Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment versus The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion .
Last updated on August 14, 2023. Published on August 16, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both serums. They have a total of 2 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, silicones 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.
Price
Ingredient Info
Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 8 ingredients
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion 33 ingredients
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 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
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 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 8 ingredients
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion 33 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:
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:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients 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 Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 8 ingredients
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion 33 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Ethyl Linoleate • Propanediol • Dimethyl Isosorbide • Cetearyl Isononanoate • Bisabolol • Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate • Retinol • Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract • Inulin Lauryl Carbamate • Glyceryl Stearate • Ceteareth-12 • Ceteareth-20 • Cetearyl Alcohol • Carrageenan • Xanthan Gum • Acacia Senegal Gum • Cetyl Palmitate • Sucrose Laurate • Polysorbate 20 • Isoceteth-20 • Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract • Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone • Behentrimonium Chloride • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Disodium EDTA • Dehydroacetic Acid • Benzoic Acid • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol • Chlorphenesin
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.
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 Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 3.
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 28.
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterDifferin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 7.
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 1.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 8 ingredients
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion 33 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 8 ingredients
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion 33 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment 8 ingredients
Clears up my acne and smooths my skin.
Clears up my acne and smooths my skin.
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion 33 ingredients
(Used from 2019-2022) This was my very first introduction to using retinoids in my evening routine. With this product I felt that my skin texture and complexion was smoother and brighter. Very gentle formulation, so I felt no irritation...
(Used from 2019-2022) This was my very first introduction to using retinoids in my evening routine. With this product I felt that my skin texture and complexion was smoother and brighter. Very gentle formulation, so I felt no irritation at any point. As with most of The Ordinary's products, they make for a great budget buy. Only moved on from this product because I felt that my face was getting too used to it, and I stopped noticing large changes in improvement. Definitely would recommend for beginners looking to add a gentle retinoid to their routine.
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 9 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment.
See 9 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 27 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion.
See 27 alternatives