What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Adapalene and salicylic acid
Adapalene's FDA label (Adapalene) of July 25, 2023 names salicylic acid in its drug interactions section; the salicylic acid label PlainMeds reads does not name adapalene.
Check it at the source: the adapalene FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 27, 2023, Galderma Laboratories, L.P.); the salicylic acid FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 22, 2024).
What does the adapalene label say about salicylic acid?
Adapalene label (Padagis Israel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, July 25, 2023), drug interactionsParticular caution should be exercised in using preparations containing sulfur, resorcinol, or salicylic acid in combination with Adapalene Cream, 0.1%.
Source: FDA drug label (Adapalene, NDA020748), Padagis Israel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, effective July 25, 2023 (SPL set 94cf9af1-afab-4064-a2ca-619b54218262), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (DIFFERIN), Galderma Laboratories, L.P., effective December 27, 2023 (SPL set a0031324-92a6-4c11-90e2-c2818f7278ec), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the salicylic acid label say about adapalene?
Salicylic acid's label (effective October 22, 2024) does not name adapalene in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (bareMinerals Blemish Rescue Skin-Clearing Loose Foundation Fair 1C), Orveon Global US LLC, effective October 22, 2024 (SPL set 139e2d26-76de-4ad3-a6e6-7465bf5987ad), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Adapalene | Salicylic acid | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Acne | Acne, Pain, Psoriasis |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.504 per gram 0.3% gel | $0.102 per patch Callus removers patch |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once