Maybe you like to mix and match when you’re making a cocktail on a friday evening. In this post we’ll break down the different skincare ingredients you shouldn’t mix with retinoids.
With everything trending on IG, TikTok & YouTube its not hard to fall for the promise of baby soft skin. During these days most of us tend to spend more time on our routine than usual, but if you’re new to this and currently working on a new routine on your own, there are a few things you should be aware of. Not all skincare products work together, a combination of the wrong mix could negate each other’s effect or actually worsen your skin. In our daily regimen, we tend to use different actives at different points in the day, or switch between products on different days. Here we’ll break it down for you.
Mixing two products with the same actives.
Using more product or combining similar formulas won’t always mess up your skin goals but the effectiveness might be reduced. It comes down to the pH levels and the fact that the combination might turn into only one of them actually working and being effective. This is mostly due to the pH level of the more favourable product, when something is more effective it just breaks the other option down. Hence; there’s no point in using them together. Try using one in the morning and one at night, particularly when it comes to products containing retinols, AHAs and BHAs.
Retinoids and Benzoyl peroxide
Retinoids used to be something that was prescription-based and used to treat acne. Why? they exfoliate skin and unclog pores. Nowadays, almost every single brand sells this, and from what we’ve seen, people do go bat shit crazy for the noids’. Just remember, you are not supposed to mix it with benzoyl peroxide! Because of their pH levels they just deactivate each other, and they got their own purpose. Retinol improves cell turnover and focuses on uneven skin tone, while Benzoyl peroxide is preferred for whiteheads as it reduces the oil secretion of sebaceous glands. Mixing them together will make sure your skin dries out, and none of them will actually work.
Retinoids and Alpha hydroxy acids
An example of an AHA that have taken over the marked is Lactic Acid. It’s obvious why something that promises healthy skin, you know, fresh, exfoliated skin, without any bumps and improved collagen production is this popular. These are two products that work towards the same exact thing, cell turnover and stimulation of collagen. What it does when combined together, guys, it is giving you the result you want x2. In fact, combined it can cause irritation (don’t forget the contact dermatitis here) burns or scarring. Don’t use them at the same time, both will make the skin super sensitive by removing dead skin layers, hence; making your skin thinner and more fragile. If you really wanna include both of these products in your routine, use retinol one day, then AHA the next day. Don’t forget to moisturize, and FYI: Don’t use glycolic acid and retinol together nor alternately.
Retinoids and Salicylic acid
Salicylic acid penetrates and dissolves the lipids between the cells. Basically, lipids are fat. Fat bind the dead skin cells together and guess what? It forms the outer layer of the skin. It also dissolve fats in the oil glands. So go ahead, you do have our permission to use it for clogged pores, white, and blackheads. But, dont mix it with retinol. Once again, the combination might cause burns or scarring.
Retinoids and Vitamin C
Vitamin C is great for treating sun damage, pigmentation and scarring. When used with retinoids, it wont give the best results. Mixing these two products won’t do anything except stabilizing the Vitamin C. So, it wont do anything for you, except cause irritation when combined. Use one in the am and the other one in the pm. Don’t mix them.
ggooltip. 