Effaclar duo and acne, advice please!

[Daisyandbabies]

Hi everyone,
So, I still suffer with acne at the age of 29. With the products I was using from America, I would have maybe 2-3 spots at a time, sometimes none though. Only problem was, my overall skin is scarred and rubbish and I wanted to stop the benzoyl peroxide after years go use.
Bought Effaclar duo after reading fab reviews...2 weeks of usage and I didn't get a single spot and was chuffed with it. Now it's gone awfully down hill!! I have so many spots, I would say about 14 and one of them was a massive cyst that I had to treat with antibiotic cream.
Please tell me it gets better...I don't know of any alternative and it would be a month before I could get hold of the stuff I used to use. Is this just normal purging or should I stop using it asap??
Thanks!

It just probably isn't as good for you as the Benzoyl peroxide It's good but it's not really as good as Benzoyl peroxide.

Get yourself some Panoxyl (UK benzoyl peroxide brand) and get back on track as fast as possible.

Thanks for the reply! Wasn't that discontinued a while back? I've heard of duac with benzoyl peroxide in but I have to go the dr for that and want to try to avoid harsh prescription stuff as that was what ruined my skin in the first place.
I will have a look for panoxyl now x

Have a google. Benzoyl peroxide is not as available in the UK as the states but it is available. But ultimately you may need prescitption stuff and there are other prescriptions than Duac - if Effaclar Duo doesn't work for you and you don't want more benzoyl peroxide, you've exhausted UK over the counter options really and need a dermatologist.

I was hoping other people may have had similar issues with Effaclar and then they cleared up 😔 Spent lots of money on it and scared of messing around with more products as last time I did, i ended up with bad scars. Arghhhhh! Thanks for your help though xx

Anyone else got any experiences with Effaclar?

I did find that when I first started using effaclar duo my skin went through a purging phase. (I don't care what hirons says, it does happen!) However, I would say that it was absolutely worth it. After the initial purge my skin has never been so good. I've probably been using it once a day for about 3 years now, and wouldn't be without it. The texture and clarity of my skin when using it can't be beaten.
I did stop using it for about 3 months when I was away and couldn't get hold of it last year. My skin was ok during that time, but I suspect maybe slightly congested. When I went back to using it, my skin purged for short time, then went back to looking great. I would say that I had to use it for at least 2 months when I first started to really get the best from it.
I would never go back to using really harsh products now. I use a very gentle cleanser and toner then effaclar duo.
I did try the other products in the effaclar range but found them way too harsh and really nothing special.

Thank you, jasmine, I was hoping that someone might have an experience like this! I literally looked in the mirror and cried this morning, feel so awful about myself! I know it's silly, so much worse things to have but my confidence has just plummeted.
I hope this is just the purging! X

It's not silly at all! I know exactly how you feel. I think people really don't understand how much skin problems can effect your day to day confidence unless they've been there.
Stick with it for a little while longer would be my advice. If it hasn't cleared within the next few weeks then maybe go back to the drawing board at that point.
Have you looked at your diet/possible hormonal problems as well?

I did stop breast feeding 2 weeks ago which won't be helping (she's 18 months and was extremely gradual though, like one feed a day for the last 2 months) and I'm also mid cycle which also is when I'm usually prone to spots. Not like this though 😔
I will give it another 2 weeks. Thanks for your advice :) X

I've been using the effaclar duo+ since Christmas and this week (for the first time in perhaps 24 years) I have no spots. I definitely had some big lumps a few weeks in though, so I would keep going. I'm using it at night with cetaphil and nothing else and am delighted by the result. I even considered going out without make up today!

I've been using Effaclar cleanser, toner and duo for about 4 weeks - I have oily congested skin that nothing seems to change. The small raised lumps on my cheeks that have been there forever seem to be going which is amazing. About 2 weeks in I had a huge breakout, worse than normal, on my chin and wondered what was happening. Maybe it was the purging? Seems to have calmed down now and my skin is definitely less oily, which I think might be because of the toner, which I didn't use before.

I've been using for about 1 year. After the initial wow, I had a mini relapse. It took a good few months to get clear but my skin now is AMAZING. I use the effaclar wash and duo cream with either the effaclar toner or Pixi Glow Tonic. Make sure you use a good moisturiser - I like effaclar H.

I did have very good results with effeclar duo but my skin could be better. I am about to start using liquid gold which comes highly recommended and I'm hoping it will clear up all scarring and even out my skin tone and get of and prevent any small pimples I get.

Think I'm going to have to stop using it. So wanted it to work! My 'purging' seems a lot more than just purging though. I'm worried this will get worse so going to have to stop.
Here's a picture so people can see what I mean...2 weeks ago I had NO spots...the Effaclar was to get rid of any old marks/prevent new spots from forming/improve skin texture. Then, In just over a week, I went from no spots to this:

Think most people would agree that this doesn't agree with my skin 😔 Now going to have to try and get hold of the US version of Proactiv which at least takes all my spots away. Not cool, Effaclar

Here you go, this is the day I started using Effaclar, 3 weeks in, then 3 and a half weeks in. Feel awful

Would you consider seeing the GP? I know you don't want benzoyl peroxide but maybe topical stuff isn't going to cut it- have you ever considered a couple of months of oxytetracycline (antibiotics) or some vitamin A derivative gel, both on prescription? Or- depending on where else you have spots too- even a trip to the dermatologist to consider something stronger to try and settle skin longer term eg roaccutane?
I'm sure hormones have a part to play and it is a perfect storm with stopping bf, mid cycle and change of product. It'll doubtless improve even if you just carry on as these factors above will lessen, but o do think maybe you should at least consider a GP chat. Hope it settles for you

I've been, have an appointment for acne scarring (had no spots 3 weeks ago when I mentioned it to the GP so the referral was for scarring not active acne) and my appointment is end of March. My wedding is in July though so really don't want this to get any worse.
I don't want to take anything orally, I took antibiotics at 15 for it. Cleared my skin but as completely unregulated and my dr allowed me to take them for 2 years which caused my wisdom teeth to grow through with no enamel on! Don't want to take something that can mess with my insides like that.
I also have a benign tumour on my liver so taking anything that could affect my liver, such as birth control and roaccutaine, is out of the question for me. It's just so frustrating as 4 weeks ago, I had clear skin and hadn't had a single spot in over a month! Wish I hadn't meddled

I will add a pic on here after a few weeks of back on the US Proactiv, just incase it can help anyone out X

I've had success in the past with a topical prescription antibiotic - Zineryt - worked without being harsh or drying.

You have my sympathies, I still get hormonal acne at the grand age of almost 50 Not chronic, but still there.

You have my sympathies: I had a v similar experience, and am also getting married in July and really want clear skin by then. I decided about a month ago the effaclar duo, despite initial good results, wasn't agreeing with my skin.

In Jan I started on metformin for PCOS and while I still have a bit of scarring/ faded spots/discolouration under the surface on my chin, my skin is clearer than it has been in about 18 months.

Do you know what is causing it? As an adult, it will almost certainly have a hormonal cause. In my case, the pcos is definitely the culprit: if it's the same with you there are things you can do. Do you hav any other symptoms? Irregular periods/long cycle/facial hair/weight gain on stomach?Metformin is tough on the liver I think (and not an acne drug at all, but it is treating the cause of the acne in my case) however the excess testosterone causing the acne can be really helped by just regulating your blood sugar. So a low gi diet, no sugar, exercise could help, and wouldn't be at all dangerous.

Over the counter, there's a kiehls over-night biological peel I find surprisingly good. You only use it two or three times a week. But at this stage, with 5 months to go, I'd splash out and go to a dermatologist rather than spending more money on otc products that might not agree with you. Good luck.

Thanks for the replies!
I don't think I have polycystic ovaries...I've had plenty of scans for early pregnancy and scans for my bladder/kidneys since that have done that area and there's never been any cysts. No problem with weight, I've always been a size 8 and struggled to keep the weight on rather than off. I do know it's hormonal as I get AWFUL chin acne in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and then not a single spot in the remaining 6 months of pregnancy. For the past year, I've been down to no spots for 3 weeks of the month and then 1 or 2 when I'm ovulating. I do, however, have a long, somewhat irregular cycle and always have done.
I'm sorry Effaclar didn't work for you either! Have you ever tried US Proactiv? The one sold in Britain has different ingredients but I know for a fact that the us one works well for me in regards to keeping most spots away. I was just getting greedy and wanted better skin texture and reduced acne scars.
Good luck with your wedding plans!

I love Effaclar Duo (+), it has taken my skin a while to get used to it though. When I first tried it through 'try it out or get your money back' promotion, it broke me out and dried my skin out so I stopped using it but I've recently bought it again and now my skin seems to love it.

I use it at night as it's really thick and it makes skin 'peel' if I use it before makeup! But I also use Effaclar Serozinc (a god send for oily skin as it makes your skin matte) and Effaclar K(+) which is a light moisturiser.

I have blemishes rather than acne but I still treat my skin as if I do have acne (if that makes sense); my routine is currently:

Day:
Good Things Stay Clear facial wash/Superdrug Clearly Youth scrub/B. Refined exfoliating scrub.
Effaclar Serozinc/Botanics Hydrating Rosewater Spritz on a cotton pad.
Effaclar K(+).
Mattifying primer (Benefit Porefessional, Bourjois Mattifying Serum or L'oreal Infallible Matte Primer are my top 3).

Night:
B. Clean gel cleanser/The Body Shop camomile cleansing butter/oil (I still use oil even though my skin is oily).
Superdrug Detox mud mask (only £3 and I use this 1-2 times a week).
Nip and Fab Extreme Night Glycolic Fix exfoliating pads (despite the name, I don't find them that extreme - just a little sting) or The Body Shop Tea Tree toner, now that stuff does sting quite a bit due to the alcohol content. Stinging is good though, it means it is working.
MAC Fix+ to refresh my skin.
B. Energised eye gel for those under eye bags.
No7 Blemish Defence serum, it's nice and light.
Effaclar Duo (+)
No7 Rapid Spot Rescue/Soap and Glory Dr Spot blemish gel.

I will admit I don't do this night routine every night, only when I can be arsed really so it is my fault that my skin is bad haha!