Adapalene topical and Irritation: What Users Say

• Nic...
• September 4, 2014

For Acne "I had moderate-severe acne when I hit 21. It was a very tormenting stage for me, having this kind of acne. I can't go outdoors without wearing foundation/concealer to cover up redness. My self-confidence was low. Finally, I went to the dermatologist, she prescribed oral and topical treatment. I stopped taking oral antibiotics because I read that it's not good for the body. So I only maintained adapalene gel. I think adapalene helps a lot because it minimized the growth of occurring acne as well as clearing my skin. I use BP sparingly to avoid irritation and rash. Though adapalene slowly works, and it takes months to see improvements, I didn't experience flaking or stinging from it. I hope to see more improvements on my face while on it."

• cle...
• March 31, 2015

Adapalene topical for Acne "Worked really well. After about 2 months, my acne was a lot clearer. I hardly get acne anymore. Hardly any irritation when I used the 0.01%, and I've had a pretty bad reaction to other acne creams I've tried before."

• Anonymous
• June 4, 2020

Adapalene topical for Acne "My acne returned when I turned 19 (I’m 29 yrs old now). Since then, I’ve had mild/moderate acne. I was just sick of having acne, so I gave Differin a go. The first 2 weeks, my skin didn’t form any new pimples, it was clear, with small spots, but my skin was very dry and irritated. By week 4/5, I had massive red irritated breakouts, my purge had begun. Several infected pores turned into a big spot. My routine: use hydrating serum, then apply an oil to my sensitive areas, such as around my eyes and nose. Followed by a pea-sized amount of Differin, I would wait for that to dry, then apply oil all over, then a moisturizer. I used a low pH cleanser. Week 6/7, my skin started to clear up, my forehead was clear. Week 8, I had a huge breakout on my chin and mouth. Some are reoccurring spots, I’m not sure if this is a 2nd phase of purging or ones that didn’t surface until now. I will continue with it up until the full 12 weeks, hoping this is the last of the purge!!"

• Anonymous
• December 30, 2008

Adapalene topical for Acne "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!"

• ahb...
• January 14, 2020

Adapalene topical for Acne "I had mild to moderate acne. By that, I mean 3-4 active blemishes at any one time. But the marks they leave behind had accumulated since they take so much longer to disappear, so I decided to do something about it. I have been using adapalene 0.1% for about 6 weeks now. But for the first 3 weeks, I only used it twice a week. My skin cleared up completely. For the past 3 weeks, I have increased the frequency to every other night. For the first two weeks, my skin wasn't showing much change. Now it is the third week into this new routine, and I am experiencing dryness and irritation around the eyes and mouth. These dry patches would burn slightly when I apply moisturizer or sunscreen. Not the best feeling in the world, but bearable. 5 new blemishes have also started popping up. 3 of these were actually small comedones that never really surfaced until now. I suspect the other two were microcomedones deep within. This is a difficult stage, but I am determined to power through."

• Sor...
• August 5, 2017

Adapalene topical for Acne "I used this acne gel before. First time by itself. It irritated my skin. My skin was red, dry, and patchy. I stopped, thinking maybe this was like a reaction. To later find out, it takes a little while to get used to. But as for the second time, I used the whole range. The cleanser, the gel, and the moisturizer. Then I started to see the difference everyone has been raving about. It has been only 3 weeks, but my skin is softer and less patchy. My forehead acne has completely gone away. But my chin cystic acne is apparent. But it had definitely gotten smaller. However, this product made me break out like never before. Basically, my whole face became a whitehead central. But it is working. My acne marks, scars, and acne are less apparent."

• kuu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 8, 2021

Adapalene topical for Acne "Tried it, really wanted it to work, but my dermatologist recommended that I should stop using it. My skin started purging at the end of my first week of using it. It’s now my 3rd or 4th week, and I'm still purging, like crazy. I got a lot more acne than before. My face hurts to touch, and it's heavily irritated. I actually got some kind of allergic reaction, at least my dermatologist said so. Really wanted it to work, and I was so willing to push it through the purging part, but I guess it just wasn’t for me. I know it’s an OTC acne medication or whatever, but please discuss with your dermatologist before using it!!"

• Ren...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2017

Adapalene topical for Acne "When I say nothing, I mean absolutely nothing helped my face to prevent breakouts and the scarring left behind until now. My mom bought this for me and within three days, yes, three days, my face looked so good! It was only $15 too. I've been to two dermatologists, and whatever they prescribed me made my skin worse. Anything over the counter also made my skin worse over the years. Definitely worth a try and also no burning or irritation for me!"

• Rac...
• December 17, 2019

Adapalene topical for Acne "I've been using Differin for 3 months. I'm 40 years old and have had acne my whole life. I also need help with pigmentation and oiliness, this is supposed to help. I started using it at night and in the morning. I never had any dryness or irritation. It has not helped my pigmentation at all. I think it has helped my current acne slightly and has definitely helped the oiliness on my cheek area, decreasing my pore size. Didn't help oil in any other area. I notice that when I am using this, I do not get any new breakouts. If I miss days, I will feel a pimple coming under the skin, and it may be a little red, but as long as I put this on as soon as I feel it, it disappears and never makes it to the surface. Differin is the only medication that has ever done that. I must say this is the best product I've used."

