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SkinTwo labels compared

Aklief vs Differin

Aklief and Differin are both retinoids for acne on opposite sides of the pharmacy counter: Aklief is a brand-only prescription cream, Differin's 0.1% gel is sold over the counter under a Drug Facts label. The two documents even read differently in kind. This page compares them.

Aklief

Ingredient
Trifarotene
Approved for
Acne in patients 9 and oldercovers skin
Supply
Prescription
Boxed warning
None
Pharmacy cost
$16.34 per gram, brandwhat pharmacies pay to buy it, not the price at the counter
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.. Label version 7, effective 16 September 2024.

Differin gel

Ingredient
Adapalene
Approved for
Acnecovers skin
Supply
Over the counter
Boxed warning
None
Pharmacy cost
$11.27 per gram, brandwhat pharmacies pay to buy it, not the price at the counter
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.. Label version 10, effective 7 December 2022.
01From the FDA label

Side by side, straight from the labels

Generated from the two source labels, not typed out by hand, so it cannot drift from what the regulator approved. Rows where both labels say exactly the same thing are marked.

Active ingredientAkliefTrifaroteneRetinoidDifferin gelAdapaleneTopical retinoid
Approved forAkliefAcne in patients 9 and olderDifferin gelAcne
SupplyAkliefPrescriptionDifferin gelOver the counter
What pharmacies payAcquisition cost, not retailAklief$16.34 per gram, brandDifferin gel$11.27 per gram, brand
Boxed warningsame in bothAkliefNoneDifferin gelNone
What the FDA approved it forAklief
  • AKLIEF Cream is a retinoid indicated for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris in patients 9 years of age and older.
Differin gel
  • acne treatment
  • For the treatment of acne
Forms and strengthsAklief
  • Cream: 0.005%.
  • Each gram of AKLIEF Cream contains 50 mcg of trifarotene in a white cream.
  • Cream: 0.005% trifarotene.
Differin gel
  • Active ingredient Adapalene 0.1% (retinoid)* *read consumer information leaflet
How the label says it is takenAklief
  • One pump actuation should be enough to cover the face (i.e., forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin).
  • Two actuations of the pump should be enough to cover the upper trunk (i.e., reachable upper back, shoulders and chest).
  • One additional pump actuation may be used for middle and lower back if acne is present.
  • The use of a moisturizer is recommended as frequently as needed from the initiation of treatment.
  • Avoid contact with the eyes, lips, paranasal creases, mucous membranes.
  • AKLIEF Cream is for topical use only.
Differin gel
  • use once daily
  • clean the skin gently and pat dry before applying the product
  • cover the entire affected area with a thin layer. For example, if your acne is on the face, apply the product to the entire face.
  • do not use more than one time a day. Applying more than directed will not provide faster or better results, but may worsen skin irritation.
Most common adverse reactionsAklief
  • Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 1%) in patients treated with AKLIEF Cream were application site irritation, application site pruritus, and sunburn.
  • most common adverse reactions (≥1% of subjects) for the entire trial were application site pruritus (4.6%), application site irritation (4.2%), and sunburn (5.5%).
Differin gel
  • you become pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, while using the product
  • you have symptoms of an allergic reaction (such as itching, rash, hives, swelling of the lips, eyelids, and shortness of breath)
  • irritation becomes severe
  • you see no improvement after 3 months of once daily use
Warnings and precautionsAklief
  • Skin irritation: Erythema, scaling, dryness, and stinging/burning may be experienced with use of AKLIEF Cream. Use a moisturizer from the initiation of treatment, and, if appropriate, reduce the frequency of application of AKLIEF Cream, suspend or discontinue use.
  • Ultraviolet Light and Environmental Exposure: Minimize exposure to sunlight and sunlamps. Use sunscreen and protective clothing over treated areas when exposure cannot be avoided.
Differin gel
  • limit sun exposure, including light from tanning beds, and use sunscreen when going outdoors
  • do not wax to remove hair in areas where the product has been applied
  • during the early weeks of use, your acne may appear to worsen before it improves (this is normal); continue using as directed, unless you get irritation that becomes severe
  • irritation (redness, itching, dryness, burning) is more likely to occur: in the first few weeks of use
  • if using more than one topical acne medication at a time
  • but irritation usually lessens with continued use of this product
  • it may take up to 3 months of once daily use to see results
  • avoid product contact with eyes, lips, and mouth. If contact occurs, immediately flush the area with water.
  • wash hands after use
ContraindicationsAklief
  • None. The label states that there are no contraindications.
Differin gel
  • on damaged skin (cuts, abrasions, eczema, sunburn)
  • if you are allergic to adapalene or any of the ingredients in this product.
Drug interactionsAklief
  • Topical application of AKLIEF Cream is not expected to affect the circulating concentrations of oral hormonal contraceptives containing ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel.
Differin gel-
Label versionAklief16 September 2024Differin gel7 December 2022
02Written by us

Prescription information against a Drug Facts label

Aklief carries full prescribing information: a receptor-selective retinoid - an agonist of retinoic acid receptors with particular activity at the gamma subtype - approved for acne in patients 9 years of age and older, with application measured in pump actuations for the face and the upper trunk.

Differin 0.1% gel is an over-the-counter product whose label speaks the Drug Facts language: acne treatment, use once daily, and when to stop and ask a doctor. Same drug class, two regulatory registers.

03Written by us

What the age lines say

Aklief is approved from 9 years of age, the youngest line in this category, stated the way prescribing information states things. The Differin Drug Facts label, in the sections quoted on its page here, sets no age line at all - the two document formats draw their boundaries differently, and that difference is itself worth seeing.

04Written by us

Shared retinoid cautions

Both documents warn about skin irritation and sun exposure, each in its own register: Aklief in a prescribing-information warnings section, Differin in Drug Facts warnings. Neither carries a boxed warning.

05Written by us

What this page does not tell you

It does not rank the two retinoids: no trial in either document compares them. Whether a prescription retinoid or an over-the-counter one fits a person's skin is a question for that person and a clinician.

06Written by us

Common questions

Is Differin really the same class as a prescription retinoid?
Yes. Adapalene is a retinoid, and its 0.1% gel became an over-the-counter product with a Drug Facts label. Aklief's trifarotene remains prescription-only. Class is shared; the regulatory paths and the documents are not.
Which one states an approval age?
Aklief: its prescribing information covers patients from 9 years of age. The Differin Drug Facts sections quoted on its page state no age boundary; over-the-counter labels are written in a different register.
Is there a generic Aklief?
No. The register lists no generic application for trifarotene. Adapalene, by contrast, has long-established generics, and the pricing tables on the two medication pages show the difference.
07

Sources

Every fact above comes from one of these documents. The date is the effective date of the label version this page was built from.

Each stripe is one section of the label, each division in a stripe one entry in that section.

08

Other comparisons in this category

Page last updated 29 August 2026

Compiled by the HealthyStudy editorial team from FDA source documents. No medical reviewer is credited on this page, because none reviewed it.