Unlisted Brand • Duac Topical Gel • Skincare - Face
(104 reviews)
| Average Rating. | 4.2 |
| Would buy this product again. | 78% |
| Package Quality | 4.0 |
| Price | 3.2 |
| Ingredients | |
rosemakeupandbeauty on 5/17/2013 11:44:00 PM more reviews by rosemakeupandbeauty
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Fair Hair: Brunette Eyes: Blue
I swear by my Duac!
All through my teens I suffered with my acne. I tried all the drugstore brands under the sun and eventually tried Proactiv. I found that some of those products I tried helped my skin for a little while and then the results decreased - I've chalked this up to my skin building a resistance against the basic cleansing ingredients in those products.
Eventually, I got so fed up and was very self conscious about my acne so I went to my doctor who prescribed me Duac. I don't know about internationally, but in Australia you need a prescription for this medication. It costs about $36 a tube, which lasts roughly a month.
I immediately noticed results (as in the first few days). Now, 3 years later, my skin is in a much better condition. I still get the odd bump and minor breakout - but they are manageable. I am so much more confident in my skin and don't feel the need for make-up every day like I used to.
I would highly recommend using this product in conjunction with washing your face of makeup every night and cleansing every night. I use Dove soap and water to clean my face, then a scrubbing gel (generic brand) and finally a toner and cleanser - then I apply the duac before I go to bed.
I was warned that this product may make my skin become irritated, but I have not had any problems at all. If you are suffering from acne then I recommend a trip to the doctor for a prescription.
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HoneyCosmetics on 5/15/2013 9:14:00 PM more reviews by HoneyCosmetics
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium Hair: Brown Eyes: Grey
In the UK this is only available from a doctor as its very strong and its very expensive to buy apparently. This is my ultimate gel, I use it, my two brothers and my boyfriend all use it and its just wonderful! I sing its praises constantly, it goes on very matte and seriously within a week all blemishes are gone, its just great. I got rid of a huge breakout on my forehead after trying everything, with the gel. The only downfall is that if you over use it, it can be very dry, also if you use it way too much your skin can 'get used to it' and it will stop doing its job other than that, amazing!
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khan99 on 3/3/2013 4:34:00 PM more reviews by khan99
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Oily, Medium Brown Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
Not sure about it !!!!!
first of all breif history about my skin. i never had spot on my face until i got to year 10 although i had oily skin all the time but never had a spot just occastinally one. but after trough half the year 10 i started to breakdown on my two cheeks,my self estem gone, never went out with my mates :( ..i went to My GP and she prescribed me zeniyrit lotion which worked but not much..after using that product for 3 months my face didnt improve allot so i went to my GP again and this time she gived me this gel (duac). i have been using this for the last one month but still haven't seen a massive improvement in my skin. it does dry my skin lot and i kinda fell that im getting more spot when i use this ..i just want my acne to go and i hate it ittt!!!!! so my question is do i stop using this or carry it on for 3months to see the improvment ????
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AgeJ on 2/21/2013 8:04:00 PM more reviews by AgeJ
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Warm Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine Eyes: Green
First of all, a brief history of my skin -
I never really had skin issues throughout my teens, when everyone else seemed to. Until I was 17 - 18 years old, that is, when it started to just get worse and worse. I was smoking at the time, and figured that was making it worse, so I quit. However my acne was still persistent despite me quitting. Between then and now (I'm almost 19), I've tried pretty much every over the counter topical treatment there is. So I finally got over my hatred for general practitioners (I always find GP's unhelpful and annoying, maybe I'm just going to the wrong medical centers?) and got some hormonal testing done.
After my blood tests returned back normal, I was prescribed Duac along with the contraceptive pill, however I can't take the pill because it contains lactose and I'm extremely lactose intolerant.
I'd already used a ton of benzoyl peroxide products and spot treatments, which were helping, but just extremely slowly. So my skin is already used to pretty harsh treatments.
