Unlisted Brand • Galderma - Epiduo (aka Tactuo in Canada) • Treatments

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Cosmeticianbabe14 on 4/30/2013 12:42:00 AM more reviews by Cosmeticianbabe14

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I will first come out and say I was prescribed this product by a dermatologist for my awful ongoing whiteheads and it did work. However...
I also started on birth control for my skin at the time. So it was in conjunction with that. The product took a good 3 months to do its magic. Initially you will get really really bad breakouts because it is your skins whiteheads coming to head and forming pimples. So if you have a lot of whiteheads it will take sometime for there to clear. After about 5 months my skin was fabulously clear, only getting the occasional zit. I kept a strict routine of washing with a gentle wash in the morning with an oil free moisturizer and washing with a white tea cleanser at night, I also used an oil free moisturizer then and id put on the tactuo then. The biggest mistake you can make with the product is putting any more than a super thin layer. Exposure to the sun with this product (tanning beds especially) really made my acne flare up. Now after about 1 year of use, my skin has built a resistance and my condition has slowly crept back. I am devastated that my skin will go back to being ugly and oily. The tube is also messy and very expensive. Hard for me to decide my feelings for this product but for LONG term clear skin, this is not for you.

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pmcgoldie on 4/22/2013 10:14:00 PM more reviews by pmcgoldie

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I have had acne for about 4 years now and have tried a butt load of products, however this one just doesn't cut the mustard. I had a smathering of clogged pores and comedones on my face, and this did a good job of getting rid of those. But...I now have some cystic acne flare ups (and I NEVER had cystic acne before). Overall, my derm said I would be totally acne free in 3 months, and 6 months later...no dice. :/

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kyliechester on 4/17/2013 10:35:00 PM more reviews by kyliechester

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

If you suffer from acne but find that most over the counter products irritate or dry out your skin, high-tail it to your derm and discuss Epiduo with them. I've had moderate acne since I was 10 or 11 years old, and I have gotten cystic flare-ups since I was about 14 years old, but my skin is also very sensitive and prone to dryness. So obviously, treating acne is a little bit of a dilemma. I use Epiduo at night after cleansing my face with CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. When I wake up my skin is smooth, soft and totally clear. Total miracle product!

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GlowBrite on 3/26/2013 10:39:00 PM more reviews by GlowBrite

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I've had acne got most of my life and finally took the plunge to take accutane. My skin was flawless until I tried the oil cleansing method. Needless to say my skin is just as bad as before accutane. I've been on epiduo for 6 weeks and I'm undecided. I keep getting new deep cystic acne and flakes on top of it. I thought that meant the blemishes were drying but that id not the case. I'm going Back to the Derm. In 2 days
And I'm thinking she'll suggest another round of accutane it antibiotics. Really wanted this to work and tried being patient just fed up at this point :( also FYI I rated cheap for price because I got free
Samples I've heard it's pricey though.

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kelseyrae123 on 3/26/2013 5:18:00 PM more reviews by kelseyrae123

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

i have had pretty clear skin my whole life just the occasional pimple and flare up around the time of month. I got pregnant last year and the whole time my skin was amazing i didnt even have to wear makeup which is something i could never do before. After i gave birth my skin got terrible! my doc prescribed me tactuo and i started using it Feb 14. I am almost at the 2 month point and my skin is still going through the terrible break out, red stage. In the morning my skin will be red and soo dry and by the end of the day i am an oily mess. I am going to give it another 2 weeks but im not sure this is working for me. My skins texture looks alot worse then before i started( skin looks like its aging and is really dull) and im only 20! I will update in about 4 weeks to let you know how it turns out!

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*TOP REVIEWER* product_junkie6 on 3/22/2013 10:43:00 AM more reviews by product_junkie6

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I've been using Tactuo for a coupe weeks and I'm having the same side-effects as when I was on Differin, even though this is suppose to be milder. As another reviewer mentioned, it can make your skin "itchy, red, sore and inflamed". I do not think this product is working for me.

