Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%) vs The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

94 facts in comparison

Based on 525 Reddit opinions. Close race—(Adapalene 0.1%)Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%) edges ahead.

525 opinions

(Adapalene 0.1%) leads by 2pts

Reddit's Pick

67%

C+

Based on

1,280 Redditors

Winner

Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)

~$52.99

443 opinions

tldr; Reddit generally recommends Differin Gel for treating acne and hyperpigmentation, advising a slow, cautious introduction to avoid potential side effects.

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65%

C+

Based on

167 Redditors

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

~$4.62

82 opinions

tldr; Reddit has mixed feelings about The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, praising its effectiveness for dark spots but noting it can cause breakouts for many users.

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✓EFF

⭐ING

✋SKI

❤️GEN

💨FRA

Points

Score by Category

Effectiveness

71%65%

Ingredients

50%—

Skin Feel

20%0%

Gentleness

41%40%

Fragrance

—50%

Why is + Zinc 1% better than Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)?

Better value (100% vs 93%)
Helps with dark spots.
Can help w/ visible pores & hyperpigmentation.
Some people are sensitive to niacinamide.

Based on 1,447 Reddit opinions

Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the (Adapalene 0.1%)Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)

Winning by 2 points (67% vs 65%)

Better effectiveness

Helps a lot with hyperpigmentation

Can be effective for closed comedones

High confidence (1,447 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 1,447 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

(Adapalene 0.1%)

6.7/10

1,280 mentions

Zinc 1%

6.5/10

167 mentions

EFFECTIVENESS

(Adapalene 0.1%)7.1/10

Zinc 1%6.5/10

GENTLENESS

(Adapalene 0.1%)4.1/10

Zinc 1%4.0/10

SKIN FEEL

(Adapalene 0.1%)2.0/10

Zinc 1%0.0/10

VALUE

(Adapalene 0.1%)9.3/10

Zinc 1%10.0/10

INGREDIENTS

(Adapalene 0.1%)5.0/10

Zinc 1%N/A

FRAGRANCE

(Adapalene 0.1%)N/A

Zinc 1%5.0/10

⚔️

Head to Head

Topic	(Adapalene 0.1%)	Zinc 1%
Effectiveness	71%	65%
Gentleness	41%	40%
Skin Feel	20%	0%
Value	93%	100%
Ingredients	50%	N/A
Fragrance	N/A	50%

Category Wins

(Adapalene 0.1%): 3|Zinc 1%: 2

Head to Head

(Adapalene 0.1%): 3|Zinc 1%: 2

Effectiveness(Adapalene 0.1%)

(Adapalene 0.1%)71%

Zinc 1%65%

Gentleness

(Adapalene 0.1%)41%

Zinc 1%40%

Skin Feel(Adapalene 0.1%)

(Adapalene 0.1%)20%

Zinc 1%0%

ValueZinc 1%

(Adapalene 0.1%)93%

Zinc 1%100%

Ingredients(Adapalene 0.1%)

(Adapalene 0.1%)50%

Zinc 1%N/A

FragranceZinc 1%

(Adapalene 0.1%)N/A

Zinc 1%50%

(Adapalene 0.1%)

67%

65%

Zinc 1%

(Adapalene 0.1%)67%

Zinc 1%65%

Close race - (Adapalene 0.1%) edges ahead by 2 points

Key Specs

Spec	Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)	The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Brand	Differin	The Ordinary
Manufacturer	Galderma Laboratories, Inc	DECIEM
Weight	0.2 Pounds	0.06613868 Pounds
Height	7.441 Inches	4.5 inches
Niacinamide Concentration	—	10%

Key Highlights

Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)Winner

🎯 Helps a lot with hyperpigmentation

🎯 Can be effective for closed comedones

⚠ Requires slow introduction (thrice a week, at

⚠ Needs a good moisturizer w/ no actives later on

⚠ May stop working for some users over time

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

🌙 Helps with dark spots.

🎯 Can help w/ visible pores & hyperpigmentation.

⚠ Some people are sensitive to niacinamide.

