Generic Name: adapalene-benzoyl peroxide
Brand Name: Epiduo topical
Drug Reviews Drug and Medication User Reviews
It’s worked! After 3 weeks using and my face breaking out in eczema and dry sores I was ready to give in. But then I realised no more spots were appearing. And 2 months later I haven’t had a single spot since. My skin got used to the gel after about week 4. Still gets sensitive so I only use it on my cheeks on the night/every other night. Just waiting for the scarring to go now :) ps… don’t wax your eye brows or lip whilst using this gel!!!
PLEASE GIVE IT 3 MONTHS!!! This stuff is a miracle but it’s HELL for 3 months. Just stick through the side effects and it will be SO worth it. My face suddenly completely cleared up at 3 months and is now almost perfect :) wanted to review as these reviews are what gave me hope when I was purging for the first 3 months. Everyone said it would clear up around then and IT DID! For the dryness, moisturise and then use aquaphor, it was a lifesaver for me x
40 year old F here. Yes I know 40. You would think that I would be beyond the Acne stage but alas no. Quick background, I have suffered from Comedonal acne (whiteheads not blackheads) since a teenager. This would sometimes lead to pustules resulting from me constantly trying to dig them out. In my late 20s I decided to research the best treatment after my doctors failed attempts (they just wasn’t trying the right treatment for the right type of acne). I began with benzoyl peroxide which resulted in pretty standard unpleasant side effects (redness, dryness, tight burning skin) whilst my body adjusted. However I did have moderate success for a few years, but they never seemed to actually go completely. Last year I decided to give Epiduo a try as the retinal and benzoyl peroxide combo was meant to be more effective for my type of acne. I began treatment in September and saw no adverse side effects at all, I am convinced that this is because my skin had already adjusted to the benzoyl peroxide for many years and was no longer sensitive. For the first 4 months I didn’t see a huge improvement but there was a subtle difference. 6 months in and I am now seeing a huge improvement. In fact I would cautiously say my skin has been the best it’s been since I was a young child, I cannot feel or see a single whitehead. If you are looking for a treatment for comedonal acne then I would suggest giving this a lengthy try (it is certainly not a quick fix). If you have never tried either of these active ingredients before then prepare yourself for some rather unpleasant side effects whilst your skin adjusts. Please try and stick with it though, you will want to throw it out the window and give up, but keep at and fingers crossed you will have positive results. Good luck to all reading this. I hope you all find the perfect treatment for you. Living with bad skin is terribly depressing and you have my sympathies. Best of luck.
Anyway, I won’t beat around the bush. My skin was AWFUL for about 4 months, maybe 5-6 even. Like pustular acne that was so painful. I persevered (obvs if it’s really REALLY bad then go back to your doc) and I’m out the other side with the best skin I’ve ever had. It really is worth it but you have to stick with it and don’t overuse!!! Good luck xx
It took me about 4 months to really see the results of epiduo, but I feel like it still needs a bit more time - a month or so - to really reach its zenith, there are still some blemishes on my skin. But the first two months were really bad, with all the purging. Also had some burning, few skin rashes, really dry, red skin. But it does work, just have to go through the annoying process. On the other hand, I used to use Duac gel and it worked like a miracle, without any purging and my skin looked amazing even quicker! But I became immune to the antibiotics in there so I had to switch to Epiduo. If you haven’t tried Duac - I recommend it more than Epiduo.
27 F here, with hormonal acne. After 13 weeks on epiduo i still get pimples. I usually would break out a week/few days before my period with a total of 15-20+ pimples. Now i get max 5-6 during that period of time. My skin still itches. And my skin was purging up to 11 weeks in, so my skin didnt improve until week 12. first two months on epiduo was HARD AND ALMOST UNBEARABLE, for me atleast. The stinging, redness, itchiness and DRY ASS F. Absolutely horrible. I have had countless of sleepless nights. Probably The worst experience ive had on medication with side effects. Its way better now. Overall an improvement, but i do always have like two three pimples, but its better than 15-20 :) so it definitely helps but not an acne cure for me.
