Is the prescription one stronger?

The two were not studied against each other and neither label compares itself to the other. They contain different active ingredients and work by different routes, so there is no comparison of strength to report.

Can they be used together?

Neither label describes using the two together. The prescription label does state that its gel should be avoided in combination with erythromycin-containing products, which is a different question. Combining treatments is a decision for a clinician.

SkinTwo labels compared

Clindamycin with benzoyl peroxide vs adapalene

These are two topical treatments for the same condition that a person meets in two different places: one at a pharmacy counter with a prescription, the other on a shelf. The documents behind them are written for different readers, and one of them carries a contraindication that has nothing to do with skin.

Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel

Ingredient: Clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide
Approved for: Acne vulgariscovers skin
Supply: Prescription
Boxed warning: None
Pharmacy cost: $0.671 per gram, genericwhat pharmacies pay to buy it, not the price at the counter

Oceanside Pharmaceuticals. Label version 6, effective 15 August 2025.

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.

Label section	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gelClindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide	Differin gelAdapalene
Active ingredient	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gelClindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxideTopical antibacterial combination	Differin gelAdapaleneTopical retinoid
Approved for	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gelAcne vulgaris	Differin gelAcne
Supply	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gelPrescription	Differin gelOver the counter
What pharmacies payAcquisition cost, not retail	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel$0.671 per gram, generic	Differin gel$11.27 per gram, brand
Boxed warningsame in both	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gelNone	Differin gelNone
What the FDA approved it for	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel Clindamycin Phosphate and Benzoyl Peroxide Gel is a combination of clindamycin phosphate (a lincosamide antibacterial) and benzoyl peroxide indicated for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris in patients 12 years of age and older.	Differin gel acne treatment For the treatment of acne
Forms and strengths	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel Gel, 1.2%/3.75% Each gram of clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide gel contains 12 mg (1.2%) clindamycin phosphate, equivalent to 10 mg (1%) clindamycin, and 37.5 mg (3.75%) benzoyl peroxide in a white to off-white, opaque, smooth gel. Gel, 1.2% clindamycin phosphate/3.75% benzoyl peroxide	Differin gel Active ingredient Adapalene 0.1% (retinoid)* *read consumer information leaflet
How the label says it is taken	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel Apply a pea-sized amount of clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide gel to the face once daily. Not for oral, ophthalmic, or intravaginal use.	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 reactions	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel most common adverse reactions are: burning sensation (0.4%); contact dermatitis (0.4%); pruritus (0.4%); and rash (0.4%).	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 precautions	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel Colitis: Clindamycin can cause severe colitis, which may result in death. Diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, and colitis (including pseudomembranous colitis) have been reported with the use of clindamycin. Clindamycin Phosphate and Benzoyl Peroxide Gel should be discontinued if significant diarrhea occurs. Ultraviolet Light and Environmental Exposure: Minimize sun exposure following drug application. Colitis Systemic absorption of clindamycin has been demonstrated following topical use of clindamycin. Diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, and colitis (including pseudomembranous colitis) have been reported with the use of topical and systemic clindamycin.	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
Contraindications	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel Patients who have demonstrated hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis) to clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide, any components of the formulation, or lincomycin. Patients with a history of regional enteritis, ulcerative colitis, or antibiotic-associated colitis. Hypersensitivity Clindamycin Phosphate and Benzoyl Peroxide Gel is contraindicated in those individuals who have shown hypersensitivity to clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide, any components of the formulation, or lincomycin.	Differin gel on damaged skin (cuts, abrasions, eczema, sunburn) if you are allergic to adapalene or any of the ingredients in this product.
Drug interactions	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel Avoid using clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide gel in combination with topical or oral erythromycin-containing products because of its clindamycin component.	Differin gel-
Label version	Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel15 August 2025	Differin gel7 December 2022

02Written by us

Both treat acne, and one of them contains an antibiotic

The clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel is indicated for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris in patients 12 years of age and older, and its label describes it as a combination of clindamycin phosphate, a lincosamide antibacterial, with benzoyl peroxide. The Differin gel label, written in the Drug Facts format used for products sold without a prescription, gives its use simply as the treatment of acne and names the active ingredient as adapalene 0.1 percent, a retinoid.

Only one of the two contains an antibiotic, and that single difference accounts for most of what follows.

03Written by us

The contraindication that is not about skin

The prescription gel is contraindicated in people with a history of regional enteritis, ulcerative colitis, or antibiotic-associated colitis, alongside hypersensitivity to clindamycin, to benzoyl peroxide, to any component of the formulation, or to lincomycin.

A bowel condition appearing in the contraindications of a gel applied to the face is worth pausing on. It is there because of the clindamycin component, and it is the kind of thing that a prescription document records and a shelf product does not have to.

The Differin label instead tells the buyer directly what to avoid: do not use on damaged skin, meaning cuts, abrasions, eczema or sunburn, and do not use if allergic to adapalene or to any of the ingredients.

04Written by us

The prescription label records antibiotic resistance

The clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide label states that resistance of the bacterium associated with acne to clindamycin has been documented, and that resistance to clindamycin is often associated with resistance to erythromycin. It also directs that the gel be avoided in combination with topical or oral erythromycin-containing products, because of its clindamycin component.

Nothing equivalent appears in the adapalene label, because there is no antibiotic in it to resist.

05Written by us

Both are applied once a day, and the instructions differ in tone

The prescription label gives a pea-sized amount to the face once daily. The Drug Facts label tells the buyer to clean the skin gently and pat dry first, then cover the entire affected area with a thin layer, and adds that applying more than once a day will not give faster or better results but may worsen irritation.

That last sentence has no counterpart in the prescription document, and it exists because nobody is standing between the buyer and the tube.

06Written by us

What this page does not tell you

It does not say which one a person should use, and the fact that one can be bought without a prescription does not make that choice unimportant. The full lists of warnings and reported adverse reactions from each label are reproduced on the individual pages.

07Written by us

Common questions

Why does a face gel warn about bowel conditions?: Because of the clindamycin in it. The label contraindicates use in people with a history of regional enteritis, ulcerative colitis, or antibiotic-associated colitis. This page reports that the contraindication exists; it does not explain the reasoning, which the label does not set out.
Is the prescription one stronger?: The two were not studied against each other and neither label compares itself to the other. They contain different active ingredients and work by different routes, so there is no comparison of strength to report.
Can they be used together?: Neither label describes using the two together. The prescription label does state that its gel should be avoided in combination with erythromycin-containing products, which is a different question. Combining treatments is a decision for a clinician.

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.

FDA prescribing information for Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel
Oceanside Pharmaceuticals. Label version 6, effective 15 August 2025.
Full label on DailyMed Approval record NDA050819
FDA prescribing information for Differin gel
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.. Label version 10, effective 7 December 2022.
Full label on DailyMed Approval record NDA020380

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

Other comparisons in this category

Page last updated 23 August 2026

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