Products > Differin > Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment Ingredients Explained

Name: Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment
Brand: Differin
Rating: 5.0 (2 reviews)

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Last updated on August 14, 2023. Published on July 13, 2020.

Overview

What it is

Serum with 8 ingredients that contains retinoid

Cool Features

It is fungal acne (malassezia) safe

Suited For

It has ingredients that are good for fighting acne and anti aging

Free From

It doesn't contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, silicones or sulfates

Fun facts

Differin is from United States. This product is used in 1163 routines created by our community.

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot an error? Let us know.

Ingredient List (8)

Adapalene 0.1%, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Poloxamer 182, Propylene Glycol, Water, Sodium Hydroxide

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You should know

Here's our breakdown of the notable ingredients, benefits, and concerns we determined from the ingredients in this product. Click any item to learn more.

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid

Benefits

Anti-Aging

Acne Fighting

Concerns

Irritating

Rosacea

Eczema (2)

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

Ingredients Overview

Here's our quick-to-read summary of the ingredients in this product. Keep scrolling if you'd like to learn more about what each ingredient does!

Ingredient

Com. / Irr. Rating

Features

Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

1 / 0

Preservative

0 / 0

Emulsifying

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

0 / 0

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Buffering

Ingredients Explained

This product contains 8 ingredients. Click on any ingredient to learn more about it

Adapalene 0.1%

What it does:

Community Rating: Liked

Adapalene is a type of retinoid and common acne treatment.

It has been found to be as effective as other retinoids while causing less irritation. Adapalene helps with anti-aging and acne treatment.

You can buy adapalene over the counter, or in-store, in concentrations of 0.1% in gel form. 0.1% lotion or cream and 0.3% gel are only available with a prescription.

Learn more about Adapalene

Carbomer

What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Community Rating: Disliked

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

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

Disodium EDTA

What it does:

Community Rating: Disliked

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

Methylparaben

What it does: Preservative

Community Rating: Very Disliked

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

Poloxamer 182

What it does: Emulsifying

We don't have a description for Poloxamer 182.

Propylene Glycol

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Disliked

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 deliver a rash when using this ingredient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol

Water

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

Sodium Hydroxide

What it does: Buffering

Community Rating: Mixed

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

Embed Ingredients

Here's what our community thinks of the 8 ingredients in this product ✨

25% are loved or liked

13% have mixed ratings

50% are disliked or very disliked

13% have no rating yet

When to use

We've created a guide with info on when you should use Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment. We've also included some recommended products to use it with, as well as some routine inspiration!

Read our guide on when to use Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment ->