PanOxyl in the morning, Differin at night, and a slow ramp-up over the first month.
Differin (0.1% adapalene) and PanOxyl (benzoyl peroxide) work well together because they hit acne from two sides. Adapalene is a retinoid that keeps pores from clogging in the first place. Benzoyl peroxide kills the acne bacteria inside them. Adapalene also stays stable next to benzoyl peroxide, which is why the two are prescribed together in a single gel.
The catch is dryness. Both ingredients dry and irritate skin, so this routine splits them: PanOxyl as a short-contact wash in the morning, Differin as a thin leave-on layer at night, ramped up over four weeks. Pick one PanOxyl strength for your face, keep a plain moisturizer handy, and switch to white towels, because benzoyl peroxide bleaches fabric.
Pick one PanOxyl wash for your face
PanOxyl is a rinse-off wash and Differin is a leave-on gel, so they never need to touch. The simplest split is benzoyl peroxide in the morning and adapalene at night. A morning wash also keeps benzoyl peroxide off your pillowcase.
Here's the basic day once you're fully ramped up:
- Morning: Wet your face, massage in the PanOxyl wash, leave the lather on for one to two minutes, then rinse well. Pat dry, apply moisturizer, then sunscreen.
- Night: Wash with a gentle, non-medicated cleanser. Let your face dry completely, apply a pea-sized amount of Differin to your whole face, then moisturizer.
Stick to one PanOxyl strength on your face. Using both washes, or washing with PanOxyl twice a day while you start Differin, is the fastest route to raw, peeling skin. If you also break out on your chest or back, that's where the 10% wash comes in.
The 4% Creamy Wash is the one to pair with Differin on your face. It’s a lotion-like cleanser rather than a foam, with glycerin, sorbitol and dimethicone in the base, so it feels less stripping than the foaming wash. The tube holds 6 ounces.
Start it every other morning and build to daily once your skin settles.
- Active
- 4% benzoyl peroxide
- Format
- Creamy rinse-off wash
- Size
- 6 oz
When the 10% wash makes sense
PanOxyl 10% Foaming Wash has two and a half times the benzoyl peroxide of the creamy wash. On a face that's also using Differin, that extra strength mostly means extra dryness. Higher benzoyl peroxide strengths tend to irritate more without clearing acne noticeably faster.
Where it earns its place is body acne. Skin on your chest, back and shoulders is thicker and handles more, and a foam spreads easily over a big area. Lather it on in the shower, leave it for a minute or two, then rinse.
A good split if you break out on your face and body: the 4% Creamy Wash on your face, the 10% Foaming Wash from the neck down. Keep Differin on your face.
The 10% Foaming Wash is the body wash in this routine. Ten percent is the highest benzoyl peroxide strength sold without a prescription, and the 5.5-ounce tube is labeled for face and body. On a face that’s also using Differin, it’s too drying for most people.
How to apply Differin
Differin is 0.1% adapalene, a retinoid that keeps pores from clogging. That's why you apply it to your whole face, not just to pimples: it prevents the next breakout rather than drying out the current one. Take a pea-sized amount, dot it on your forehead, cheeks and chin, and spread it thin. Keep it away from your eyes, lips, the corners of your nose, and any broken or sunburned skin.
Apply it to fully dry skin; on damp skin, more of the retinoid gets in and irritates. Expect your acne to look worse for the first few weeks. That's normal with retinoids. It can take up to three months of daily use to see the full result, so judge it at three months, not at week two.
Differin Gel is 0.1% adapalene in a light, water-based gel, the same strength that once needed a prescription. A pea-sized amount covers your whole face, so the 15 g tube goes further than it looks. Use it once a day at most, in the evening.
Before using either product on your whole face, try it on a small patch along your jaw for a few days. Test them one at a time, so if your skin reacts you know which one did it.
Ramp up over four weeks
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Week 1: PanOxyl only
Use the 4% wash every other morning. Keep the rest of your routine plain: gentle cleanser at night, moisturizer, sunscreen. No other acids, scrubs or retinols.
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Week 2: add Differin three nights
Apply Differin on three nights with a break between each, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Keep PanOxyl at every other morning.
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Weeks 3 and 4: every other night
Move Differin to every other night. If your skin feels comfortable, use PanOxyl every morning.
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Week 5 on: the full routine
Differin every night and PanOxyl every morning, as long as your skin isn’t peeling or stinging. Once a day is the maximum for Differin.
If your skin stings or peels at any stage, drop back to the previous week’s schedule for a week before moving on.
Mild dryness and light flaking in the first month are normal with adapalene and benzoyl peroxide. Burning, cracking or redness that won’t fade is not. That means you ramped up too fast, so go back a step.
Your morning routine
1. Wash with PanOxyl. Wet your face, massage in a small amount of the 4% wash, and leave the lather on for one to two minutes before rinsing. This short-contact method still gets benzoyl peroxide into your pores and dries your skin out less than leaving it on longer.
2. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Get the hairline, jawline and under your chin, where lather hides. Use a white towel.
3. Moisturize, then apply sunscreen. A plain, fragrance-free moisturizer goes on first. Finish with SPF 30 or higher every day. Retinoids like adapalene make sunburn more likely, and both actives leave your skin easier to irritate.
Watch your fabrics. Benzoyl peroxide bleaches colored towels, washcloths, pillowcases and shirt collars, and it can lighten hair. Switch to white towels and pillowcases, wash your hands after rinsing, and let your skin dry before you pull on a dark shirt.
Your evening routine
At night, skip PanOxyl. A second benzoyl peroxide wash on Differin nights doubles the irritation without adding much benefit. Here's the order:
- Cleanse gently. Use a mild, non-medicated cleanser. Rinse and pat dry.
- Wait until your skin is completely dry. Give it about 10 minutes.
- Apply Differin. One pea-sized amount for your whole face, spread thin. Avoid your eyes, lips and the corners of your nose.
- Moisturize. Wait a few minutes, then apply a plain, fragrance-free moisturizer.
If you're dry, sandwich it. Apply a thin layer of moisturizer, let it sink in, apply Differin, then moisturize again. The first layer cushions your skin from the retinoid, which makes the first month much easier.
If your skin gets dry or irritated
Dry, tight or flaky: switch to the moisturizer sandwich at night and use a richer moisturizer. If it's mild, keep the same schedule. Some flaking in the first month is normal.
Peeling, stinging or redness that lasts: cut PanOxyl to every other morning first. If that isn't enough, drop Differin to every other night. Hold there for a week, then build back up.
Cut the extras. Stop exfoliating acids, scrubs, other retinoids and alcohol-heavy toners while your skin adjusts. And don't switch to the 10% wash to make things work faster. It won't fix irritation; it adds to it.
Stop both products if your skin burns, cracks, swells or blisters. If your acne hasn’t improved after three months of steady use, or it’s deep and painful, see a dermatologist. Prescription treatments go further than these two.
Mornings: PanOxyl 4% Creamy Wash. Leave the lather on for one to two minutes, rinse, then moisturizer and sunscreen. Nights: Differin. A pea-sized amount on dry skin over your whole face, then moisturizer. Ramp up over four weeks, starting Differin two or three nights a week.
Save the 10% Foaming Wash for your chest and back. Switch to white towels and pillowcases, and give the routine three months before you judge it.
