User Reviews for Differin topical

I have tried hundreds of medications from over the counter to prescription and I've also tried proactive. For some reason proactive worked for a month then never worked again. And its the same with all acne medications for me. I thought this would be different but all it seems to do is make my acne worse and oily. I used to have dry skin but since using this my skin is so oily I feel I have to clean it every couple hours.

I have struggled with acne for a few years now. I have tried so many different washes and treatments but decided to use differin. I've used it for about a month and this week I started to see a difference in my skin. It's amazing! I just bought another tube!

I am 23 years old and have never experienced acne besides just recently, so I decided to try differin since it was advertised to be specifically for adult acne. I have been using it for 2 weeks and have decided to stop effective immediately. The product does say on the warning label that it may not work for a few months or that it may cause acne to worsen but no where does it say the pain you may experience. My face physically hurts to the touch. It hurts to wrinkle my forehead.... it burns to wash off my makeup. Not to mention that my face is peeling like I have a terrible sunburn. I guess I accidentally got the cleanser on my lips one day and the skin on my lips started to burn and peel off. I would not recommend this product at all. The side effects are no where near minor or manageable. Read More Read Less

I started using Differing when I was 15. I prefer the cream over the gel. I am now 30 and it remains the only acne medication that works for me. Yes, in the beginning you may experience dryness and/or redness, but it does subside. When I switched insurance companies it was no longer covered so I went about a few months without being to use the medicine everyday. It was noticeable. It is worth paying $200 plus for the Differen, but I have to use it sparingly.

I'm 28 have been struggling with acne since I was 10. Never went to dermatologist, for a while birth control pills worked but not anymore. I started getting Huge puffy pimples between my cheeks and my ears and a lot of scaring, had enough, it's really starting to affect my self esteem not to mention that my face is always dry and the make up doesn't blend, my skin gets itchy, just horrible. my doctor prescribed differin. Have been using for a week, started in the middle of a cold and extremely cold weather. It has been terrible. Burning sensation, peeling, redness, more pimples... Looking forward for the time to go by to see if it really works! Just so tired of this acne :(Read More Read Less

I just started using differin at night since my doctor told me that it would help my acne. My face has been burning and itchy for the past few days and apparently that is a common side effect. I'm hoping that it goes away soon as it is pretty annoying having red spots around my nose and forehead.

I have been using differin for a month now and my acne has gotten worse. i am hoping that it will clear in the next few weeks as people have said. Dryness hasn't been very bad at all. Wish me luck!

I never had acne as a teen, however in my 20's, I was so embarrassed to have full-on break outs. This medicine works. It does take awhile, maybe up to 8 weeks to see any improvement, but it does happen. Now that I'm in my late 30's it's still a part of my daily routine. My only complaint is that our new insurance company does not cover it, so I have to pay out of pocket. At 200.00 a tube, I use it sparingly, believe me. I hope one day it can be sold over the counter.

I struggled with acne since around the age of 13. I was never concerned with it until my freshman year of college when I began experiencing horrible breakouts from stress. My acne became painful and it was the first time I felt embarrassed because of it. My dermatologist prescribed Differin. It's been five months and I couldn't tell you the last time I have had a breakout. The applied the Differin once a day at night and I experienced burning, peeling, and horrible breakouts the first month or so of using the product. My breakouts became so horrible, I was too embarrassed to leave the house at times. After the first month or so, my breakouts stopped and my face became less sensitive to the medicine. With trial and error, and a whole lot of burning and peeling, I learned this medication is a lot easier to handle when applied with moisturizer. If you can make it through the side effects, this product will change your skin for the better. I only use the product 2-3 times a week now and my face is always clear. Differin is absolutely a miracle acne treatment if you can bear the sensitivity, burning, and increased acne during the beginning of treatment. Read More Read Less

It's most effective treatment. It does get worse after some time of use (and that's how medicine works) but later it get's only better

My 12 year old son has horrible acne from face down his back, our dermatologist recommended doxy and differin even after my protest in using retinol so strong on a child she assured me it would be fine , now 21 days in his acne is way worse and his skin in now breaking and bleeding in places , dispite twice daily moisturizer from the start, I watch him apply it so I'm positive it's not applying to much. This one isn't worth it for him

I have had acne since I was a teen and I'm in my 40's now. I've been on Differin for 6 months now. I've tried countless other medicatons that didn't work. At first this was too drying for my skin. It hurt to touch my skin the next day. I now only use it 2-3 times a week and I put on my moisturizer first, then the Differin. It works amazing. I think for those of you that are finding it to be too harsh on your skin maybe try the moisturizer first or not as frequently.

