Differin not working. I'm so tired of acne. Please help.
I've been going to the dermatologists since I was 15. They put me on epiduo, akleif, and literally every single topical you could think of, and every time it would work for 6 months to a year and then suddenly stop working. The last derm I went to gave me tretinoin, which worked, but irritated my skin so much. My face was bright red every time I washed it and soo oily throughout the day, but the derm encouraged me to keep going. Then, 6 months into tret, I got so many closed comedones and the greasiness got worse.
I'm 20 now, and I decided to stop trying to go to the derm and use OTC products. I've been using Differin for the past four months, and my skin is the worst it's ever been. My acne does go away faster than if I wasn't on it, but the purge was so bad. It gave me so much scarring, hyperpigmentation and redness. I hate my skin so much I can't leave the house without concealer.
For the past two weeks, I've been trying to use the Anua azelaic acid serum every other day in the morning and Differin at night, and I have some mild redness from that but I just can't take it anymore. I'm so tired of having such terrible skin and feeling horrible about it and always thinking about it. My skin has never looked worse than it does now, and I just want to stop Differin, but I'm worried my skin is going to get worse and the hyperpigmentation and scarring will never go away without it. Please, can someone give me advice?
I'm planning on stopping Differin after the tube is over, so in about a month's time, and just using azelaic acid and non-comedogenic concealer because it feels like it's never going to go away for the rest of what feels like my life. I'm just so tired from all the actives, and I'm scared to go on Accutane.
My current routine:
Morning - Cetaphil Oily Face Cleanser, Anua Azelaic Acid Serum (alternating days), Acmist Moisturizer, ISDIN SPF 50 Sunscreen
Night - Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser, pea sized amount of differin 0.1% all over face, Acmist Moisturizer
Posted Jun 27, 2026, 10:14 AM UTC