Can You Use Salicylic Acid Face Wash with Differin Gel?

I’m often asked about combining salicylic acid cleansers, such as the popular SA smoothing cleanser by Cerave, with Differin gel.

Long story short, it really depends on how much skin irritation this causes for you. Salicylic acid and Differin can be a powerful combination for acne-prone skin, but it can also cause signs of irritation. For this reason I don’t usually recommend it.

In the rest of the blog post I’ll get into my detailed reasoning for this opinion.

​Differin gel vs Adapalene gel

Let’s get one thing clear, Differin has two names! It’s also known as adapalene. They are the same thing, and they are both retinoids. If you’re wondering what the difference between retinol and a retinoid is, a ‘retinoid’ is the category term. This means a retinoid describes all kinds of retinoid products including Differin, Tretinoin, retinol, Epiduo and more.

Differin gel is a topical retinoid, which is a type of acne treatment. It’s particularly effective for the treatment of both adult acne and teen acne, comedonal acne and more. Acne breakouts are caused by a variety of different things including hormones, diet, stress, gut health, skincare products and hygiene.

Differin is often prescribed to treat many of these, and it works by speeding up skin cell turnover like all other retinoids. Topical acne medications often work by speeding up the skin cell cycle to reveal new skin, free of clogged pores.

Benefits of Differin gel

Differin has many benefits for the treatment of acne, most of which it shares with other retinoids:

• Clear skin or much clearer skin with continued use
• Treats multiple types of acne
• Can reduced cystic acne
• Differin can work well for sensitive skin, because it’s one of the least irritating prescription retinoids
• Reduced excess oil production, so less oily skin over time
• More even skin tone
• Reduction in fine lines

I’ve used Differin gel for a few months now and I really enjoy it. Compared to tretinoin, which I used for about 7 months, overall I find it quite similar but certainly a little less irritating. Despite its benefits, there are also some negative side effects of Differin gel. This is why people wonder ‘can you use salicylic acid cleanser with differin?’.

Side effects of Differin gel

Here are some side effects you might notice while using Differin gel. Most side effects go away as your skin gets used to the product, but it’s still good to be aware when you first start.

• Irritated skin is the most obvious side effect
• A little bit more overall redness
• New acne popping up – the worst! It usually always gets worse before it gets better with a retinoid
• Skin flakiness
• Dry skin
• Reactions to sun exposure, such as sensitive or red skin (always wear SPF!)

Face washes with salicylic acid

The most popular cleanser with salicylic acid is the Cerave SA smoothing cleanser. I mention this a lot in my videos because I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t realise it even contains salicylic acid! Since salicylic acid is an exfoliant, it means a lot of people are exfoliating twice a day without realising it. Recently I’ve noticed lots of brands creating their own version of this “daily cleanser”. I put daily cleanser in quotation marks because I personally don’t think it should be used daily. I think it should be used 1-2x a week as an exfoliating treatment.

Salicylic acid, also known as BHA, works by penetrating deep into the pores and breaking up blockages. It penetrates deeper than alpha-hydroxy acids such as glycolic and lactic acid, this is why it’s more popular for clogged pores. it is unique in that it provides deep yet gentle cleansing. Salicylic acid can work for a lot of skin types, but it is generally more helpful for oily skin. Personally I find it too drying for my dry skin. It works differently than benzoyl peroxide, which works by killing acne causing bacteria.

So can you use salicylic acid face wash with Differin?

A lot of the answers online you find will say yes, but I personally would recommend avoiding it. I think you’re more likely to get the best results by using a gentle cleanser that doesn’t contain actives. Using an adapalene product like Differin is no joke, it can be very drying.

The last thing you want is to deprive the skin of ALL of its natural oils. Using salicylic acid face wash with differin can cause a lot of skin barrier damage, which means redness, itchiness and discomfort. If you think you’ve damaged your skin barrier, check out my skin barrier products for clog prone skin.

It can be tempting to use spot treatments and exfoliants alongside your retinoid. Even though a retinoid like Differin isn’t an exfoliant, it has a very similar effect, so you don’t always need to exfoliate too. I’ve been using retinoids for nearly four years and I literally never exfoliate with a product, though cleansing is actually a form of exfoliation.

Example skincare routine with Differin

Here’s an example skincare routine to follow with Differin that will also protect your skin barrier. By protecting your skin barrier, you’re more likely to see the good effects of Differin and less of the negative side effects.

Morning:

1. Either skip cleansing or use a gentle cleanser free of actives. Check out my list of recommended water based cleansers. Make sure you use warm water, not hot!
2. Apply a barrier serum for clog prone skin
3. Apply a moisturiser for clog prone skin
4. Apply your SPF

Evening:

1. Wash off the SPF by double cleansing, see my guide on double cleansing here. Consider using a soft face cloth to help gently exfoliate away dead skin cells or flakes you’re experiencing.
2. Pat skin dry with a clean towel
3. Apply a thin layer of differin allover, avoiding the nasolabial folds, eyes and lips
4. Wait 10 minutes
5. Apply your barrier serum
6. Apply your moisturiser

This was Can You Use Salicylic Acid Face Wash with Differin Gel?

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