I am an acne veteran. 25 years of painful experience. I have tried various combinations of erythromycin, benzamycin, benzoyl peroxide (2.5%, 5%, 10%), salicylic acid (2.5% and peels of 10% to 30%), finacea, ziana, mandelic acid, glycolic acid etc. I have tried pills, lotions, creams, serums, and peels. I have tried a host of dietary restrictions, exercise, sleeping sitting up (to avoid irritation from the pillow). I could literally write a book. Until differin gel. So, I have been on this for the past 7 years. On and off, according to whether or not I was pregnant. It is the only thing that has given me truly *beautiful* skin, as opposed to clear skin. Acne sufferers know the difference. It is one thing to have skin that is technically acne-free, but is covered in scars and hyperpigmentation. That is what benzoyl peroxide mixed with glycolic acid (I followed the acne.org regimen) in the morning and finacea at night got me. But beautiful skin? Nope. I still had to use tons of makeup. Differin gel took away my post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, roughness, large pores, and resurfaced my pockmarks. And it happened quickly. I got there by using the 0.3%, which is still prescription-only. But I maintain now with this over-the-counter concentration. I still use a 30% glycolic acid peel every month and spot treat the occasion pimple with benzoyl peroxide. But wow, differin gel made a huge difference. I go make-up free pretty much all the time now.
