The ingredient, explained

Adapalene

Large controlled trials examined adapalene 0.1% lotion for acne.

Retinoid

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Ingredient guide

What it is and what it does

A synthetic retinoid used in topical acne treatment.

About this ingredient: EU CosIng ingredient registry (via Open Beauty Facts taxonomy) ↗

Retinoid: Vitamin A or a vitamin A-like compound. This is a compound category; individual retinoids have different research and uses.

Function definitions: National Cancer Institute: Retinoid definition ↗

Registry functions describe possible formulation roles, not results for a finished product. A dictionary entry is not an approval or a safety assessment.

A closer look

What the research shows

Human topical research

Acne assessments and lesion counts improved more than with vehicle over twelve weeks.

What this does not tell us

Results concern the tested lotion and acne population. Local irritation was reported, occasionally severe.

Sources for this summary. PubMed 20645525 ↗

Research review checked Oct 1, 2026

Read exact local candidate abstracts first; select identity-relevant papers; targeted primary PubMed/publisher searches. This is not an exhaustive systematic review.

Review source 1 ↗

Ingredient research is not proof that a product containing this ingredient works.

Read the 1 selected study

Human topical research · n=2141
Adapalene 0.1% lotion in the treatment of acne vulgaris: results from two placebo-controlled, multicenter, randomized double-blind, clinical studies. ↗
Journal of drugs in dermatology : JDD · 2010

Follow the formula

Products containing this ingredient

All 0 products ↗

From the wider catalogue. Linked by the ingredient list, without an efficacy ranking.

No published products are linked yet.

Names and identifiers

Registry identity