I've only been using this for two weeks, only at night, twice a day is just too much.
So far, the improvement has been outstanding, far better than just benzoyl peroxide alone, the 1% clindamycin really makes a difference in the effectiveness of the product.
It really helps get rid of those tough cystic-feeling pimples that sit under the skin for weeks and never surface, or go away.
My only gripe with the product is that it has a two month shelf life, which is a little stupid given that there is 25 grams of product in the tube, there's no way I'd ever use up that much product in two months.
And for $37 a tube, it's terribly wasteful.
However, you can use the product after two months, it's just likely that it won't be as effective.
But apart from that, this is the most effective treatment I've ever used! For those of you who have tried everything and haven't found it very helpful, but don't want to go to radical measures like taking Accutane, this is definitely worth trying!
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dearrachel on 2/8/2013 2:55:00 PM more reviews by dearrachel
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine Eyes: Brown
Plain and simple, this is the only acne treatment that my skin has ever been able to tolerate AND that works well on getting rid of acne. I have hypersensitive, combination, acne-prone skin, so this product is a godsend. I put a little bit on breakouts after I've cleansed and applied my 1% clindamycin lotion at night. I've found that I can only use this at night, as it creates a filmy layer on the skin which I can't apply makeup over. Usually when I wake up in the morning, the breakout is reduced or almost gone. Only con is that it dries my skin out really badly, but that's a sacrifice I always have to make for acne products. Have already gone through multiple tubes and will definitely continue to repurchase.
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nurbina24 on 2/8/2013 10:17:00 AM more reviews by nurbina24
Age: 25-29 Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
I had acne problems for a long time, tried everything otc and nothing worked. My pcp rx me Duac, My insurance only covered $45 of it and I paid aprox $85 for this topical cream. I did notice results almost immediately, I used it for about 2 months and all acne was gone! I stopped using the topical and my face remained clear for another 3 months or so. Afterwards I started noticing acne again. I suppose it works as you use it. I highly recommend this topical, I can't wait to get this topical cream in my hands again. I hope this helped :)
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camason1988 on 1/30/2013 12:03:00 PM more reviews by camason1988
Age: 19-24 Skin: Acne-prone, Olive Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
This is my first review of a product but I felt the need to comment on my experience of Duac.
My skin type is combination/oily. Depending on the weather my t zone can be oily or dry but my cheeks tend to always be dry.
I started using Duac last year after moving from Differin which I found was much more harsh on my skin than this. I do not suffer with major acne but every now and again I break out in cystic spots and white heads which are painful. Me being me, I canot help myself but to pop them and play around with them which of course makes them worse.
Duac was the best in combatting this. Now, im not saying Duac is a miracle product. There will be some times when you want to give up because it does make your skin very dry, peel and occasionally leaves red spots.
I learnt the hard way. I used Duac alone with no moisturiser thinking that the moisturiser would break me out even more and potentially stop Duac from doing it job.
I was very wrong. So I started to use moisturiser, The clean and clear oil free moisturiser, but I found when I applied this my skin would BURN to the point I dreaded putting it on and would rather have the peeling skin.
But I found my holy grail moisturiser which worker wonders and cleared up that scaly, peeling flesh that was taking over my face, in 1 day but more importantly didn't affect how Duac worked with my skin.
La Roche-Posay Hydraphase UV Intense Riche. This stuff is expensive, I wont lie. It cost me £16 from Boots but I found myself only using 1-2 pumps per day and overall this lasted me around 3 months.
I would apply the duac and wait for around 30 minutes for it to really sink in and dry then use 1-2 pumps of the moisturiser. After 2 continuous months of using it like this and also cutting out all other harsh medicated products like any face wash that contained salicylic acid, as I found this dried out my skin even more and was not actually helping my skin at all, my skin was clear and for the first time in years I felt confident going outside without a face full of foundation. I found Duac actually worked to fade some dark spots too from previous spots id played around with, which was my main concern really.
