In my teenage years, I never really struggled with acne. What looked like acne to me was nothing to everyone else, and now, I wish I could have the skin I once considered “bad.” At the start of March, I noticed for the first time of my life that I was constantly dealing with new breakouts. As someone who takes pride in their skincare routine, this came as a shock. All the products that worked for my skin no longer did anything for me, and even after switching up my routine, buying new cleansers and switching out toners and moisturizers, nothing seemed to work. As someone who had never struggled with this, I was frustrated, insecure and impatient.
In July, I stumbled upon Differin Gel, yes, through Tik Tok. I hated being that person who snuck into their nearest Ulta or Target to find products “because Tik Tok said so,” but I was desperate at that point. I did my research and found that Differin Gel was one of the first treatments dermatologists prescribed to their patients and now it was an over-the-counter product! It contains adapalene, a retinoid that increases cell turnover and brings dead skin cells up to the surface, de-clogging pores and targeting acne before it even forms. I’ve been using Differin Gel every night since July, and I’m here to share my experience. Remember, I am not a licensed dermatologist, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.
Week 1: Initial thoughts
I applied a thin layer of Differin Gel to my entire face at nighttime after cleansing it and patting it dry. The initial sensation of burning scared me, making me wonder what I had just gotten myself into. I made sure to lather my face in SPF during the daytime to protect my sensitive skin. There were little to no results at first, and I saw some mild redness known as “retinization.” I noticed that my skin became relatively tight and dry immediately. The Differin Soothing Moisturizer was often recommended, but I decided not to use it because I didn’t want my skin to have to adjust to so many new products at once. I was nervous that I had completely damaged my skin beyond repair, but spoiler alert, I was wrong.
Week 4: The purge
At this point, I no longer felt the burning sensation, but remember how I said adapalene brings up dead skin cells? That’s where the purge comes in. At around week 4 or 5, the skin clears itself of the top layers of cells. However, there are still layers deep down in your skin that need to be brought up to the surface. The purge period means new areas of breakouts, little to no improvements in acne (sometimes even worsening acne), swelling and extreme dryness. At this point, I was developing a lot of redness and irritation around my jawline and had to stop using some of my skincare products altogether because of the way they were interfering with Differin. I remember feeling so unconfident, researching whether I was in a purge or if Differin had ruined my skin even more and if I should even stop using the product. Several websites and videos told me I was going through a purge that would be over in two weeks, but it felt like it was far from over.
Week 8: Little by little
By week 8, I was in the clear. The purge was over and my skin looked increasingly better, but I was still breaking out. At this point, the acne was developing at a much slower rate and was much less painful. I continued to use Differin every night, and although things were slowing down, I still did not feel confident in my skin’s ability to heal itself without Differin. My skin no longer felt dried out by the gel, and I had minimal redness and no irritation at all. At this point, school was back in session, meaning I had to wear a mask during long days spent in Marston and Lib West. My biggest advice would be to never wear the same mask twice. Even if it’s going out to run a quick errand, the dirt and sweat built up on it are the last things you want on your face.
Now
My skin slowly but surely has been coming back to life. The acne I do get heals quickly and never comes on strong. As for texture, my skin feels dramatically smoother to the touch. I still use Differin every night and am almost down to the last drop of my first tube. As for my skincare routine now, I’ve completely switched it up. I’m beginning to incorporate Vitamin C into my routine to help with scarring, but I use completely different products now. My skin isn’t at its best, but I try my best not to use makeup unless I have to so my skin can breathe.
Final thoughts
My biggest takeaway from Differin: talk to a dermatologist. Learn from me. Yes, I winged it, but I can’t say my results will be the same as yours. I had my doubts, especially during my purge, but I plan to continue using Differin until I feel comfortable with my skin’s ability to get back on track. Remember, our skin changes as we age. Acne is normal! It’s a common misconception that only teenagers get acne, but it carries on into adulthood. If you’ve ever been curious about Differin Gel like I was, I hope you enjoyed learning about my experience!