After only the first 2 weeks, I noticed a marked improvement. But I am also taking an oral antibiotic and another topical agent at the same time, so it is difficult to say which agent is working best. I have had some superficial peeling, but this washes away easily, without scrubbing. I have also noticed fading of several age spots. Hooray!

I have tried this product twice, about 4 years apart and both times had severe worsening of my skin - with increased breakouts and redness that looked as if my skin was burned. By the time I finished week 6, with the hope all that time that I was just experiencing the "initial breakout" I realized this was not worth it. CAREFUL.

I have been using Differn Gel for 15 years now. I had perfect skin in high school and started getting break outs in College. I am allergic to all over the counter drugs. It is not going to cure your acne overnight. This treatment is a gradual and continuous treatment. My skin has imporoved over time. For those who have dry skin, I would recommend a night cream and a oil, such as Tarte's Marajua oil or Argon oil. Also, keeping your skin hydrated keeps it from getting as many wrinkles. The HUGE plus to Differn is the long run health of your skin. I have been on it 15 years, as started above. I am 35 now and my skin looks WAAAAYYYY better than my friends. I seriously hardly have any lines and get mistaken for mid 20's all the time. I contribute it partly to the Differn. It has Retnoid in it which has prevented fine lines and wrinkles from forming and it is way, way easier to treat before rather than after.Read More Read Less

For starters, all of high school I had perfect skin, then I hit 20 and I start getting acne. I have relatively mild acne, but the dermatologist recommended I go on differin 1 %. The first 3 weeks were complete hell, my skin had never been so terrible.. Then it gradually started to improve. I am about 4 months into it, and my skin has improved, but I still have a constant state of 2-3 pimples on my face, which is fine, but I was just hoping for a medication that would completely clear it up.

I have been using Differin for 6 years. I am allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide, so my dermatologists have all recommended using Differin as a spot treatment instead. My skin is VERY sensitive and I have eczema on my cheeks. Differin has never irritated my skin, but at the same time, has literally done nothing to clear it up. I started using using it in 6th grade when I had pimples just on my nose and cheeks, never anything that bad. Now, as a senior in high school, I still use Differin (under the order of my dermatologist). My face is moderately bad, my cheeks and nose are covered in black heads, and my forehead and jaw have larger pimples. My chest & my back, though, are the worst (I am also ordered to put Differin on these areas), with large pimples covering my upper back, lower back, and shoulders, and my whole chest. Differin has never done anything to clear any of my effected areas, yet, I have been told by every dermatologist I have gone to, to keep using it. It surprisingly doesn't irritate my skin, but, I have become increasingly sensitive to the sun as a result of using Differin for so long. I would highly recommend saving your money and time because for me, Differin has literally done nothing to prevent/cure my acne, which over time has become increasingly severe.Read More Read Less

So I am in college and I don't have terrible acne problems but around when I get my "monthly gift" my acne gets very bad. So this product is amazing but one HUGE problem. It makes your skin extreme extremely painful. I was crying while trying to put on lotion to stop the dry skin. I have had this for many years but I can never get through more than a week cause the dry skin is so painful I cant put makeup on at all. However within two days my acne was pretty much all gone. I will continue using this if I can find lotion to stop the extremely painful peeling.Read More Read Less

I had high hopes for this medication. Black heads is my biggest problem, and I havent really seen any improvements. Been using it for 4-5 weeks.

I have been on Differin for about 2 weeks now. I have just started to notice my moderate to severe whitehead starting to start to go away. I did go through about 2 or 3 days of dryness and irritation. But, that has stopped in the 2nd week. Now it seems it keeps moisture IN my skin which is a nice change from previous products. I hardly use moisturizer anymore. It's great One note: DO NOT WAX YOUR EYEBROWS on this medication. My skin under my eyebrows was ripped off and is currently healing. Get them threaded or plucked. FYI!!! Overall, so far it seems to be working. I will continue to use this product.Read More Read Less