If used properly and continuously Duac can work wonders on your skin but you cant give up. There will be days when your face burns or feels tight or gets scaly but this is the process. By using the moisturiser above along with cutting out other harsh products and being patient and not quitting you can have clear skin.
Unfortunately I went to Turkey last year and so a month before I was due to leave had to stop taking it due to photosensitivity, and so now im starting to break out again but im back on it again but this time trying another moisturiser, Ponds hydro nourishing face cream. I'll update if this works as well as the La Roche-Posay Hydraphase otherwise its back to my holy grail.
Hope this helps any of you flakies out there :)
Dont give up.. it does work with a little patience..
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julia252 on 12/8/2012 2:14:00 PM more reviews by julia252
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Acne-prone, Medium Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium Eyes: Black
PROS: * works wonders on mild acne!
* gets rid of little bumps
* makes skin look and feel smooth & flawless
CONS: *Cannot get it anymore as you can only get it through prescription and the GPs think i dont need this anymore as my skin's improved dramatically now, but without this i still get lots of whiteheads and blackheads!
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kpage16 on 11/28/2012 6:19:00 AM more reviews by kpage16
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Fair Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue
this is the ONLY thing has works for me!!
after having clear skin as a teenager (like 1 pimple a month was horrific for me), my first year in college i broke out horribly from stress and lack of sleep! my doctor put me on this, and within the first two weeks my skin had COMPLETELY cleared up! i used it for 3 months as she had instructed, because i guess otherwise you get used to it, and by then it had taken care of my skin.
fast forward a few years, and my crazy OBGYN pulled me off birth control pill and had me get on the Mirena. big, big, BIG mistake for someone who had to get on prescription for acne... because mirena literally inserts the male hormone that produces acne into your body! so of course, within a few months of the insertion i started breaking out uncontrollably. i hurried back to the doctor and got back on duac, which was by now like 4x the price i had originally paid of it (love that USA healthcare system!) but i was desperate, so got it and again it quickly healed my acne. i stayed on it for almost two years of daily use and was happy as a clam. then i started developing acne in weird places on my body, and nothing worked to fix it! dual was also staining all of my towels and sheets and night time tshirts pretty bad... so was not too happy about that. i had then moved overseas, and saw a foreign dermatologist about this. she threw away my duac and said it was way too harsh on my skin and put me on oral antibiotics and a lower level BP. the oral antibiotics did absolutely nothing, and i started breaking out like crazy over the next few months.
now, I've had my mirena removed and back on the pill, but my skin is going nuts from all the hormone transitions (from pumping testosterone into my body to estrogen again in the same day. yikes!) but going back on dual in the desperate hopes that this will, once again, save my skin.
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louisahm26 on 10/11/2012 6:57:00 PM more reviews by louisahm26
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine Eyes: Blue
Whilst this has cleared up my skin, my skin is still far from forehead. My forehead, nose and chin are completely clear currently after about a month of usage but my cheeks are just as broken out as usual. My skin is also extremely sensitive and Duac has made it very red, irritated and dry. Perhaps I just need to give it more time. My question is, will it cure my acne or does it only work whilst you're using it?
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MadameChic on 9/25/2012 7:18:00 AM more reviews by MadameChic
Age: 19-24 Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral Hair: Blond, Kinky, Coarse Eyes: Green
A couple of months ago I suffered from a break out on my chin, which I tried to clear myself with various skin care products. I would scrub and wash and pester my skin all day. Which lead to making it worse, not better. Pretty soon the breakout spread all the way up both cheeks and all over my jawline. Pretty soon I had a huge acne break out that wouldn't budge.
I tried using the acne.org regimen at first. Which did work, but not for long. The regimen was way too harsh for my sensitive, already dry skin. And whilst it worked for a few weeks and almost cleared me up. Suddenly my face flared up again and the Acne.org regimen would not budge it. In fact, all it seemed to do was make it worse. Anything that went near my face would burn it. It would be red, dry and extremely flaky. Not to mention I still had the awful acne problem.
