DMD Skin Sciences Mission: Skin Retinol 1% Defender Cream Versus Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment
This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Retinyl Acetate and Madecassoside to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This acne treatment is formulated around Adapalene to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Water, Stearic Acid, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glycerin, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Gluconate, Retinyl Acetate, Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Madecassoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA
Reviews
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 is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
