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Suffering from acne is frustrating enough - you shouldn't have to deal with the further frustration of browsing countless treatments without knowing what makes them different. That's why we've created this page, comparing various common acne treatments to give you the information you need.
We'll start by looking at adapalene and tretinoin, two of the most popular acne medicines, then run through numerous gels, creams and solutions on the market to see their advantages and disadvantages. We'll help you find the right choice for your unique skin!
Adapalene and tretinoin are chemical compounds typically used to relieve acne. As members of the retinoid family, they're forms of Vitamin A, which has many roles:
It's the last role of Vitamin A that retinoids focus on. Because acne is a skin condition that causes glands to produce too much oil, there's a natural connection.
Here's how these two substances differ:
Though it's not yet understood exactly how these treatments reduce acne symptoms, testing has suggested a fairly simple account of how they differ: adapalene is less likely to cause further irritation, but tretinoin is more potent.
Differin, available as a cream or a gel, is a 0.1% formulation of adapalene prescribed for acne sufferers. It's actually the first retinoid to be approved for over-the-counter sale in the US, though it still requires a prescription in the UK.
Treclin, however, is a medicinal gel containing two active ingredients: a 0.025% concentration of tretinoin, and a 1% concentration of clindamycin (a strong antibiotic). Though it's also aimed at moderate acne, it's certainly a stronger treatment than Differin. Read more information about this treatment in our 'What is Treclin?' guide.
These two acne treatments are quite similar, so we have highlighted their main differences in the table below. Here's the important takeaway: Treclin is more expensive, but it is stronger than Differin and has antibiotic properties.
|
Differin |
Treclin |
---|---|---|
Active ingredient(s) |
Adapalene |
Tretinoin and Clindamycin |
Acne severity treated |
Mild to moderate |
Moderate to severe |
Dose |
Once-daily |
Once daily |
Pack size |
45g |
30g |
Formulation |
Cream or Gel |
Gel |
Contains an antibiotic? |
No |
Yes |
Can be used with an antibiotic? For more severe acne |
Yes |
No |
Side effects (common) |
Irritation, itching, scaling, pain, dryness, skin discolouration or abnormal redness at the site of application. |
Slight stinging or skin pain, skin irritation or tenderness, a burning sensation, dry skin, itching. |
Available over the counter? |
No |
No |
Available from The Independent Pharmacy? |
Yes |
Yes |
If needed, Differin can be used with an oral antibiotic such as Tetralysal 300 for an additive effect if you suffer from moderate to severe acne with significant redness or inflammation. Because Treclin already contains an antibiotic, it should not be used alongside any other treatments.
Tetralysal is the most common oral acne antibiotic to combine with Differin. Click through to find out more about Tetralysal uses, the side effects of Tetralysal and what our patients thought of the product in our Tetralysal review section.
While Differin is an excellent all-around acne treatment, it might struggle to have an impact on more severe cases. It's also known for requiring a purge period, meaning it will often make your acne worse before it starts getting better.
Because of this, it isn't always the best option. In addition to Treclin, some good alternatives are Epiduo and Retin-A. Here's how they differ:
Which is best all comes down to the severity and nature of your acne symptoms - we can assess your case and guide you towards the most suitable treatment. Simply head to the page of the treatment that interests you, click ‘START CONSULTATION’, and fill in the form. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
There’s no shortage of acne treatments on the market, and we know it can be overwhelming to look at all the brand names and try to figure out what they actually mean. To make things easier here’s a brief summary of popular treatments you can use:
Ultimately, the treatment you should use for your acne will depend not only on the severity and nature of your symptoms but also on how you react to different treatments. Everyone has a different skin type and acne can have multiple causes - a treatment that works perfectly for one person might be less effective or cause greater irritation in another.
In most cases of acne, Differin is the smart option to try as your first prescription, but it’s best to check with our medical team first so we can fully review your symptoms. If your first treatment doesn’t prove effective over a 12-week period, we’ll use that information to find something that will work for you.
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We stock over 1079 treatments for 90 conditions