It really got me down because all through my life up until then my skin was great. I used to sleep in make-up and it'd still be baby-smooth. Oh, how stupid I was. If only i'd realized all those years of sleeping in it contributed to my skin eventually being a mess.
After realizing that the Acne.org regimen was not working in the long term and soaps and scrubs were irritating, I went to my GP for help. This is where she prescribed me the Duac Once Daily Gel. So first of all, it never cost anything. Which is always a plus if it doesn't work because at the least you never wasted any money.
It had definitely worked over night. There was a clear reduction in the amount of spots and white heads. I was so happy - at last, success. I've been using it almost every night since. The only reason it hasn't been every night is because I ran out of moisturizer and didn't want to use Duac on it's own as I know how drying it can be. It's very important to always moisturize in combination with this product. I would never use this product on it's own because it could be damaging rather than healing.
Routine (only once before bed): Step 1 - Baby Oil. Massage into skin to remove and break down make-up. Step 2 - Cleanse. I've been using Dove Beauty Creme Bar. Lather it up in your hands, apply to face and rinse with warm water. Pat dry with towel. Step 3 - Duac. A tiny, pea sized amount dabbed ONLY onto problem areas. Wait until it has just dried. Step 4 - Moisturize. My favourite is Derma500 which can be prescribed in the UK by your GP. Step 5 - Sleep.
Today I've woken up with soft, smooth skin with no spots. I do still have some white heads buried in the skin. I also have some marks where spots have faded. But within a few weeks I'm certain they'll be gone. I've been using the Duac Once Daily Gel for about 3 weeks - 1 month now. And I am astounded by the results. It's been the only thing that worked for me and I've never been happier with a product.
Update: 04/01/2013 - My skin is now clear. I only use the Duac when I get the odd blemish and it takes it down. If it wasn't for the Duac I'm not sure what my skin would look like right now.
Update: 09/02/2013 - When the Duac had finished, I stopped cleansing with baby oil and just removed with Dove soap and moisturizer. I ended up with a nasty break out all over my forehead again. Went back to the Dr and was prescribed more Duac. I'm now back to my old routine as described above. The only con with this product is, if you run out the acne can come back!
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gkitten25 on 9/12/2012 10:23:00 AM more reviews by gkitten25
Age: 25-29 Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium Eyes: Blue
Lifesaver! I started using this in November last year due to a really bad attack of hormonal acne at my chin/jaw line area. It started to work almost straight away and reduced my acne over night. It is quite drying at first so I would say use sparingly as only a little will make a difference and always moisturise well, this stops and dryness or flakiness. I don't know how effective this is in the long term. I stopped taking the birth control pill and started taking some evening primrose and flaxseed oil capsules to regulate my hormones, and after about three months my hormonal acne was pretty much gone, so I stopped using Duac every day, although this helped any breakouts I had will my hormones were settling down. I always keep a tube of this handy though in case I ever do suffer a breakout or stubborn spot.
I've been using it recently as I have just come back from holiday and sunscreen/too much sun has given me some blocked pores and a few bigger spots, a couple of nights using Duac and my skin is pretty much back to normal. I live in the Scotland so it is free on prescription from the doctor, which is great! I read somewhere that the antibiotic in the cream is only active for about three months from purchase ( It must have a shelf life and becomes less effective after this time). For my recent post holiday breakout I had been using a tube that I'd had for six months and could notice the difference as soon as I picked up a new one from the pharmacy, I noticed a huge improvement over night! Also remember to keep it in the fridge..again it must be something to with the antibiotics in it. I understand it is quite pricey in the US? But I would say it is money well spent..it works, but if you have underlying problems causing your acne like I did, try and find out what those are and address them as I don't think that Duac is a long term acne solution and I have heard of people building up a tolerance to it due to over use.
