Galderma Epiduo Gel for mature skin
Adapalene
Benzoyl Peroxide
Docusate Sodium
Glycerin
Simulgel 600 Pha
Caution
- LowNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A poor match for mature skin; the serums alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with mature skin: fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
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Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate benefits for wrinkles and fine lines as adapalene and benzoyl peroxide aid cell turnover, but these ingredients may cause dryness and irritation for your normal skin.
- The strong keratolytic and antimicrobial actions of adapalene and benzoyl peroxide make the formula moderately unsuitable for normal skin, potentially leading to dryness.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week, and work up to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply this serum after your toner and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- You can apply the serum on dry skin for the best results against fine lines.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the sensitive eye area.
People Say
★3.7Overall rating based on 1000+ reviewsUsers find this gel effective for stubborn acne, including cystic and hormonal types, with many experiencing significant skin clearing after an initial adjustment. However, the treatment is frequently associated with harsh side effects such as intense burning, dryness, and an initial worsening of acne, necessitating patience and a diligent moisturizing routine.
Highlights
Intense burning Mostly Mentioned
- “face on fire”
- “burns like crazy”
- “stings upon application”
Severe dryness Mostly Mentioned
- “skin flaking off”
- “lizard skin”
- “extremely dry patches”
Clears cystic acne Often Mentioned
- “cystic acne gone”
- “cleared hormonal breakouts”
- “stopped deep cysts”
Prevents breakouts Often Mentioned
- “stops new pimples”
- “keeps face clear”
- “preventative maintenance”
Initial acne purge Often Mentioned
- “got worse first”
- “broke out badly”
- “horrible purge phase”
Redness and irritation Often Mentioned
- “red as tomato”
- “face looks sunburned”
- “raw and irritated”
Fades scars Sometimes Noted
- “scars are fading”
- “hyperpigmentation reduced”
- “marks less visible”
Smooths skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels smooth”
- “bumps are gone”
- “texture is amazing”
Bleaches fabrics Sometimes Noted
- “bleached my towels”
- “ruined my pillowcases”
- “stained my clothes”
Sources: lovi.care, drugs.com, webmd.com, doctorfox.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise caution with Epiduo Gel for mature skin?
Epiduo Gel receives a caution because its strong ingredients may cause dryness and irritation for mature skin. Mature skin needs a treatment that is exceptionally safe with no risk of irritation, highly effective against wrinkles and fine lines with hydrating components, potent antioxidants, and skin-repairing ingredients.
Which ingredients make this gel a poor fit for mature skin?
Adapalene and benzoyl peroxide make this gel a poor fit because they may cause dryness and irritation on mature skin. A treatment for mature skin needs to be exceptionally safe with no risk of irritation, containing potent antioxidants, hydrating components, and skin-repairing ingredients like nourishing oils and peptides.
What does Adapalene do for mature skin?
Adapalene helps smooth fine wrinkles and improves skin tone and hydration for mature skin. It may cause mild skin irritation while working to renew the skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2012European Journal of Dermatology, 2018
What does Benzoyl Peroxide do for mature skin?
Benzoyl peroxide is unlikely to provide specific anti-aging benefits for mature skin and is primarily used to clear acne. Because it tends to dry the skin, mature skin needs a gentle, hydrating cleanser and a rich moisturizer containing ceramides to protect the skin barrier while treating breakouts.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Where does this gel go in a skincare routine for mature skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine, after cleansing and before moisturizing, to keep things simple and safe around sun exposure. Because it may cause dryness and irritation on normal skin, this skin type needs nourishing moisturizers with ingredients like glycerin and soothing elements to keep it calm and comfortable.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
Using this treatment with a retinol is not recommended because combining these strong ingredients greatly increases the likelihood of severe dryness, flaking, and irritation on your mature skin.
How often should I use this gel?
Use this gel in your evening routine, starting just once a week to see how your mature skin handles it. Because active ingredients like adapalene and benzoyl peroxide may cause dryness and irritation, a product of this type needs soothing and hydrating ingredients to keep skin soft and comfortable.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for mature skin?
Yes, it may cause an initial breakout or purging on mature skin because its active ingredients speed up cell turnover. This type of treatment needs added hydrating ingredients like glycerin to help prevent the intense dryness and irritation it often brings.
Is this gel fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Once-daily fixed-dose clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1%/adapalene 0.15% gel achieved superior treatment success (52.5%) and greater reductions in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions compared to vehicle (8.1%) and dyad component gels in participants with moderate-to-severe acne over 12 weeks.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2022Tea tree oil nanoemulsion containing adapalene gel demonstrated significantly greater reductions in total, inflammatory, and non-inflammatory acne lesions as well as acne severity index compared to adapalene marketed gel in 100 patients with acne vulgaris over 12 weeks.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Topical clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/adapalene 0.15%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1% gel achieved significantly greater treatment success and lesion reductions compared to vehicle in participants with moderate-to-severe acne.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2023Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical benzoyl peroxide may improve acne more effectively than placebo or no treatment, while showing little to no difference compared with adapalene or clindamycin, but with an increased risk of treatment discontinuation due to adverse effects compared to placebo.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Daily application of adapalene 0.3%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel reduced and prevented atrophic acne scar formation, achieving a total scar count change of -15.5% versus +14.4% for vehicle over 24 weeks in 67 subjects with moderate or severe facial acne.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001
Ingredients
Adapalene, Benzoyl Peroxide, Docusate Sodium, Disodium Edetate, Glycerin, Poloxamer, Propylene Glycol, Water
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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