Jamie. Sorry I didn’t see your questions till now, so IDK if you’ll see this or not. Adapelene is the name of the active retinoid in Differin. They say it is for acne, because it is, but so is tretinoin. Tretinoin has been around forever as name brand prescription RetinA ( a first generation rrtinoid,) and people using it for acne noticed they had less lines and fresher looking skin.
So researchers did some actual scientific studies, (not just useless small sample opinion perception studies that selling companies put out,) and it showed increased cell turnover (like younger skin behaves,) increased collagen, and so less wrinkles. So, tretinoin is the only ingredient, that I’m aware of, that the FDA allows to say it actually helps wrinkles.
Differin (adapelene) hasn’t done the peer reviewed studies, but it is a 3rd generation retinoid that in theory should do similar things. It also used to be only prescription until somewhat recently, but is now over the counter. So since they haven’t done the studies they can’t come out and say it is effective for wrinkles, but most dermatologists I’ve talked to say it should work similarly. They will both make your skin dry until your skin adapts, so I would use the same techniques/schedule to get used to differin as I would for tretinoin.
Their dark spot corrector has 2% hydroquinone in it, which is the active ingredient in prescription Tri-luma at 4% concentration. If I had dark spots hydroquinone is what I would use. 2% would just probably take longer than 4%. However, I wouldn’t use it permanently. To avoid complications you should probably take a break from it. Some countries ban hydroquinone, but it is approved by the FDA, has been used for over 80 years with good safety data, and honestly the FDA, is more rigorous in their testing than the EU, and the studies the EU had problems with are in rats not people, and in concentrations not used by people, and mixed with other ingredients that are problematic. Many more studies say it is fine than not. But someone would have to decide this for themselves. I would only use this on the dark spots for 6 weeks, then go off for 3 or 4 weeks, etc., and stop altogether when I get improvement, and not use if I had dark ethnic skin.
But with both retinoids and hydroquinone it is as absolutely required to use sunscreen >30+.
The numbers I listed the stuff I use in the other post, were in order of importance to me, not the order I use them. The order I use is actives first ( eg tretinoin or Vit C,) then the thinest consistency to the thickest (eg serums then moisturizer,) and always sunscreen last. The imperatives for me are tretinoin at night, a gell moisturizer with hyaluronic acid and glycerin (like Clinique moisture surge or Hada Labo or Neutrogena hydro boost,) and than a thicker moisturizer. For day I use timeless Vit C+E+ferulic instead of the tretinoin, A serum with Niacinamide in it (like CosRx Galactomyces 95 or the Ordinary one,) then the gell moisturizer, than sometimes a creamier moisturizer but more often than not, just the gel one, and then a 30+ or 50 SPF mineral Sunscreen. I’m pale so white cast isn’t a problem for me. My favorite sunscreen is MakePrem Defense Me that I get off Amazon or YesStyle, or EltaMd UV clear (but Elta is more $ per oz, but is really nice, and also has niacinamide in it too.)
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