** I just wanted to add a little extra as I read previous reviews and want this to be as helpful as possible. Some reviewers found that it made their skin very red/dry and caused more damage than good. In my experience, BP can do this, I used a very high dose when I was a lot younger for my acne, I used far too much and my skin was dry and flakey but still had acne it was horrible, and I think that it cause some scaring too as it was so harsh, that was about 8 years ago and my scars are much improved but I have been cautious with BP ever since. I would always say just use a little at a time, if you do this and moisturise it shouldn’t leave a film on your skin and should cause the flakiness (unless you have very sensitive skin). I would also say only use this on your problem areas, it is not for all over use. And finally, I think that Duac helps with white heads and those large inflamed under the skin spots..I don't think that it would do much for blackheads or blocked pores, and as a previous poster said, if you suffer those little blocked pore bumps and you use too much Duac or other BP product, the film that it leaves may well make things worse. So I guess the results you get really depend on the type of acne you have, and how much Duac you apply..a little goes a long way. x
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*TOP REVIEWER* ximachikenx on 8/12/2012 12:19:00 AM more reviews by ximachikenx
Age: 19-24 Skin: Normal, Medium, Warm Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium Eyes: Brown
I received a couple sample tubes of this product and I really like it. This product works best for me when I am starting to get those painful cysts forming deep under the skin. When I use Duac the spots will disappear before coming to a head or it will surface faster so I can drain the pimple quicker. However, since this a prescription product I will probably end up buying an ordinary OTC benzoyl peroxide treatment when I'm done with my samples.
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katyaberk on 7/25/2012 9:24:00 PM more reviews by katyaberk
Age: 25-29 Skin: Acne-prone, Fair Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium Eyes: Green
I have been proscribed Duac gel by my GP for 2 month course.
There was no effect for first 2 weeks ( as it says in description) but at the end of my 1st month I have amazing result, my skin has never been so clear and calm.
I have tried everything from Tea Tree oil till Benzac with SOS by Clinique, but effect was only temporary and breakouts were appearing again.
I also have been told by dermatologist that If you buy product from supermarket or online what claims to cure your acne, be aware that it is not strong enough to make them disappear forever, if it would be so strong you would require prescription to buy it.
So If your acnes are really severe, my advice is just gp to your GP and get Duac gel and welcome new clear skin.
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soniaksantiago on 7/18/2012 5:05:00 PM more reviews by soniaksantiago
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium Eyes: Brown
I've been using this product for about two months, along with minocycline, and I couldn't be happier! It has cleared up my skin like no other! I'm 18 years old and I struggled with acne since I was 10. Finally a couple months ago I decided I should go to the dematologist to see what's going on with my skin. When my doctor prescribed me the gel I was kind of scared to use it because benzoyl poroxide always reacts negatively with my skin but I gave it a shot and fell in love. In the beginning of using it it did dry my skin out tremendously but I just moisturizerized like crazy in the morning. I use this every night before I go to bed and I make sure to stay away from my eye area since the skin is really sensitive there. It's a great product and I'm so glad I finally went to the dermatogist. My skin is completely cleared, except for the acne scars. Love this product!!!!!
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ClaraJ23 on 7/12/2012 11:04:00 AM more reviews by ClaraJ23
Age: 30-35 Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm Hair: Brown Eyes: Green
I have had a few issues with acne lately (caused by Differin) I have been applying this very liberally for the last two weeks and it seems to have helped - less inflammation and spots going away. I apply moisturizer before applying duac at night so that seems to help with avoiding drying out too much. I do not apply in the morning under make up as I find it doesn't work that well under make up.
I am also taking minocycline to speed things along. I figure it will take a month to a month and a half to clear up.
