Differin killed my skin. So far, Azelex is doing a good job. The first night I had to wash it off after about 15 minutes because it did burn. The next night I waited about 20 minutes after washing my face to put it on and it only tingled. After that, no problem with burning. I used a very tiny amount to start and am gradually working up to a the size of a pea. My face really likes it. Not dry, not red, not flaky...what a difference from everything else I've tried.