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ssslasher23 on 3/20/2013 5:36:00 PM more reviews by ssslasher23

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I so badly wanted this product to work for me, especially after having read so many good reviews on it here on MUA. Unfortunately, I didn't have the success that many people here had.
I've always had mild acne, probably since I was about 12. Typical preteen/teen skin issues: some blackheads and whiteheads coming and going in the t-zone. Mainly on my nose and forehead and a bit on my chin. However, when I was about 17, I started getting pimples on my cheeks. I ignored it for some time, continued with my regular skin routine. It started to get worse and worse. I am now 20 and my skin's in terrible shape. :(
I tried Tactuo last year, it was recommended to me by my GP. She told me I could expect a flare up for about the first 2 or 3 weeks before it would get better. When I picked up the prescription from the pharmacist, she told me I could expect to see it get worse for 3-4 weeks before seeing improvement.
The first week was brutal, my skin was itchy, red, sore and inflamed. I had a lot of flakey skin and dryness. Just god awful. I used it on and off for about a month only to watch my acne get worse and worse. I started getting pimples in places I never used to like along my jawline and all over my cheeks.
I figured I wasn't seeing results because I wasn't using it diligently. So, I used it for a month straight. Result? My skin was HORRIFIC. Honestly, it had never been worse. Finally I couldn't take it anymore I stopped using it and my skin calmed down a little. Though now I have way more marks than I used to before.
I finally went and saw a dermatologist and told her about my experience with Tactuo, Apparently you shouldn't be seeing flare ups for more than about 2 weeks. My skin just doesn't react well with benzyl peroxide products!

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*TOP REVIEWER* kellirae on 3/18/2013 6:11:00 PM more reviews by kellirae

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This has helped to save my skin from hormonal break outs. I actually have dry skin & no oily T zone. My break outs didn't start until after my first daughter was born when I was 20. My skin was peaches and cream all through high school. I never in a million thought I would be dealing with adult acne! I am now 34 and get hormonal break outs. The pimples appear on my jaw line and under & on my chin. I sometimes will get a small pimple on my cheek or forehead, but they go away fast without any scarring. The
Ones I get on my jawline & chin, sometimes take months to go away & leave horrible scars behind.
The Epiduo has been a life saver. I only use it the week prior to my period and only on my chin/jawline. I use it once a day and it helps to keep the pimples away. It is very drying, but my pharmacist told me that you want that. He told me its like you are applying bleach to the skin & it is killing the bacteria & stripping away that layer of skin that clogs up the pores. I just use Cerave as a moisturizer the week I use Epiduo and it helps with the dryness. When I'm not using the Epiduo, I use the Garnier gel moisturizer for dry skin(the pink gel) and the Garnier dark spot corrector. That combo works perfectly on my skin during my non hormonal times and the dark spot corrector has helped tremendously with my old acne scars.
I will continue to use the Epiduo and hope it keeps working for me.

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luciaq on 3/8/2013 10:56:00 PM more reviews by luciaq

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Other, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Other    

Use with Caution!
see my update 3 months after treatment

-------Early Dec 2012, right after my treament is over ----------------

This is something I call a miracle product. I've had acne continuously since I was 13 years old. For years I've tried various cleansers, medications, treatments and virtually gave up on treating it. But now I'm on week 8 of the treatment and it cleared up all existing acne, blackheads, blocked greasy pores from my face (excpect for 1 acne where I missed to apply). I can see that my pores are all clear (although probably a tiny bit larger) and my skin is going to be much LESS prone to acne for the future.
***to new users of the stuff: well, the first 4-6 weeks fo the treatment are virtually hell, and it's normal. As the skin gets used to the ingredient (adapalene) you're going to see excessive drying, flaking, sensitive skin, extra breakout even in uncommon places. Just keep on using it. And cover the entire affected area, not spot-apply.
***second note about Differin vs. Epiduo(aka. Tactuo). I have used both and recommend Epiduo. Both have the same main ingredient Adapalene which works deeply in the skin to open up the pore. The difference is that Epiduo has some extra benzoyl peroxide which works on the skin surface to kill bacteria quickly. My doctor recommended epiduo over differin for me because I've taken many acne oral antibiotics in the past and the bacteria might have developed some resistance to the antibiotics.
*** note 3 about the cost: this is a tube of 60g costing around $110 CAD. It's easier if you have medical insurance coverage. One tube should be just enough to cover most of the face for a 8-week treatment (1g/day)

-------------update early March, 2013 --------------------------
Tactuo has indeed changed my skin. For the past 3 months or so I waited happily and patiently for acne scars to go away. There would be occasional acne but I was always able to suppress it within 2 days with acne facial wash plus a night application of my left-over tactuo.