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destinystylinson on 7/1/2012 11:04:00 PM more reviews by destinystylinson
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium Hair: Brunette Eyes: Hazel
I started using Duac about 1.5 years ago. It IS very drying, however, I find that it does dramatically decrease the size of my acne over night. This cream is not very good for my skin, so I have decided to stop using it ( even though I just recently bought a new tube -.- ) since I am now using Proactiv ( I started using it yesterday) which also contains Benzoyl Peroxide ( the harsh, drying product found in Duac ) but in a much lower concentration. In a way, the Duac helped my skin prepare for Proactiv....I was expecting my skin to be very dry after using the Proactiv wash, however, it was far from dry! It was nowhere near as drying as Duac, so I think my skin has adapted to drying products now.
Bottom line:
I recommend using Duac, but only on certain areas and on large pimples. DO NOT apply Duac to your entire face. DO NOT apply Duac around your eye area (even if you apply the Duac 2 or so centimeters away from your eye area, it WILL spread around the area in which you applied it to, so add an extra centimeter to the diameter of the area you are applying the Duac to ensure your eyes are kept safe!)
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sas328 on 6/28/2012 11:33:00 AM more reviews by sas328
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue
After only a week with Duac I LOVE this product.
I always had relatively good skin, the occasional annoying pimple but nothing crazy (I used proactiv for several years to keep it clear)
Then right before my college graduation two months ago I started getting a lot of those cystic painful pimples on my cheek and forehead.
I tried EVERYTHING. ACV, toothpaste, aspirin, honey, tea tree oil. Nothing was really helping and I got pretty depressed. I couldn't figure out why at 22 I was breaking out. So I caved and made a dermatologist appointment and they prescribed me Oracea and Duac.
This was a week ago and Duac is already working wonders!!
I woke up two days ago with a painful large pimple on my cheek and after two days of morning and night use, it's 98% gone! I also had some painful ones on my forehead that are really reduced.
I'm so happy and hope I keep seeing results!!
A tip, before bed after applying the Duac I put on the Proactive Refining Mask on top of them as added spot treatment for stubborn pimples.
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CRod86 on 5/30/2012 1:06:00 PM more reviews by CRod86
Age: 25-29 Skin: Combination, Fair Hair: Other Eyes: Green
Duac gel has caused permanent damage to my skin. I never had enlarged pores, red spots, and dry/oily skin, as well as, extreme sensitivity to heat and cold conditions. This has ruined my life and this drug should be taken off the market immediately. It has been a year and a half and my skin has not improved. I did not have bad acne to begin with. Just a few breakouts during my period. I should've not been prescribed this medication! I feel so hopeless and lost all self-esteem because of it!
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Duleiana on 5/22/2012 2:07:00 PM more reviews by Duleiana
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium Eyes: Brown
I have a quite flawless skin - except from my nose. I always had those huge cystic acnes, you can't cure and leave redish scars and spots for MONTHS. After months of birth-controll pills and unsuccessful home treatment (Vichy, Bioderm, L'Oréal, L'Occitane, Nivea...) I visited my dermatologist to find me a cure. Any. I just couldn't believe that we are sending people to the Moon but can't find a proper solution for a simple acne.
So I got DUAC. Well, impressive, I would say. BP is not a wonder-serum but it is really close to do some kind of miracle. I use DUAC for the pimples only because it dries out the "normal" skin parts really much (and there is no foundation to cover the flaky parts...).
Those huge, bad cystic ones are usually nearly gone in 2-3 days and the red post-marks are fading quite well. I think with proper moisturizing and exfoliating DUAC offers a very good way to controll your (post)pubercity signs - but you should use it as your dermatologist suggests. It isn't a shelter product and chemicals need to be taken seriously.
UPDATE: After about 3 months it has simply stopped to work - I think I became resistant to the clindamycin... I'm on Differin gel right now and it seems to work really well (and you skin can't get used to is because Differin doesn't contain antibiotics). Unfortunately DUAC wasn't a long-term solution for me. 3 lippies for fooling me.