Differin Gentle Cleanser

This is a great product! But there is a side effect you should make sure you're ready for.I'm almost 26yrs old & I've been struggling with acne since I was a teen. I had been using Aveeno Clear Complection face wash for years & it usually kept it under control. The past few months my skin just kept getting worse & worse (no change to my diet, skin products, etc.) & no idea what caused my skin to have such horrible breakouts. I decided to look into Proactiv to help. I know a few people who have been on it & half loved it & half hated it. But all of them hated the price & how difficult it was to unsubscribe. That made me not want to get Proactiv. I did more research & found this product, Differin. It has the exact same amount of Adapalene Gel .1% as the ProactivMD Acne Treatment gel. It's basically the same product, they just charge you 2x or 3x the cost for it, depending on the size you order.With that in mind, I order the Differin gel & Differin Gentle Cleanser. Now I did read the reviews on the Differin gel. I knew it would cause dry skin. But I didn't worry about it because I knew I had a pretty good moisturizer (Bio Oil is not meant to be used as a moisturizer but I accidently discovered it makes an awesome one) that I've been using for at least a year.However, when I started using the Differin products, my beloved moisturizer did Not stand a chance. I switched to an Aveeno face moisturizer & Nope, that didn't work either. My skin felt Raw. It was so dry, it started to peel which then made my skin feel raw, itchy & so red. I started shopping around buying different face moisturizers & every one I used made my skin feel like it was set on fire. It burned. I guess because it was raw, I'm not sure. I didn't want to stop using the Differin product because I had read in other reviews that the dryness & peeling was normal & a good sign that the product is working (hard to believe, I know), all I had to do was use a good moisturizer.So I did some more research for what I could use for very dry & itchy skin. A few websites suggested a number of things that I already wasted money on except petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline). I know... Vaseline? On my face? It's really thick, won't it clog my pores? I had given just about everything else a try & my skin was screaming for relief. A website said the thickness of it helps prevent waterloss in the skin. So I decided to give it a try.Oh my goodness.... It worked!! After a couple of days the dryness, peeling, & itchiness was almost completely gone. After a little over a week, no more redness, no more rawness & no more anything. Well I still had acne, lol. The greasy texture takes some getting use to. I apply small dabs & rub it in, leaving a thin layer to soak in.Okay, I found an excellent moisturizer to combat the drying side effect of the Differin products. Since I've been using all three; Differin gel, Differin Gentle Cleanser, & Vaseline. My skin is looking Amazing.I started using the gel daily but it was/is too much for my skin. So instead I use it every other day but I use the cleanser & moisturize daily & nightly. You will go through a "purge" phase. This is normal for most acne products, even Proactiv. So don't be scared away when this happens. Think of it like it's digging out all of the built up junk that's been lying under your skin, waiting to pop up at the most inconvenient time like a date or job interview.For me, it's been about a month. I battled the dry skin side effect & patiently waited out the purge phase & now my skin is truly looking amazing & so much better. I still have acne but only about 50% of what I had when I started. Your skin might take longer or less time to purge before clearing up. Just be consistent. Be patient. Don't chicken out. And be realistic, this is not a one week or one month cure. It'll take time & you'll have to continue using it even when you're acne is gone. Or else it'll come back. So you might as well order the 2 large tubes. I've already order again & plan on using these products long term.My advice.... Buy this product!! You won't regret it. Just make sure you have a really good moisturizer.I would add a photo of my skin now but it wouldn't mean much because there's no before photo so you would have no idea of how bad my acne was when I started. Just know, I'm very impressed after one month.

ok not to be preachy but this is the best routine i’ve had for my skin ever and i’ve been dealing with cystic acne from hormones and endometriosis for as long as i can remember. NOTHING was working, my face hurt and i felt like i had butterfly skin because it would tear all the time from my acne. i threw out all my old products and i mean EVERYTHING and this is my new routine:Morning:-wash face with differin GENTLE cleanser (daily is too much for my skin)-cerave daytime spf 30 moisturizerNight:-wash face with differin gentle cleanser-PAT face dry, leave just a little damp to dilute differin gel when applied.-PEA sized amount of differin gel all over avoiding under my eyes-wait 5 minutes to let sink into skin-cerave pm moisturizerrepeat the next day. THATS IT. any other serums or special oils aren’t necessary. I haven’t had any itching or burning. a little peeling but that’s expected at first, it went away after a few days.KEEP IN MIND THIS PRODUCT WILL ONLY WORK AT 100% IF USED CORRECTLY. I HGHLY SUGGEST USING WITH DIFFERIN ADAPALENE 0.1% GEL. DO SOME REASERACH BEFORE USE! Adapalene gel is VERY potent and can burn your skin if mixed with fragrance and certain acids and soaps. that being said i’ve never had something work so well for me, but everyone’s skin is different so look up what would best suit your skin type. that’s how i ended up with the GENTLE cleanser and not the DAILY cleanser from differin because my skin is more sensitive than others. i also have combination skin and it has evened out TREMENDOUSLY. and always, just listen to your body! (there’s also a quiz on the differin website u can take for free to build your routine!!)with or without the adapalene gel i still highly suggest this. it has BARELY any ingredients and i think 2-3 are anti fungal. ANTI FUNGAL!!! that should be in all face wash in my opinion!!10/10 overall i will be recommending this for the rest of forever and i’m really confident with this one. AND ITS WAYYY cheaper than my last routine!! :D

I can't believe all the negative reviews. It seems like people completely misunderstood what they were purchasing and expected this to be a typical face wash. That is NOT what this is.This is an ultra gentle facewash. It is NOT meant for deep cleaning or acne treatment. But if your skin is as sensitive as mine, this is a dream come true.My skin is both sensitive and acne prone. Using most acne products and washing my face multiple times a day would sometimes give me MORE acne because of it irritating my skin. I have found that if I use this gentle cleanser in the morning, it cleans my skin enough to get through the day without stripping oils. I follow with just the slightest spot acne treatment where needed. If I use too much or put it somewhere I don't need it then it irritates my skin and makes my acne worse. Then at night, I can use an acne wash (with NO spot treatment) and let the active ingredients work while I sleep.Meanwhile, this brands actual acne treatment WRECKED my skin. I used it for 6 months and it turned me into a monster. It took a year to undo the damage (because of all the lingering red marks).

So far I like this product. I was accustomed to sudsy, harsh soaps dedicated to fighting oil and acne.Since I've been using Differin gel, decided to try the other products. While I did not like the moisturizer, I'll continue to use the cleanser. I do like how my face doesn't feel overly stripped of oils. Funny how it works. Products to strip your face so you can smother on the moisturizer.Four stars because while it feels great, it's not great at removing makeup. So I'll be using this in combination with a make-up/wet wipe. Maybe even go back to eye makeup remover as well. Otherwise, it could've been 5 stars.I use this generously on my face and neck.