My skin has been a huge source of frustration for me these past few years. I constantly find myself tussling with it, desperately seeking out a new product that will grant me the clear skin I’ve only ever dreamed of. I’ve tried countless cleansers and over the counter treatments, and I’ve even switched moisturizers in case they were the sole culprit breaking out my skin. Now that I’m nearing graduation and my stress is at an all-time high, my skin has been going absolutely crazy. So, I finally had enough and decided to try Differin Gel.
When I was younger, my skin was pretty normal. I would get the occasional pimple, sure, but nothing crazy. It never got too dry or oily. I did the bare minimum for my skincare routine and had creamy skin for years. Then I went to college, and things completely changed.
Now, I have combination skin. Although sometimes, I’m a little unsure. Just this past summer, my skin started getting so oily that I had to find a new foundation. Now there’s less humidity out, and I’m getting both dry patches and oily spots. Oh, the woes of combination skin.
As far as acne goes, I don’t have horrible breakouts all over my face. I just get large pimples in localized areas, like under my nose, my forehead and chin. Sometimes, I even get cystic acne. It can be embarrassing going out knowing I have a huge, red blemish between my eyebrows. Even if I desperately try to cover my pimples with makeup, they’re still visible. The struggle is real — and exhausting.
Differin Gel is a topical retinoid treatment containing 0.1% adapalene. It used to only be accessible with a prescription, but it’s now available as the first FDA-approved over-the-counter topical retinoid. It’s normally priced around $13, but you can snag it at Target for $11. For the price, it’s a great deal, and an entire tube can last you well over four months. After tirelessly trying products with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and glycolic acid, I finally bought myself a box of Differin.
Each time that I’ve tried a new product, it’s worked for a month or two and then gradually became less effective over time. The only acne product I still use, aside from Differin Gel, is the Clean & Clear Advantage Mark Treatment (not the spot treatment — there’s a difference). It doesn’t work as well for targeting pimples anymore, but it does a fantastic job at clearing up any scars that are leftover. However, my main goal is to prevent acne, not just fix the aftermath. So, if nothing else over the counter was going to work, Differin Gel seemed like my last hope.
I started using Differin Gel in June. Before I used it, I had no idea what skin purging was. After a few weeks into the process, I realized my skin was getting worse. Not just a few pimples here and there, but actual breakouts all over my face. It was the worst acne I have ever experienced in my life. I knew that Differin Gel claimed it would get worse before it got better, so that wasn’t too shocking, but then I read that the purging period could last up to three months. I was mortified.
Not everyone experiences their purging period for the same amount of time. I just happened to be incredibly unlucky and suffered through an entire three months. Seriously, it took over 12 weeks for the purging period to end. That’s the biggest drawback of Differin Gel. If you can’t handle being seen with your skin at its absolute worst for three months, Differin Gel is not for you.
The purging period was so horrible, I almost gave up. I kept reading countless stories from other people who tried it and couldn’t handle it. They succumbed to the purge and moved onto something else. I was tempted to quit and revert back to my regular skincare routine as well. Sure, I’d have to deal with a few nasty pimples here and there, but at least it wouldn’t be as bad as my skin during the purging period. In fact, I started wondering if I was just being greedy, and whether my skin was really that bad or not before.
After deliberating over whether or not to quit, I finally decided to trudge through. I already made it that far, so what was another eight weeks? I could survive two more months.
During the first month of use, aside from my acne getting worse, I also experienced mild burning on my cheeks. I have somewhat sensitive skin, and my cheeks are an especially sensitive area, so they couldn’t handle Differin Gel. There were multiple red, dry patches all over my face from the burns. Eventually, I relegated my application of the gel to just my problem areas: forehead, chin, nose and upper lip. Basically, everywhere but my cheeks.
After over 12 weeks, the purging period finally subsided. For the first time in a long while, my skin was completely clear. There were no pimples (not even the tiny, skin-colored ones I’d get on my forehead) and I’d successfully faded all of my scars. The texture of my skin looked amazing. For about a month, I got to experience glorious, clear skin. But then, October came.
Suddenly, a couple of pimples arose. They were the large, obvious kind — the ones that are nearly impossible to cover with makeup. Once those went away, more came. Now October is over, and I’m still dealing with little pimples appearing out of nowhere. My skin went from being clear, to as if I had never even tried Differin Gel and suffered through an entire three months of acne hell. Seriously, it’s like I went through that whole purging period for nothing.
Differin Gel can work wonders for some people. There’s an abundance of success stories out there. It even had my skin looking clear and glowing for about a month. But at the end of the day, don’t assume that it will automatically work for your skin just because it’s a topical retinoid. There are many success stories out there, yet, for me, it clearly isn’t working anymore.
So, if you’ve exhausted all of your options by now, go ahead and try it. Just remember that Differin Gel isn’t without side effects, including an agonizing purging period. As for me? I’ve been researching out my next skincare venture: Curology. Here’s to hoping it works instead.