Versus

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Facial Treatment
Serum
American Brand United States
Canadian Brand Canada

Updated on March 04, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe . They have a total of 1 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

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

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

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

When to use

3,598 Routines
7% use in am
93% use in pm
69% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
16,175 Routines
48% use in am
52% use in pm
94% 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

4.7 /5
from 38 ratings
Works Well (20) Absorbs Well (19) No Scent (17)
christychen's avatar

Christy

1 month 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
colettegannon's avatar

Colette Gannon

13 hours ago
Review

Don’t give up on this product. After suffering a sudden and severe breakout three months ago, I started on Differin in combination with a few other treatments. The first 8 weeks were hard, but in combination with a few other acne treatments, my skin has improved SO MUCH. I am on week 11 and am so glad I stuck it out with Differin. Looking forward to seeing continued improvement.

#great value
#absorbs well
#no scent
#works well

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients

3.2 /5
from 246 ratings
Great Value (58) Broke Me Out (50) Irritating (48)
Clover's avatar

Clover

1 year ago
Review

Gotta give credit where credit is due
WOW… lot of people ganging up on this incredibly affordable/popular serum. I understand the criticisms, but personally I don’t believe the intensity is warranted. For so many people this was the start of their skincare journey; it certainly was mine! And because I had never used ingredients like niacinamide or zinc on my face before, of course I noticed an Show more

nicolecrs's avatar

nicolecrs

10 months ago
Review

I've repurchased this so many times and tried different niacinamide serums but this one is my fav. It improves my hormonal acne so much and controls sebum production. Also, when I had the worst fungal acne flare-up ever, this and the lactic acid 5% SAVED ME. It burned a lot but now I don't have any bumps whatsoever. It won't work immediately so consistency is key. (I have combo-oily skin)

#great value
#light
#absorbs well
#light scent