⚠ users experience breakouts from this specific

Topic Battles

(Adapalene 0.1%): 3|Tied: 1|Zinc 1%: 1

✓Effectiveness

(Adapalene 0.1%) wins

(Adapalene 0.1%)

71%

Zinc 1%

65%

⭐Ingredients

(Adapalene 0.1%) wins

(Adapalene 0.1%)

50%

Zinc 1%

—

✋Skin Feel

(Adapalene 0.1%) wins

(Adapalene 0.1%)

20%

Zinc 1%

❤️Gentleness

(Adapalene 0.1%)

41%

Zinc 1%

40%

💨Fragrance

Zinc 1% wins

(Adapalene 0.1%)

—

Zinc 1%

50%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)

Best Praise

+83 pts

“Your arm looks just like my son’s. His derm suggested Adapalene. My son uses it nightly and his arms are about 75% better. Nothing and I mean NOTHING else worked. We tried all of the KP “cures” and none made a difference. It took about two weeks to see evidence of it working. Downside: dermatologist said if he discontinues use of the cream, the bumps would come right back”

r/SkincareAddiction

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Top Criticism

+25 pts

“For some reason it did not agree with my skin when I was using adapalene, I had bumps/redness/burning, but after I stopped using adapalene it was fine on my skin”

r/SkincareAddiction

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3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Best Praise

+11 pts

“If sunscreen blocked heat, I would cover myself from head to toe every day in the summer.”

r/SkincareAddiction

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Top Criticism

+3 pts

“When I tried the Ordinary niacinamide it broke me out so bad and then overall products with niacinamide did the same. It took some time for me to realise that it was in fact the niacinamide since it has been hyped so much… you could try cutting it out for a week to see if you’ll have any improvements !! I wish you the best of luck”

r/SkincareAddiction

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3 more quotes available below

Sentiment Over Time

(Adapalene 0.1%)

Zinc 1%

📈Historical Price Data

Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)

All-time low: $25.76(2017-11)

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

All-time low: $4.62(2026-04)

$1 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%) Wins

67%

0.1%)

65%

Close race, but Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%) edges ahead by 2 points based on 1,447 Reddit opinions.

Why (Adapalene 0.1%)Winner

🎯 Helps a lot with hyperpigmentation
🎯 Can be effective for closed comedones
⚠ Requires slow introduction (thrice a week, at
More discussed (1,280 vs 167)

Why Zinc 1%

Better Value for Money (100% vs 93%)

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

23%Positive

Positive

23%

Neutral

65%

Negative

12%

Based on 1,280 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

30%Positive

Positive

30%

Neutral

51%

Negative

19%

Based on 167 Reddit opinions

Specification Comparison

Spec	Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)	The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Brand	Differin	The Ordinary
Manufacturer	Galderma Laboratories, Inc	DECIEM
Weight	0.2 Pounds	0.06613868 Pounds
Height	7.441 Inches	4.5 inches
Niacinamide Concentration	—	10%
Zinc Concentration	—	1%
Ph Range	—	5.50 - 6.50
Formula Type	—	Water-based serum
Skin Type Suitability	—	Oily and blemish-prone skin
Color	—	Clear

Feature Checklist

(Adapalene 0.1%): 7|Zinc 1%: 1

Feature	(Adapalene 0.1%)	Zinc 1%
HYDRATING FORMULA: Lightweight water-based serum that reinforces the skin barrier and provides hydration in as little as 7 days.
Can be effective for closed comedones
Requires slow introduction (thrice a week, at
Needs a good moisturizer w/ no actives later on
May stop working for some users over time
Clear and prevent acne with an Rx-strength retinoid
Effectively treats acne to restore your skin’s natural tone and texture
The retinoid in Differin heals current acne and stops new acne from forming

Features extracted from Reddit highlights and enrichment data

⚔️Head to Head

Metric	Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)	The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Reddit Score	67%	65%
Mentions	1,280	167
Sentiment	+ 295- 148	+ 50- 32

Where to Buy

Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)

Price unavailableCheck prices

All-time low was $25.76 on 2017-11

~50 sold/month on Amazon

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Price unavailableCheck prices

All-time low was $4.62 on 2026-04

~100K sold/month on Amazon

Prices may vary. We may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)Check prices The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%Check prices

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%) or The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%?

Based on 1,447 Reddit comments, Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%) has a slight edge with 67% positive sentiment vs The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%'s 65%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.

Should I buy Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%) or The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%?

Both have similar approval ratings (67% vs 65%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.

What do Redditors love about Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%)?

Reddit users highlight: Helps a lot with hyperpigmentation. Can be effective for closed comedones. Requires slow introduction (thrice a week, at. With 1,280 mentions and 67% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.

What do Redditors say about The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%?

Reddit users highlight: Helps with dark spots.. Can help w/ visible pores & hyperpigmentation.. Some people are sensitive to niacinamide.. With 167 mentions and 65% approval, it remains a popular alternative.

How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?

This comparison analyzed 1,447 Reddit comments: 1,280 about Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%) and 167 about The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. Data was sourced from Skincare products community discussions.

How accurate are these ratings?

Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.

Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?

Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

525 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/25/2026

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