Epiduo Gel

Order Epiduo Gel Online For Acne

By Clinical Pharmacist Hywel McGlinchy

You can request to order Epiduo Gel acne treatment online, from our UK registered online pharmacy and doctor service. After completing your online consultation and checking out, your order will be passed to our UK registered doctors for review. If approved, our pharmacy team will dispense and dispatch your medication to your chosen address.

What is Epiduo gel?

Epiduo gel is a topical acne treatment that contains two active ingredients, Adapalene and Benzoyl Peroxide. It's an effective treatment for patients who suffer from acne on their face. The dual action helps battle acne on two fronts, helping battle both the acne-causing bacteria on the skin, and the inflammation which can arise from blocked and infected pores.

How does Epiduo Gel work?

Epiduo Gel contains two active ingredients: adapalene and benzoyl peroxide. It is sometimes referred to as Epiduo 0.1% 2.5% Gel because of the strengths of both ingredients. There is also a higher strength gel that contains 0.3% of adapalene.

Adapalene is a drug that helps to reduce the blockage and inflammation of pores on the skin. Benzoyl peroxide works to kill bacteria that can cause acne. It also works by softening and peeling dead skin to prevent blockages and help prevent new spots from appearing.

How do I use Epiduo?

Epiduo is applied once daily, usually at night, just before bed. You should apply a thin layer of the gel to the affected area before bed. It's important to wash your face before application, then gently pat dry, so you are applying the gel to clean, dry skin. As well as washing your face, it's important to wash your hands thoroughly after application. This is because the benzoyl peroxide in the gel can bleach fabrics and hair. 

Epiduo Directions

Epiduo should be applied thinly and evenly on acne affected skin, making sure to avoid the eyes, nostrils, and lips. You should apply it once a day at bedtime. It should be applied to clean and dry skin.  

Always wash your hands before and after applying the gel.

How effective is Epiduo?

Most patients who use Epiduo will notice an excellent response. In trials, over 85% of patients had above a satisfactory response, while 71% had a good-excellent response. It can take up to 4 weeks to start to see a noticeable improvement in your acne. If you are not seeing results after 6 weeks, it's possible that Epiduo is not being effective in treating your acne. You can review your options with us our your local GP.

Epiduo Gel Side Effects

As with any medicine, Epiduo can cause side effects. Most people will tolerate Epiduo very well with no, or very minor side effects, like slight drying of skin. This can often be overcome by using a non-comedogenic moisturiser. 

However, like all medications, there are specific side effects to be aware of. The most common side effects with Epiduo gel are irritation of the skin, burning sensation to the affected area and eczema.

Epiduo Gel can cause your skin to become more sensitive to the sun. Avoid exposing your skin to the sun for too long and also avoid UV lamps during treatment.

See the patient information leaflet for a complete list of possible side effects.

Alternatives to Epiduo Gel

There are other treatments for acne available at Simple Online Pharmacy and other sources. Via our online acne clinic service, the following treatments can be prescribed by our doctors.

• Differin Gel (Adapalene)
• Duac Gel (Topical antibiotic & benzoyl peroxide)
• Lymecycline (Oral antibiotic)
• Zineryt (Topical antibiotic)
• Acnecide (Benzoyl peroxide)

If you have not yet tried any over the counter treatments, there are also a number of options to get started when trying to battle acne. Skin wash brands such as Clearasil, Witch, Freederm and Salcura are all popular acne brands.

As well as offering washes, they also have products to battle individual spots, zits and blackheads, and regular treatment gels, such as Freederm treatment gel.

As well as pharmacy medicines, other treatment options for acne include

• Herbal medicines
• High dose vitamin treatments
• Homoeopathic treatments
• Isotretinoin | Accutane. A specialist drug, available only via a face to face consultation. 

Other medicines and Epiduo Gel

When using Epiduo, you should not use other topical acne treatments that contain similar ingredients. It’s also recommended to avoid using drying, irritating, or exfoliating cosmetics at the same time as Epiduo.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant you should not use Epiduo Gel. If you become pregnant during treatment with Epiduo, you should stop using it immediately and seek medical attention from your doctor.

Epiduo is safe to use if you are breastfeeding, but you should avoid applying it to your chest.

Epiduo Gel Summary

Epiduo Gel Prices

• What is Epiduo?

  Epiduo is a gel that is used to treat acne. It contains the active ingredients adapalene and benzoyl peroxide. These work to treat acne in different ways. Adapalene helps to treat the skin inflammation and benzoyl peroxide is an antimicrobial agent that kills acne-causing bacteria. 

  This combination of ingredients may be effective for people who have found other acne treatments ineffective.

• What does Epiduo do to your skin?

  The two ingredients in Epiduo work in different ways to treat your acne. Adapalene is a retinoid which helps to reduce inflammation and blocked pores. Benzoyl peroxide helps to kill bacteria on your skin and unclog pores by softening and peeling dead skin.

• How is Epiduo applied?

  The gel is applied to the affected area once daily, at bedtime. After washing and drying your skin, apply Epiduo thinly over all affected areas with your fingertips. You should always wash your hands before and after applying Epiduo Gel.

• What are the side effects of Epiduo?

  As with any medicine, Epiduo can cause side effects. The most common side effects include:

  • Redness
  • Mild burning sensation
  • Dry skin
  • Skin irritation

  Epiduo Gel can cause your skin to become more sensitive to the sun. Avoid exposing your skin to the sun for too long and also avoid UV lamps during treatment. See the patient information leaflet for a complete list of possible side effects.

• How long will it take Epiduo to work?

  This can vary, however, most people will see results within 4-5 weeks. It may take up to 12 weeks for some people. Most acne treatments take time for you to see the full benefits due to the shedding cycle of your skin. There is a wide variety of acne treatments available and if one doesn’t work for you, you should consult your doctor about trying a different treatment.

• How long should you use Epiduo for?

  You should use Epiduo for as long as your doctor has recommended. If there is no improvement after 4-8 weeks, speak to your doctor to discuss the next best step. 

• Can I buy Epiduo Gel over the counter?

  Epiduo Gel, in the UK, is a prescription-only medicine and is not available to buy over the counter. You can request to order acne treatment from our online doctor service. Our GPs are able to prescribe a range of acne treatments for you if it is safe and suitable to do so. They check this by asking you to complete an online assessment form as part of your order. 

  If your order is approved, our pharmacy team will dispense and dispatch the medicine to your chosen delivery address.

  Content Reviewed: 26/01/21

You can read the patient information leaflet of Epiduo at medicines.org.uk

• Epiduo PIL