The following side effects are expected to occur in the first 2-4 weeks of treatment, and resolve with continued use of adapalene / benzoyl peroxide. Contact your doctor if these symptoms are severe and/or do not go away after 4 weeks of treatment:
Adapalene / Benzoyl Peroxide may cause some side effects. Data on side-effects consists of a combination of government data as well as acne.org’s compilation of side-effect data from existing clinical studies:
How Common (based on clinical studies)
| Burning, stinging, or tingling sensation | Up to 84.9% of all users |
| Dryness of skin | Up to 75.3% of all users |
| Skin irritation | Up to 68.8% of all users |
| Skin peeling or scaling | Up to 64.4% of all users |
| Redness and/or warmth in the area | Upto 64.4% of all users |
| Itching | Up to 20.8% of all users |
| Burning of the skin with blistering, swelling, and redness in the treated area | Up to 3% of all users |
| Intense skin irritation or rash | Up to 3% of all users |
If you experience any of the following side effects, stop using adapalene / benzoyl peroxide immediately and contact your doctor or get emergency medical care right away:
- A sudden appearance of swelling and rash (known as hives)
- Swelling of the eyes, lips, tongue, or entire face
- Severe itching
- Trouble with breathing
- Feeling dizzy or faint
Adapalene / Benzoyl peroxide may also cause other side effects that are not mentioned here. Contact your doctor if you experience any other troublesome symptoms when using adapalene / benzoyl peroxide.
References
- Pubmed Health. Adapalene and benzoyl peroxide. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0045552/. Cited October 15, 2018.
- Pariser DM, Westmoreland P, Morris A, Gold MH, Liu Y, Graeber M. Long-term safety and efficacy of a unique fixed-dose combination gel of adapalene 0.1% and benzoyl peroxide 2.5% for the treatment of acne vulgaris. J Drugs Dermatol. 6(9), 899-905 (2007).
- Sittart JA, Costa A, Mulinari-Brenner F, Follador I, Azulay-Abulafia L, Castro LC. Multicenter study for efficacy and safety evaluation of a fixed dose combination gel with adapalene 0.1% and benzoyl peroxide 2.5% (Epiduo®) for the treatment of acne vulgaris in Brazilian population. An Bras Dermatol, 90(6 Suppl 1), 1-16 (2015).
- Eichenfield LE, Jorizzo JL, Dirschka T, Taub AF, Lynde C, Graeber M, Kerrouche N. Treatment of 2,453 acne vulgaris patients aged 12-17 years with the fixed-dose adapalene-benzoyl peroxide combination topical gel: efficacy and safety. J Drugs Dermatol. 9(11), 1395-401 (2010).
- Gonzalez P, Vila R, Cirigliano M. The tolerability profile of clindamycin 1%/benzoyl peroxide 5% gel vs. adapalene 0.1%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel for facial acne: results of a randomized, single-blind, split-face study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 11(4), 251-60 (2012).
- Alexis AF, Cook-Bolden FE, York JP. Adapalene/Benzoyl Peroxide Gel 0.3%/2.5%: A Safe and Effective Acne Therapy in All Skin Phototypes. J Drugs Dermatol. 16(6), 574-581 (2017).
- Eichenfield LF, Draelos Z, Lucky AW, Hebert AA, Sugarman J, Stein Gold L, Rudisill D, Liu H, Manna V. Preadolescent moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized trial of the efficacy and safety of topical adapalene-benzoyl peroxides. J Drugs Dermatol. 12(6), 611-8 (2013).
- Stein Gold L, Weiss J, Rueda MJ, Liu H, Tanghetti E. Moderate and Severe Inflammatory Acne Vulgaris Effectively Treated with Single-Agent Therapy by a New Fixed-Dose Combination Adapalene 0.3 %/Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5 % Gel: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group, Controlled Study. Am J Clin Dermatol. 17(3), 293-303 (2016).
- Tan J, Gollnick HP, Loesche C, Ma YM, Gold LS. Synergistic efficacy of adapalene 0.1%-benzoyl peroxide 2.5% in the treatment of 3855 acne vulgaris patients. J Dermatolog Treat. 22(4), 197-205 (2011).
- Thiboutot DM, Weiss J, Bucko A, Eichenfield L, Jones T, Clark S, Liu Y, Graeber M, Kang S; Adapalene-BPO Study Group. Adapalene-benzoyl peroxide, a fixed-dose combination for the treatment of acne vulgaris: results of a multicenter, randomized double-blind, controlled study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 57(5), 791-9 (2007).
- DailyMed. Adapalene and benzoyl Peroxide. Available from: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?labeltype=all&query=ADAPALENE+AND+BENZOYL+PEROXIDE&pagesize=20&page=1. Cited 10 January 2019.