Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Differin 0.1% w/w Cream versus Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment .
Published on March 20, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both facial treatments. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain retinoid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne and anti aging
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Ingredient Info
Differin 0.1% w/w Cream 13 ingredients
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 7 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Contains Parabens
Ingredients in this product that are types of parabens:
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Differin 0.1% w/w Cream 13 ingredients
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 7 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Differin 0.1% w/w Cream 13 ingredients
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 7 ingredients
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adapalene is a type of retinoid and common acne treatment.
It has been found to be as effective as other retinoids while causing less irritation. Adapalene helps with anti-aging and acne treatment.
You can buy adapalene over the counter, or in-store, in concentrations of 0.1% in gel form. 0.1% lotion or cream and 0.3% gel are only available with a prescription.
Learn more about AdapaleneDifferin 0.1% w/w Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 1.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.
Differin 0.1% w/w Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 2.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTADifferin 0.1% w/w Cream contains this as ingredient number 8.
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 3.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideDifferin 0.1% w/w Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 7.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Differin 0.1% w/w Cream 13 ingredients
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 7 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Differin 0.1% w/w Cream 13 ingredients
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 7 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 7 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 23 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Differin 0.1% w/w Cream.
See 23 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 36 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Proactiv Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment.
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