If you're using a skin cream to fix sun damage, adapalene and tretinoin are about equally gentle on your skin after using them every day for six months — neither causes much more irritation than the other.

44

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

44

Community contributions welcome

44

Comparable efficacy of adapalene 0.3% gel and tretinoin 0.05% cream as treatment for cutaneous photoaging

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2018 Jun 1

This study compared two acne and aging creams — adapalene and tretinoin — used daily for 6 months, and found they caused about the same amount of skin irritation and side effects, meaning one isn’t safer or worse than the other.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Comparable efficacy of adapalene 0.3% gel and tretinoin 0.05% cream as treatment for cutaneous photoaging

Score: 44

DOI: 10.1684/ejd.2018.3320

Similar Assertions

Using a special acne cream called adapalene 0.3% gel might help reduce wrinkles and sun damage on your skin as you get older — and it’s probably safe to use.

44

0

82%

Using a mild acne cream with tretinoin (up to 0.1%) for up to two years is usually fine for most people — you might get a little redness, peeling, or dryness at first, but it’s usually not bad enough to make you stop using it.

24

0

71%