Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment Versus Paula's Choice Regular Strength Daily Skin Clearing Treatment with 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment Versus Paula's Choice Regular Strength Daily Skin Clearing Treatment with 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide This acne treatment is formulated around Adapalene to clear breakouts and refine skin texture. This acne treatment is for

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment Versus Paula's Choice Regular Strength Daily Skin Clearing Treatment with 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide

This acne treatment is formulated around Adapalene to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.

This acne treatment is formulated around Benzoyl Peroxide and Bisabolol to clear breakouts and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Adapalene 0.1%

Carbomer

Disodium EDTA

Methylparaben

Poloxamer 182

Propylene Glycol

Water

Sodium Hydroxide

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

Benzoyl Peroxide

Bisabolol

Allantoin

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Sodium Citrate

Laureth-4

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Propylene Glycol, Benzoyl Peroxide, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Citrate, Laureth-4, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

Reviews

Alternatives

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%.

Propylene 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.

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.

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. Remember to stay hydrated!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
  4. 04It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
  5. 05Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
  6. 06A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
  7. 07Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
  8. 08One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
  9. 09Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
  10. 10Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
  11. 11Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
  12. 12It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
  13. 13Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
  14. 14A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
  15. 15Ceramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
  16. 16You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
  17. 17The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
  18. 18Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
  19. 19Ceramide EOP is formally known as Ceramide 1.
  20. 20It is naturally found in skin and part of the intercellular "mortar" holding everything together in your outermost layer.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

Paula's Choice Defense Moisturiser

Paula's Choice Defense Moisturiser Paula's Choice Defense Moisturiser ingredients explained: Aqua, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copo…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side

Continue reading

Related articles