I have now completed 5 months on Epiduo and I cannot recommend it enough! I am a 19 year old who has struggled with hormonal acne for about 6-7 years. I have tried many things before including roaccutane and various other topical treatments- while roaccutane did initially improve my skin, there were many side effects and I quickly relapsed once I finished treatment. MAIN NEGATIVE: for the first 2 weeks of Epiduo, your skin will be red, raw, peeling, dry and just generally so painful - honestly getting through this period is difficult but my main advice is to apply ONLY A PEA-SIZED AMOUNT. That is so important - but also make sure you have a super hydrating moisturiser (I used Cerave). Because my skin was so sensitive, I found patting rather than rubbing the cream in was easier. I didn't actually experience a 'purge' - my skin never got worse, it just remained the same. NOTICE A DIFFERENCE after about 2-3 months I'd say - I still had acne but the marks would fade faster and breakouts were less frequent. After 5 months now, my skin is still not entirely perfect, I still have breakouts but they have reduced by 80% and every person in my life has actually told me unprompted that they think that I am 'glowing' nowadays and the texture of my skin has really improved. SUMMARY: after much experimentation, this is the SOLUTION - patience is required but it is so worth it in the end.
I thought I had tried it all, then I found Epiduo! I’ve been on 4 different skin antibiotics over the last 2 years and after being on tears to a pharmacist at Boots in April she suggested I tried Epiduo, she was very honest however and said antibiotics are usually more effective than ointments and creams. Boy how wrong this was for me! I’ve never had such brilliant results. I was diagnosed with PCOS in March and have always suffered with redness and cysts under my neck and around my hairline. This has calmed everything massively and I can’t think of the last time I had an influx of spots! thank you thank you thank you!
I was prescribed epiduo forte 2 years ago. I had irritated red pimples all over my face, and I also have very sensitive and dry skin. I used epiduo forte on my face every night like my dermatologist advised, and my acne... didn’t really clear up. Because I wasn’t doing the other steps in my skincare routine that I really needed to in order for the medication to really work. I stopped using it after a couple months, but I just got re-prescribed it 5 months ago and it has worked wonders. I started washing my face 3x a day (morning, sometime during the day between 12-6pm, and night) and I use a gentle unscented face wash, and then to combat the dryness side effect of the medication, I mix my facial moisturizer with a little bit of vaseline and trust me, this completely got rid of the flaky skin that epiduo causes. After my moisturizer, I apply epiduo all over my entire face and I spend a good 1-2 minutes rubbing it super well and massaging my face. My skin has never looked better and I don’t even get new pimples anymore.
I used it originally for 6 months with a truly brutal 3 month purging period before a more manageable period which I achieved what I wanted with the help of Doxycycline, soon after getting off the antibiotic my acne returned. I got back on the epiduo and 7 and a half months later after another long and hard purge my skin is simply where it started. I will say its not for everyone and if results don't show in an expected time frame don't be scared to question your dermatologist.
I went from normal skin with occasional breakouts to acne all over my cheeks and chin - and now I nearly never have a pimple. This stuff saved my life! I switched to a simple cleaner (cetaphil) and started epiduo every second night before increasing to nightly. It gets worse before it gets better. Dry, flaky and sore skin plus my breakouts got red and inflamed. But, after using a simple moisturiser and SPF everyday my skin was clear in 3 months. I now use it without any dryness as a spot treatment whenever I have a pimple. Only thing was some scarring so I just used niacinamide serum from the ordinary under my moisturiser. Now my skin has never been better! No breakouts and scars have almost faded.
So I normally NEVER write reviews or make comments about much. I have to tell you, that before taking this gel I was very skeptical because I've seen so many doctors, dermatologists, estheticians, and nothing has helped. I sort of went to this as a last resort, because I have tried everything. I have tried Minocycline, Benzoyl Peroxide, Spironolactone (which helps) any and all over the counter products ranging from scrubs, to washes, to harsh ointments for my skin. I am taking Spironolactone currently, and using the gel right now as well. I started back in January of this year, and in the beginning, it was pretty tough. I read reviews about this stuff and was hesitant at first because of what I was reading. If you're anything like me and suffer from cystic breakouts, whiteheads, and blackheads... this is a MUST. At the beginning of the treatment, my skin got really red and agitated. Now you must know, my skin is sensitive, to begin with. I broke out in red and painful to the touch patches on my neck, tops of my eyelids, and around my mouth. It hurt to touch my face, to wash my face, to apply lotion... and at times my skin would burn, sort of like a sunburn if you will. That lasted about 5 days, and the redness started to go away, thank god!! Now in the first week or two, when your skin is used to the treatment, you will get what is called a "purge" breakout. Which, for me, wasn't that bad... nothing I'm not used to. My skin was dry, so make sure to use a fragrance-free moisturizer. I used Cerave, which worked great for me! After the first couple of weeks, I could visibly see results! Slow results, but I saw the results. The first couple of weeks were bumpy, and hard to accept because of the way my face looked... but it is worth it. I am now on month 4, and I literally only break out when I am due for my menstrual cycle... and its usually 1 or two pimples. I CAN DEAL WITH IT!! It even lightened up my dark spots from previous breakouts; IT IS A MUST USE TREATMENT!!
I have been using epiduo for 7 weeks for the first 2-3 weeks my face was really sensitive and anything I put on it burned For the next 4 weeks my skin was extremely dry and still quite sensitive At night I wash my face with a cleanser and then apply epiduo and in the morning wash my face with water and use moisturiser I was originally using simple moisturising facial wash and simple hydrating light moisturiser which did nothing at all to help so in the 7th week after watching a few YouTube videos I decided to try cetaphil gentle skin cleanser and cetaphil dailyadvance ultra hydrating lotion and I have only been using it for 3 days and all the dryness has completely gone I still have a bit of acne that is still going away but with my new wash and moisturiser (and epiduo) it is looking much better than when I started. It’s so much clearer and smoother
I was prescribed this medication around May/June and have been using it for about 6-8 months. It definitely works but whether or not you use it depends if you can take the side effects. Dry skin, INTENSE PEELING, stinging! These side affects ultimately subside but if you stop using for about a week (as I recently did due to running out of the cream) your face will resume its break outs. Consistently applying this product works the best along with a great moisturizer.
Epiduo is the best! I put a pea sized amount on my t-zone (which is where I tend to get pimples) at night and the following morning all the pimples are gone! I've also noticed a huge improvement on the dark scars on my chin area. I've been using it for about a month and a half, it's like magic. I must say the first week it didn't burn at all but I did get a few pimples (I guess that's what they called the skin 'purging'). On the second week it did burn, and my skin got a bit red so I stopped using it for a couple of days. After that I've been using it every day and now it just doesn't burn at all.
I truly recommend this to anyone who has struggled with acne for a long time. The first few weeks or months (depending on your skin) will definitely be hell but be patient, it means it's working. The common side effects for me was extremely dry and flaky skin, redness, dryness of eyelids, and irritation. But it's starting to work now! My skin is starting to clear up with only a few breakouts here and there, so my advice would be to be patient with this product. P.S My skin is normally extremely sensitive and easily irritated with harsh products so Epiduo irritated a lot more.
My 15 year old daughter has been using this medication and after 1 week her face is extremely dry and peeling all over. The medication feels like itâ??s burning her face and made her face ver red all over. The acne got 10% better, she stopped the medication.
I began using Epiduo the summer of 2016, having acne still at the age of 22 was annoying for me! I was prescribed Epiduo along with a blood pressure medication (some how that medication helped with acne?) I never missed a day! I always washed my face nightly and used my Epiduo. At the beginning my black heads on my nose looked as if they were going away. I never experienced any flaking or serve acne that I read about on other reviews. My skin throughout this journey never cleared up and at times I did have bad breakouts. I did this for over a year, and finally about a month ago I decided to stop taking the medication and the Epiduo. In my honest opinion my skin is now clearing up. My face is not flawless but my acne isn't very noticeable. I think the Epiduo may work for some, but for me once I stopped using it I can now see a difference in my skin.
I have suffered from acne all through grade school and high school. I had finally went to the dermatologist to get anything to help my skin. She prescribed me Epiduo and i was happy to use a medication that would help my skin. HOWEVER, my skin was ruined thanks to this medication. I got more acne than I have ever had before, my face way extremely dry, and I had more scars than ever before. I went back to the dermatologist after continuing the medication for several months to get no improvement at all. I am now on Accutane be to it being the only medication that would help me after the harsh effects of Epiduo. If your skin gets worse and does not clear up after a couple of weeks, i strongly advise not to continuing the use of this and speaking to a dermatologist!!
Best acne product I have ever used. Works amazing! I have been using this for maybe 2 years or so and I am comfortable with my skin thanks to epiduo!! Highly recommend it