However Tactuo did change my acne-prone-but-otherwise-good skin into problem skin with sensitive and dry patches on cheeks, and I fear it's permanent change. Now I have to be ultra careful with all the facial wash and lotion products. seems like the initial treatment side-effects (or should I say damages) remained even months after I stopped it.

Last week I had a major breakout and Tactuo did not help this time even though I've been using it every night for a week. probably because I stopped taking oral antibiotics 3 months ago. or maybe acne just need a "breakout" once in a while and nothing can control.

good luck everyone. if anything new comes up in my case I'll return and add to this review again.

oh and just a tip: you may want to try apply tactuo only on areas you have considerable acne. I applied it over my entire face , but the areas with few acne became too sensitive and dry from the medication.

-------------update April 2013 --------------------------

used Cliniderm cream to calm down my dry patches of skin. And I'm back to the occasional acne now. No longer using Tactuo to control breakout but instead use L'Oreal 360 anti-breakout facial cleanser (the kind that comes with a facial cleansing pad). Surprisingly the cleanser keeps my occasional acne at bay.

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ZinaSuha on 3/7/2013 12:43:00 PM more reviews by ZinaSuha

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

I started using this about 3 weeks ago and thought I would wait a while before I reviewed it. My acne wasn't very bad, it was pretty mild, but red and big. Got prescribed this and used it, first week my skin was mad flaky but after that it went back to normal. I can see that my spots have reduced a lot, but are leaving red marks and dark spots behind. can't complain seeing as it has definitely helped to clear my face. If you have severe acne, you should probably use something stronger.

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Ruth89 on 2/22/2013 10:49:00 PM more reviews by Ruth89

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Anyone out there suffering with Ance I know your pain and can tell you there is an end in sight.. Give or take 12 weeks.
So I started getting acne when I left uni and it continued getting worse over 3 years. I tried clinique, face scrubs even olive oil home remedy the lot until I couldn't take it anymore. So I headed to the docs. He prescribed me with Epiduo on 3rd Dec 2012. Reading reviews made me think it would work pretty fast BUT this was not the case for me. I got dry cracked skin and then purging what felt like forever!! I could see some improvements but week 12 came and suddenly my whole face is much clearer- iv got two active spots on one cheek which is miles better than 25 all over!!!. I can't explain it but it's such a relief to know persistence works!!! I use cetaphil daily cleanser and their moisturiser too. I think such harsh products over the years simply irritated my skin so this gentle stuff is a life saver. (I started using these at like week 4 which probably hindered my progress in the initial stages) I will be using epiduo for the foreseeable future to ensure this confidence knocking acne is completely gone! And as for the scarring its sugar scrubs (sugar mixed with cetaphil cleanser- really nice not too harsh but keeps those pesky flakes at bay), and even microdermabrasion - I've been saving up (gosh, how lame am I getting excited about shooting crystals at my face!)
So all in all please everyone give it a try. I had moderate Acne and it really does work - just give it time. (oh and try not to pick, if you must- use a sterilised needle to pop them and dnt draw blood!!)
I hope my experience helps you!
Addition: put moisturiser around your eyes like a panda before you put the gel on so it doesn't start to dry out your under eye area giving you wrinkles!!!

