One Cream to End All Acne? | Epiduo Forte Review

Hello and welcome back! Today, I've got a post all about my thoughts on Epiduo Forte. Without further ado, let's dive in! (And yes, the products blurred in the background are all the things I use with it - more on this soon.)

Q: What is it?
A: A prescription topical retinoid cream for acne.

Q: Where can I buy it?

A: Rx (Prescription) only.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: Depending on if your insurance covers it. Covered - $0, not covered with savings card (from dermatologist or online at epiduoforte.com/savings) - $75

Q: How much do I get in one bottle?

A: Full size: 1 oz / 30 mL 

Q: What's the packaging like?

A: This cream comes in an airtight white bottle with a white pump and cap. 

Q: Will it suit my skin?

A: This is the stronger version of the regular Epiduo acne cream. This have 0.3% adapalene and 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. Epiduo has 0.1% adapalene and 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. I say all of this because whilst the benzoyl peroxide percentage looks low, if this is the very first time you'll be using any kind of retinoid or adapalene, you could have a very adverse reaction. Now, I used Epiduo for around 4 years and then got Aczone gel added in before I left out Aczone and started using only Epiduo. It was about a year or two ago that my dermatologist suggested to get me on Epiduo Forte since it had come out recently and I was using Epiduo. If you have acne, this might work for you, but it can't be the only thing to help your acne. You might need to make some dietary or lifestyle changes to see the biggest difference. If you have very sensitive, dry, thin, skin, this might not be the best option, but of course, talk to your dermatologist.

Q: Is the scent going to give me a headache?

A: No! There's absolutely no scent at all.

Q: How do I use it?

A: After my moisturizing step, which is my oil, I take about a pea sized amount onto my finger, dot it all over my face, and spread around. If I have a very persistent pimple or pimples, I'll concentrate the cream in that area and put less in my less acne prone areas. When I first started using this, I would cleanse, use a simple moisturizer - Neutrogena Sensitive Skin, and then apply this so that the product was diluted until my skin got more used to it.

Q: When do I use it?

A: Every single night as the last step in my skincare routine. And by last step, I truly mean last step/targeted spot treatment. If you've never used a retinoid before and go straight onto cleansed skin with the retinoid, your skin will rebel terribly. Your skin will be red, peel-y and could breakout badly. Also, since this is a retinoid, it must be used at night with a good sunscreen during the day time.

Q: What are the ingredients?

A: Active ingredients are the adapalene and benzoyl peroxide as stated above. The inactive ingredients are: acrylamide/sodium acryloyldimethyltaurate copolymer, docusate sodium, edetate disodium, glycerin, isohexadecane, poloxamer 124, polysorbate 80, propylene glycol, purified water, and sorbitan oleate

*inactive ingredients taken from rxlist.com

Q: How long does it take to see results?
A: I would give this a good month to see it clearing specified spots and up to 3-4 months to see it clearing the skin completely. This is because by incorporating this cream, you need to figure out how to best structure the rest of your skincare products around it, and that's a bit of a learning curve if you've never used a product like this before.

Q: What's the texture like?

A: A mildly thick gel/cream that spreads easily.

Q: What're the pros?

A: This has worked to keep my skin under control. It's a reliable product that I can go to use all over my face for acne control and that's stopped me from searching high and low for another spot or all over acne treatment. This might seem expensive, if your insurance doesn't cover it, even with the savings card, but one bottle will last me close to a year. Also, it's definitely effective and you won't be wasting money on trying other over the counter treatments that may or may not work.

Q: What are the cons?

A: When I first started using Epiduo, I had a terrible reaction. I had a burning sensation on my skin and it purged terribly, as well as getting dry and flaky. As I got more experience in using it, I realized that it was better for me to apply a moisturizer first and use it as the last step in my skincare routine at night rather than just applying this all over my bare skin. Since I've used Epiduo for so many years, my skin has gotten used to it and gotten tougher, so it was able to withstand the stronger dose of 0.3% adapalene in Epiduo forte with no problem and no purging. It takes quite a while to get your skin settled and to find a balance for when to apply this for yourself and that process is quite painful. 

Q: How does this compare to Differin?
A: Differin 0.1% adapalene gel is now over the counter in drugstores and Ulta here in the states, but the difference between it and Epiduo forte or even Epiduo is that the OTC Differin contains less adapelene than Epiduo Forte. It does contain the same amount of adapalene as the regular Epiduo though. Differin is only adapalene and does not contain any benzoyl peroxide.

Q: Would I repurchase?

A: Yes! Every time I run out, I refill.

Conclusion: Epiduo Forte may not be for everyone, but I think that it's worth a try. Retinoids can be extremely helpful to clear the skin at a much more rapid pace than OTC products. Since Differin is OTC now and was prescription, that's a good place to start if you have stubborn acne and feel that you've tried everything. It's also relatively inexpensive at around $14-$20 depending on where you look.

That's all for me today, so thank you all so much for reading. If you've tried this, let me know how you liked it by leaving me a comment below. I'll talk to you all again in a few days with another post! :)