Can You Use Adapalene With Benzoyl Peroxide?

Why this verdict

Adapalene (sold over the counter as Differin Gel 0.1%) is a retinoid, but unlike tretinoin it is chemically stable next to benzoyl peroxide. In the same 1998 lab study that showed benzoyl peroxide degrading tretinoin, adapalene mixed with a 10% benzoyl peroxide lotion stayed stable under light. That stability is why the pair could be made into a single gel: Epiduo (adapalene 0.1% with benzoyl peroxide 2.5%) was approved by the FDA as a prescription gel in 2008, and Cabtreo, approved in 2023, adds the antibiotic clindamycin. In May 2026 the FDA approved the 0.1%/2.5% gel for over-the-counter sale to people 12 and older, as Differin Epiduo Acne Gel.

The combination makes sense because each ingredient works on a different part of acne. Adapalene helps normalize the way skin cells shed inside the pore, which reduces clogged pores (blackheads and whiteheads). Benzoyl peroxide reduces acne-causing bacteria and, unlike antibiotics, is used specifically to help prevent bacterial resistance. The 2024 AAD guideline strongly recommends fixed-dose combinations of a topical retinoid with benzoyl peroxide.

The trade-off is irritation. Both can cause dryness, peeling and stinging, especially in the first few weeks, and the OTC Differin label notes that irritation is more likely when you use more than one topical acne medication at a time. Starting slowly and moisturizing is often the difference between sticking with it and giving up.

A note on regulation: adapalene 0.1% is sold without a prescription because the FDA approved it as an Rx-to-OTC switch in 2016, and the adapalene 0.1%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5% combination followed the same route in 2026. Neither is one of the monograph acne ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. Both OTC products are labeled for people 12 and older.