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Jesse806 on 2/12/2013 7:55:00 PM more reviews by Jesse806

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

My doctor prescribed me this for my acne. He said I should see improvements within 2 months. 6 months later I still continued to get big painful cysts everywhere and I have terrible scaring and dullness. I stopped after 6 months realizing it was just making my face worse. It made my face very red and sensitive to the sun. There is an ingredient in the epiduo ( I believe it's sorbitan oleate) and its known for a major acne causing ingredient. Putting that on my face before I slept at night most likely made it worse. This product is very expensive and was very disappointed in it. I DO NOT reccomend it for acne prone skin!!!!

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megbear on 2/6/2013 9:03:00 PM more reviews by megbear

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I have moderate cystic hormonal acne.I had hope for this product and I stuck with it the full three months, not skipping any days. I was careful to apply a thin layer each night and I used an oil-free moisturizer after gently cleansing each morning. I experienced an absolutely horrible breakout. I told myself to keep going because I know this product can have an initial break-out, but my skin was still severely breaking out at the three-month mark. I got deep cystic pimples on my forehead ( a place where I hardly ever get acne normally) and around my temples. Not only did it make my acne worse, but my skin was dry, red and "worn looking" the entire time I was using it. I really regret using this product - I have hyper-pigmentation scars left from it and although they'll hopefully fade with time are very noticeable. It's been about a week and a half since I stopped using Epiduo and already my skin has improved. I've been using a all-natural product called DermaMed (a combination of aloe vera, tea tree oil, rose-hip oil and vitamins) and my skin is already clearing. My cystic acne has gone way down and my jawline acne has gone. I know this product works well for some, but it didn't for me. If you feel this product is giving you a bad 'initial' break-out I would stop using it. You don't want to be left with bad scars!

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tayloorcox on 1/31/2013 9:28:00 PM more reviews by tayloorcox

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I have dealt with acne for at least the past 4 years. I have it on my back, chest and face. I have tried many many different products but nothing has worked. It is extremely frustrating. Often times I do not want to go out in public (even with make up on) due to my acne. I started using tactuo about 3 days ago. I have already seen improvements. They are small improvements but its something at least. I am very anxious to see how my skin will look within the next 4-8 weeks as I have heard many good things about this product. I have heard tactuo can make your skin dry and flaky but I have not dealt with either yet. However I am willing to face those challenges if they come to see hat this ''miracle cream" can do for me. All I can do now is wait and be positive. The product is expensive, around a $100 a tube, however if you have it covered or even part of it covered than you are good to go. I can't say quite yet if its worth it however I will update when I see changes, good or bad.

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1s2s3a on 1/31/2013 12:34:00 AM more reviews by 1s2s3a

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

This is my first week using Tactuo, I have never had acne before, barely any pimples, until about a year ago. I began getting a lot of pimples and now many of them have left scars. It has gotten extremely bad that i cannot leave the house without make up on anymore. I have tried many many different medications nothing has worked. its around my fourth day using this product and i've already seen a great difference. my pimples have reduced in size however they are still there. my scars are still here as well but they also seem to be fading. I am also using Spectro gel wash twice daily as my dermatologist recommended.
-negative comments :It has made my skin SUPER dry and it burns so much, I would say around 10/10 pain. I can't even put moisturizer/oil/vaseline on because everything burns! but as the reviews suggested i will continue using it and update this whenever i see a change.

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emma1girl5899 on 1/15/2013 8:09:00 PM more reviews by emma1girl5899

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Ive been using epiduo for a couple months now. it almost completely cleared up my acne! i love it so much. one thing that sets me off a little is how dry and flakey it makes my skin. i have to exfoliate my face 2 times everyday to keep those nasty flakes off my face. even exfoliating 2 times a day, i still get pretty flakey. if you decide to try this product, you should really find a deep moisturizing, gentle lotion. Epiduo will really dry out your skin badly.

