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6 Things to Know Before Adding Differin to Your Skincare Routine

Thinkingaboutbuyingtheover-the-counterretinoidDifferin?Readthisfirst.

KATHLEEN FELTON | July 23, 2018

EversincetheFDAapprovedDifferinGel0.1%forover-the-counterusebackin2016,the

product,aformoftheretinoidadapalene,hastoppedcountless"bestof"listsonwomen's

websites—thisoneincluded.DermatologistAdamFriedman,MD,toldusitwasoneofhis

favoriteproductsforcysticbreakouts,asdidBruceKatz,MD;DendyEngelman,MD,

recommendedittofightbodyacne;dermatologistMelissaK.Levin,MD,evenwentsofarasto

callitoneofthebestskincareproductsofalltime.

Thentherearetheuserreviews.Differinboastsmorethan800five-starreviewsonAmazon,4.7

starsonCVS,andanear-perfectratingonTarget.Andthewallet-friendlypricetag—a0.5-oz.

tubeisjust$12—makesitafarcryfromretinolcreamsthatcansetyoubackasmuchas$150.

Clearly,there'sapatternhere:PeoplewhouseDifferinthinkit'samazing,andithastheexpert

stampofapprovalforclearer,blemish-freeskin,too.

Butit'salsoaprescription-strengthformula.Asaresult,thereareafewthingstoconsider

beforeaddingittoyournighttimeroutine.Here,sixthingseveryoneshouldknowaboutthis

powerfulpimple-fighter.

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It'saretinoid,notaretinol

Whiletherearemanyover-the-counterretinolcreamsonthemarket,Differinisa

retinoid.They'resimilar,butnotexactlythesame,explainsAvaShamban,MD,aBeverlyHills

dermatologistandfounderofSKINFIVE.BothingredientsarederivedfromvitaminA,a

powerhouseanti-agerthatincreasescellturnover,butretinolismuchweakerthan

itsprescriptioncounterpartandcantakelongertodelivernoticeableresults,shesays.

Norareallretinoidsthesame."Differinisadapaleneandhasaslightlydifferentchemical

structurethanotherretinoids,makingitlessirritating,"saysDr.Shamban.

Differinistheonlyretinoidcurrentlyavailableoverthecounter;youstillneedaprescriptionfor

itsstrongerform,DifferinGel0.3%,aswellasforothertypesofretinoids,such

astretinoin(alsoknownasRetin-A),isotretinoin,andtazarotene.

It'snotaspottreatment

Badbreakout?You'reprobablybetterofftreatingitwithbenzoylperoxideorsalicylicacid.(One

ofourfavoritespottreatmentsisNeutrogenaOn-The-SpotAcneTreatmentCream,whichhas

enoughbenzoylperoxidetozapzitsbutnotsomuchtooverlydryoutskin.)

Thereason,expertsexplain,isthatwhileDifferinoffersoneofthebestforms

ofdefenseagainstbreakouts,itisn'tnearlyaseffectiveonexistingblemishes."Differinmostly

worksbeforeacneformsanddoesn'ttargetbacteria,"saysNewYorkCity-based

dermatologistDebraJaliman,MD,authorofSkinRules."It'sbestwhenusedonaregularbasis."

Note:Benzoylperoxidecancauseyourretinoidtooxidizeandbecomelesseffective,

andsalicylicacidcanbeirritating.So,ifyou'redealingwithanactivepimple,youshouldhold

offonDifferinwhileyouspot-treat.

Itdoesn'talwaysplaywellwithothers

Inadditiontosalicylicacidandbenzoylperoxide,youshouldn'tapplyDifferinwhilealso

usingproductsthatcontainchemicalexfoliators(think:glycolicandalpha-hydroxyacids)

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ordryingagents(astringentsandtoners,forexample).Likeretinoids,exfoliatorsincreasecell

turnover,buttoomuchexfoliationcanleadtoraw,irritatedskin.Toners,meanwhile,can

betoodryingwhenusedalongwitharetinoid.

Instead,followDifferinwithanultra-richmoisturizerthatwillcalmirritationanddelivermuch-

neededhydration.WelikeCeraVeMoisturizingLotion($13;amazon.com),acultfavoritethat's

famouslygentle.

Yourskinmightnotinstantlylookperfect—andthat'snormal

Flakyskin,redness,itchiness,andirritationarecommonsideeffectsofDifferin,expertssay.

"Almosteveryonegetsdry[skin]andmayhavetemporaryredness,"Dr.Shambannotes.To

easethetransition,sherecommendsstartingoutbyusingaverysmallamountoftheformula,

followedbyamoisturizertocombatflaking.

Itcanmakeyoulookyounger,too

Talkaboutdoubleduty:WhileDifferiniswellknown(andFDA-approved)fortreatingacne,it

shouldn'tbediscountedasananti-ager."Itisquiteusefulasananti-agingproductforthe

improvementoffinelinesandwrinkles,pigmentation,andsallowskin,"saysDr.Shamban.

It'snotforeveryone

TheFDAadvisesthatwomenwhoarepregnant,tryingtogetpregnant,orbreastfeedingnotuse

Differin.Somestudieshavelinkedotherretinoidstobirthdefects,andtherearen'tenough

goodstudiesonadapalenetodeemitsafeforpregnancy.

YoushouldalsoskipDifferinifyouhaveultra-sensitiveskinorcertainskinconditions;Dr.

Jalimanrecommendsthosewitheczemaorseborrheicdermatitisavoidit.

https://www.health.com/acne/differin-adapalene-gel-what-to-know