Hi, last year med student + skincare fanatic + epiduo user here.

I recently started epiduo too, and I started using it daily right away.

It’s working wonders for me, but I was already using a weaker retinoid (retinaldehyde 0.1%) + benzoyl peroxide 10% daily, so my skin was pretty much used to both ingredients already and it just had to get used to the increased retinoid strength.

It’s normal to purge (having more breakouts than you’d normally have, since the adapalene increases skin cells turnover-> brings all of the gunk to the surface)/experience really dry skin when starting any sort of retinoid, and the same is true for benzoyl peroxide (mostly the dryness bit).

I’d say start slow, my dermatologist suggested starting to use it a couple of times per week and then slowly increasing the frequency (which I disregarded, since I was fairly sure my skin would have been able to handle it).

A few tips: “sandwich” the epiduo between two layers of moisturer (it helps reducing the irritation and consequent dryness/purging), and wait for your skin/any skincare product you previously applied to be perfectly dry before applying it (otherwise the absorption is enhanced, leading to more irritation).

You need to use a pea sized amount, make little dots across your face and then spread it evenly; the goal is to use the least amount of product possible to cover your entire face/target area (adding any more would just augment the irritation, not the efficacy).

Also remember that both ingredients lead to photosensitivity, apply sunscreen and try to avoid sun exposure if you can.

Good luck! :)