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 that are serious. If you experience any of the following, get in touch with your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical treatment. 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:
| Burning, stinging, or tingling sensation | Up to 84.9% of users |
| Dryness of skin | Up to 75.3% of users |
| Skin irritation | Up to 68.8% of users |
| Skin peeling or scaling | Up to 64.4% of users |
| Redness and/or warmth in the area | Upto 64.4% of users |
| Itching | Up to 20.8% of 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:
| Burning of the skin with blistering, swelling, and redness in the treated area | Up to 3% of users |
| Intense skin irritation or rash | Up to 3% of users |
- 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.