I've been using it for over a year now. It works!"

• Mar...
• July 12, 2013

For Acne "I got prescribed this product last August after visiting a dermatologist. Acne was always one of my insecurities, and it had gotten pretty bad, but about 4 months of using Epiduo, my face had cleared. The first few weeks are going to be miserable, my face peeled, became red, and hurt to even touch. To help the dryness, I found using Eucerin's Aquaphor completely saved my life. I highly recommend this product, go see your dermatologist."

• --c...
• May 28, 2013

For Acne "I've been using it for 5 days. I think it's a VERY strong medication. It hurts, it burns, and it's really irritating. It has made my pores very small, my pimples are almost gone, but I called my dermatologist because of how it was feeling, and she told me if it starts to feel very irritating, only use it once in a while. But the irritation seems to be going down, but it's still RED!"

• Epi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2016

For Acne "I'm 25, and I've tried lots of different approaches to get rid of my acne. This is the first time I've had any success. I should add that I had been prescribed benzoyl peroxide in the past, but I think I started getting side effects and stopped. I should not have stopped. That is my advice to anyone who starts using any benzoyl peroxide creams. Stick with it through the first few weeks of pain. It gets better. At least it did for me. It was so painful to begin with. My skin was red and so sore. It felt like a stinging, burning, itchy graze all over my face. No, it's not an easy treatment, but this is exactly what I do...clean my face at night, one pump of Epiduo, then Bio-Oil, not moisturizer, wash off in the morning. One month in and I'm spot-free."

• Epi...
• May 31, 2016

For Acne "I have been on this medication for over three months for moderate acne. It got rid of most of the acne, but the first two weeks were almost unbearably painful. After three months, I didn't give up yet, but I still get big red and under-the-skin pimples that are super noticeable, along with whiteheads. My skin is covered in acne scars that faded slightly from the exfoliation of Epiduo, but my skin's texture is hideous, it is dry and crusty, and on top of the extreme dryness, it is oily! This medication is very hard to deal with, and as soon as I stop using it, I know I'll break out again. I think Epiduo will work wonderfully on foreheads, but all over the face completely killed my skin. I hate my skin only slightly less now :/"

• Vio...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 26, 2019

For Acne "I had really bad acne on my chin and cheeks. I tried everything, but nothing worked for me, and it only got worse. I then started with Epiduo, and now after 11 weeks my face is so clear again! I still have some bad scars and really oily skin, but it's worth it! The first 2 weeks were horrible because it only got worse, and it hurt so bad, but after a month or 2, you will really see a difference!"

• Anonymous
• September 10, 2014

For Acne "I do not have sensitive skin. The first time I tried using this product, it dries up my face, causing redness and flakiness. Now it hurts so much I have to discontinue this product. My face is so dry and red now."

• Jey...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2019

For Acne "I was prescribed Epiduo by my dermatologist after being on oral antibiotics. My skin is extremely sensitive, and I have been suffering from hormonal acne for the past 3.5 years. I applied Epiduo for the first time, and my skin turned red, dry, and patchy. I was also breaking out much more on the areas that I applied the cream. Hence, I stopped applying the cream. I later heard from my doctor that this was a normal reaction and had to be used for a minimum of 4-6 weeks in order to see results. So, I decided to give it another try a few weeks later after my skin had healed. This time, I broke out even more on my chin and had several cystic acne that have been so painful to deal with. Beyond that, my skin started to burn, and even my lips turned so dry. Now, I'm dealing with the newly formed cystic acne and dry skin. I do not recommend Epiduo for sensitive skin."

• The...
• May 7, 2013

For Acne "I'm 13, and I have been using Epiduo gel for about a month now. At first, I used it, and I couldn't stand it! I thought I would rather have acne, but then I started liking someone, so I wanted to look good. After a month, it is just amazing. For pretty much everyone, it does itch and peel, but those side effects go away. The redness is the last thing to go, not the best thing, but it's better than peeling and not being able to put makeup on. It does hurt while using it, so 9/10."

• Meg...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 28, 2012

For Acne "One year ago - dozens of pimples on my face at a given time. Very severe. One year later - acne nearly gone! Here's my story: I am 17 years old today, I began Epiduo a year ago. My acne was very bad and very embarrassing. It made me so insecure about myself. Epiduo is very bittersweet. The first month I had it, my acne has reduced significantly. However, after the first month, my skin broke out even worse than what it had before I started. My skin was red all over for a good 2 months, my skin was dry as could be and peeled very badly, had acne all over, etc. It was very painful too, my face burned! Today, the side effects are gone and so is my acne! I have only 2 pimples on my face! But if you stop using the product, the acne returns!"

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 14, 2016

For Acne "This product is AMAZING. For my whole life, I thought the condition I had was rosacea and spent literally £100s of pounds on these worthless moisturizers thinking it would work its magic. But no. So I had enough of my bad skin and went to my GP. She actually said I had acne and prescribed me Epiduo gel, which was £8. Oh my God, I cannot believe how amazing this stuff is. So for the first few weeks, my face was RED and dry and so sensitive it hurt! I literally couldn't put any products on my face and had to buy the most moisturizing moisturizer from Clinique, which helped a lot. However, the results, even after a few weeks, were so noticeable! I'm so HAPPY this has worked wonders for me."

• A12...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2017

For Acne "I took Accutane for 6 months when I was in high school for chest and back acne. Fast forward, I'm 22 and my chest acne was returning at a quick rate. I had a new pimple almost every day, and that left 4 huge red and painful marks on my chest. My friend had tried Epiduo, but sadly it didn't help her, so she let me try it. And in SEVEN days of applying it in the morning and night, my chest has completely cleared. I read a lot of reviews that it did not help people but actually hurt them. My chest suffered no pain, but I'm sure chest skin and face skin are very different. I even used it as a spot treatment near my mouth, and it cleared up in a couple of days. I am so glad I found Epiduo because it's helped me so much."

• san...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 31, 2014

For Acne "I've suffered from acne for 8 years now and went through all sorts of phases. Now I'm 20 years old and it's all down on the chin area with deep, painful cysts everywhere. Unfortunately, Epiduo (or any topical cream, actually) is not good for that kind of stuff. If you're a teenager, this may yield more likely results. I had an extremely oily face as a teen, so I didn't even experience the red, dry, flaky skin that most do. Sadly, it stopped being effective about 6 months in, so eventually, I quit. Recently, I've tried it again, but now it gives me persistent, painful red, dry, flaky skin and not much positive results. It may be better for other people."

• And...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 10, 2016

For Acne "Worst cream ever, it literally burned my face. I couldn't apply anything to my face for weeks because it was so painful. My skin became excessively flaky and sensitive, I couldn't even wash it because the skin was so sensitive. Waste of money."

• Ell...
• April 4, 2016

For Acne "I started using this product to treat mild adult acne. I wish I would have researched it first, as I developed a horrible cellulitis infection on the left side of my face after using this product for about a month. I had to take oral antibiotics for several days, and the pain associated with the cellulitis was horrid!!"