Differin Acne Treatment Gel ($18, originally $36)
Every editor on Popsugar's beauty team recommends the Differin Acne Treatment Gel and swears it's one of the best over-the-counter retinoids. The 0.1 percent adapalene formula is meant to be applied at night, helping to clear up breakouts while also improving dark spots and uneven tone from past acne. I like that it's a gentler option compared to prescription retinoids, so you can use it if your skin is more sensitive. Read more in our Differin Acne Treatment Gel review.
Editor Quote: "It only took about a month for my skin to get used to, and now, I use it every night with zero irritation. I'm not going to sit here and tell you the Differin Acne Treatment and Differin Acne Treatment alone cleared up my acne, because that's not the case — the spironolactone prescription had a large hand in that — but I can tell you the gel has helped brighten and even out my complexion to the point that you can hardly tell I ever experienced those hormonal breakouts to begin with." — Jessica Harrington, beauty section lead
