Versus

Walgreens 0.1% Adapalene Treatment Gel Fragrance Free Versus La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Topical Retinoid For Acne

Facial Treatment
Facial Treatment
American Brand United States
French Brand France

Updated on June 01, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe facial treatments. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin

Free From

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

What's Inside

They both contain parabens

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

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.

Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

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 EDTA
Preservative

Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.

Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.

Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.

The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.

Learn more about Methylparaben
Emulsifying

We don't have a description for Poloxamer 182 yet.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.

Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.

This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.

Those with sensitive skin or conditions may develop a rash when using this ingredient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol
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

30 Routines
0% use in am
100% use in pm
70% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
397 Routines
5% use in am
95% use in pm
67% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Walgreens 0.1% Adapalene Treatment Gel Fragrance Free 7 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
Absorbs Well (1) Broke Me Out (1) Drying (1)
Comma0517's avatar

B

8 months ago
Review

Same ingredients as Differin but manufactured by Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. Pretty good value if you stack coupons from Walgreens when they have a b2g1 deal. It does contain parabens unlike the adapalene gel by Taro

Also this is a retinoid, so make sure you do some research and update and simplify your routine to reduce the dryness and purging that comes with it while your skin adjusts

#great value
#drying
#broke me out
#absorbs well

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Topical Retinoid For Acne 8 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 6 ratings
Drying (1) Irritating (1) No Scent (1)
Petrichoria's avatar

Petrichoria

2 years ago
Review

Tremendously helped me control my acne due to PCOS and is fungal-acne safe. It caused a bit of a purge in the first few weeks as my skin acclimated, but it definitely calmed any active acne down, as well controlled my oily skin. 100/10.