• Ems...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2015

For Acne "I am on Differin gel 7 weeks now. I have to say the first few weeks my skin got worse and very red and sore, but I stuck with it, and in week 3 I started to see an improvement. I had a lot of red spots on my cheeks, and so far they are clearing up. I would suggest only using a small amount. 'Cause if you use too much, it can irritate your skin more. You need to be using it at least 8 weeks before you really start to see a difference. So stick with it. It's worth it in the end even though at the moment you think it's never gonna clear."

• Gar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2018

Adapalene topical for Acne "I used prescription Retin-A in high school for acne, so I’m familiar with retinoids and how to use them. I stopped using them a few years ago but still get mild acne (I’m 22 now). Went to CVS for acne wash and discovered Differin. I've been using it for about a month and noticed full benefits. I still use antibacterial face wash, so that helps too, but my acne is totally gone and my skin is slightly more even and lighter. Pretty much experienced all the same things I did with Retin-A, but my skin adjusted to Differin super quickly and I had very little irritation. I doubt everyone's experience would be like this, and it’ll suck for the first few weeks. For me, Differin has become a staple for my basic skincare routine. And to the makers of it, THANK YOU for getting a retinoid approved to be OTC! Great product."

• Kel...
• August 23, 2018

For Acne "My 14-year-old daughter started breaking out in the spring, mostly whiteheads on her forehead and cheeks. The acne was mild but increasing, so we visited a derm who prescribed adapalene. She started slow to avoid irritation - once every three nights, to once every other night after three weeks, and nightly by the fifth week. She had a breakout on her forehead after two weeks. The bumps, while not horrible, were definitely bigger and more noticeable. By the fifth week, her forehead was almost completely clear and remains so now. About a week after upping the dose to nightly, the bumps on her cheeks increased in size, just like her previous forehead flare. By the eighth week, her entire face is much improved. She has a few tiny bumps in her problem areas, but not very noticeable. The medicine worked pretty much exactly as I had read it would. The acne looked a little worse for a while while the gunk and cells were being pulled from the pores. Her skin looks so healthy now!"

• Ioa...
• February 2, 2021

For Acne "I've suffered from moderate to severe acne for around 7 years. I'd tried various anti-acne ingredients like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and azelaic acid. Some helped to some degree, some made things worse, but none made any noticeable positive difference to my skin. I started using adapalene 3 months ago. I've never experienced any irritation. My skin became somewhat clearer soon after I started using adapalene, but the acne was still there. From 1 to 2 months, things worsened slightly (though I never experienced severe purging or worsening of acne), but my skin was still the same or better than it had been before. After 2 months, my skin became clearer than it had been in years. This is the only thing that has helped me in 7 years. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone struggling with acne, but recommend staying consistent (not giving up if things worsen, and using it for at least 3 months) and pairing it with a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen to avoid irritation."

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2018

Adapalene topical for Acne "I've always had hormonal acne -- started when I was in my teens. I'm now in my 50s and it hasn't stopped! I tried so many products, and I wash my face morning and night, but by the middle of a month, the big cystic acne and whiteheads return. I just began my Differin regimen -- face wash, gel (0.1%), moisturizer, and sunscreen. My skin is in the 'irritation' phase -- feels irritated and slightly burns when heat or sunlight hit it. I noticed the cystic acne quickly turned into whiteheads (looks really ugly), but I see it works fast! I'm going to keep up the routine... face wash morning + sunscreen -- which reduces the irritating feeling I experience -- then face wash and moisturizer at night, which is soothing for me. I'll get better skin yet!"

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 20, 2017

For Acne "I started using adapalene 0.3% 6 weeks ago for my moderate/severe acne. Overall, I am VERY pleased. I've tried countless ointments and medicines, but this one has worked the best so far. The first week of using the adapalene was rough, I had very dry and red skin. The redness is still somewhat on my skin, but overall I have no acne anymore. It took about 2 weeks to see the results. Other than the irritation when I first started using it, I have no complaints, and I would highly recommend this gel for anyone with moderate acne."

• Sam...
• September 22, 2015

Adapalene topical for Acne "A dermatologist (a different dermatologist than I usually see) recommended starting to use Differin along with taking my Doxycycline. I have been using the topical gel for 3 days on my face and back, and I only have negative things to say. My face is peeling badly, and the skin is very red and irritated. I have tried different moisturizers, and they just burn. The outer corners of my eyes are red and painful. My back broke out with large blister-like pimples. I do not have sensitive skin, and my acne is not very bad. I feel this product has actually worsened my condition. I am going to stop using Differin immediately. I don't know how long it's going to take my skin to heal."

• Jes...
• June 10, 2015

For Acne "In my teens, I didn't really have acne. It started to appear during my junior year of college, then gradually worsened. I tried everything: herbal remedies, store-bought peels, exfoliating, etc. Last year, I finally had enough and booked an appointment at my dermatologist. She warned me that it might get worse in the beginning. I was instructed to use Cetaphil facial wash daily and apply adapalene twice a week, but only at night. I was also instructed to apply Aczone in the morning along with moisturizer. I will say this: using more product will cause irritation!!! Less is definitely more!"

• Ers...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2019

Adapalene topical for Acne "I love this stuff. It’s working really well for me and was a fairly smooth transition. I have some advice—definitely layer this over a lotion. Still works really well but prevents irritation!"