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Avonlea82 on 1/15/2013 6:45:00 AM more reviews by Avonlea82

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

In my opinion, this product is a miracle drug. I had been using BC to control the horrible cystic blemishes that would pop up on my throat for about 3 years. It worked moderately well, but I still got incredibly painful and unsightly cystic blemishes on my throat/neck monthly. It made me want to hibernate in my apartment. Last October and November were particularly bad - I think I was just extra stressed out in general and because of this my neck was just flushed in this awful and continuous break out for a number of weeks. I finally threw my hands up and made an appointment with my doctor. I saw her Dec 31. She gave me some samples of Tactuo and has scheduled an appointment for me to see a derm, as she thinks I may also have rosacea. I've been using Tactuo since Dec 31. The first night I applied it to some small white heads and they were gone the next morning. It depends on the severity of the blemish as to how many nights it will take to go away. This week is the real test for the medication as I'm in between packets of BC and it's the week where the cystic blemishes (literally) raise their ugly heads. But so far it has been great - they, as usual, appeared as small red bumps at first. I applied the Tactuo as soon as I saw/felt them. They got a little bigger the second day, but not as big as normal, and they haven't progressed at all to their normal cystic stage. The Tactuo seems to have killed them before they could really get going. This is fantastic. It does dry out my skin quite a lot, but I just make sure to moisturize well in the morning. Also for me it works better as a spot treatment, as putting it all over my skin made it very red, raw and sore - I found that out the painful way and had to use Vaseline for a few night on my neck to soothe it. I think I will invest in a really good day time moisturizer though and if it's up to me, I will never again be without Tactuo.

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skyybound1243 on 1/5/2013 8:13:00 PM more reviews by skyybound1243

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I'v been using epiduo for almost 6 months now. I had moderate acne that was always super swollen, red, and painful, along with the occasional cystic blemish. I tried everything, I washed my face religiously, made sure that my pillow was clean, kept my hair from my face, tried multiple products with absolutely zero results. Epiduo is the only product that keeps my face clear. My only problem with it is that my skin is quite sensitive and this burns within several seconds after application. My skin gets super red, irritated, and just nothing can touch my skin without making it worse. Any lotion or oil or any moisturizer of any kind makes me skin burn like its on fire and makes my complexion even redder, this is definitely a night-time thing for me. However, by morning the redness is gone but my skin can get flaky from this product.

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cleay on 12/29/2012 2:20:00 PM more reviews by cleay

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

For the past few years, I've suffered from some pretty moderate hormonal acne. Over the summer, it seemed to have gotten a bit worse; my forehead was covered in tiny little bumps under the skin and my right cheek seemed to be getting more and more pimples. I tried a few products, but none really did much for me. I grew pretty tired of hiding my face, so I headed to my family doctor and she prescribed me with tactuo. Oh my god, I wish I had done this MONTHS sooner so I could have saved my face from some of the scarring. I love this stuff! I've been using it for a little over a month now (I started using it November 26th) and my face is the clearest it's been in a long, long time. The weeks leading up to this were a bit bumpy, however. My skin was dry, itchy, red and irritated. Fortunately, this only lasted a few weeks and I found it relatively easy to keep under control. I used the cetaphil cleanser for dry skin along with a vitamin e cream, and I'd put vaseline on spots that were especially dry - this seemed to keep most dryness at bay. Every week, I'd gently exfoliate with a wash cloth to get rid of the flakiness. Not only was my skin irritated, it didn't seem to be getting any clearer, but finally after about the fourth week my face was just suddenly clear. I'm loving the results! Those who are put off by the initial dryness, please please please keep up with it! It's so worth it. Tactuo also really helped with some of my blackheads, which is great.

Tactuo seems to be a bit expensive (I think it's like $100 a tube in Canada) but insurance covered most of it and I only paid $25. My pharmacist also said there's a coupon on their website or something. I would've gladly paid $100 for this though!

The only problem I have with tactuo is the packaging, and it's hardly an issue. I almost always accidentally squeeze out way too much, but I think that's more my fault than the tube's.

In short, I definitely recommend tactuo!

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ndim on 12/26/2012 8:32:00 PM more reviews by ndim

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

hi all,
my doctor prescribed tactuo to me about a month ago. after using it for a week, i abandoned ship because it made my skin far too dry and flaky. Upon reading your reviews, I'm fixing to give it another go but am wondering if anyone has a dream moisturizer to stop the dryness?
any suggestion(s) would be more than helpful.
thanks in advance!

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