Versus

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment Versus Acne Free Terminator 10 Acne Spot Treatment

Facial Treatment
Facial Treatment
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on May 16, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe facial treatments. They have a total of 2 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne and dry skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Buffering

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 Hydroxide

When to use

3,452 Routines
8% use in am
92% use in pm
69% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
69 Routines
33% use in am
67% use in pm
77% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 8 ingredients

4.6 /5
from 34 ratings
Works Well (16) Absorbs Well (15) No Scent (15)
christychen's avatar

Christy C

14 days ago
Review

Honestly I was skeptical because it took my skin the FULL 12+ weeks to adjust to this. It was my first time using a retinoid and the purging was rough, but genuinely I’ve never seen my skin look so good after the purging ended. It absorbs well and a little goes a long way. I had to stop using it because I got too crazy with actives and I messed up my skin barrier super bad, but I’m hoping I can go Show more

#great value
#light
#absorbs well
#no scent
jazzzzz1's avatar

jazzzzz1

1 year ago
Review

I've been using this on and off for around 2 years. I thought this was going to help my acne, but looking back at pictures I actually think it's made my acne worse! It's made my acne areas really inflamed and red with angry spots. Think it's time to cut it out of my routine... Given it 2 stars as it soaks in pretty fast and is hydrating.

#irritating
#light
#absorbs well
#no scent

Acne Free Terminator 10 Acne Spot Treatment 17 ingredients

3.7 /5
from 3 ratings
Drying (1) Irritating (1)
Clover's avatar

Clover

2 years ago
Review

Use carefully, and it'll work wonders!
Fantastic spot treatment. This works faster then anything else I’ve tried, however keep in mind that it’s strong and can be a bit drying. Do NOT apply it over large areas of skin— only use it on your spots, or else you risk irritating your healthy skin. I also think it works best when you alternate between this and a gentler spot treatment. When I used this Show more

_739's avatar

_739

2 years ago
Review

It reduces acne overnight