Now that you know which skincare ingredients you need & the order in which to apply them, tonight’s skincare series is all about the ones that shouldn’t be used together!
It’s very important to know which actives CAN’T be used together or you risk seriously irritating your skin, plus using the wrong ones together can turn them into potential irritants & cause an allergic reaction & they can also cancel out each other making them ineffective & a complete waste of money!
VITAMIN C & RETINOL
These actives work optimally in different PH environments so they should not be combined as they can be very irritating on the skin & can exacerbate sensitive skin when used together. Vitamin C isn’t sensitive to sunlight so use it in the morning & as Retinol is photosensitive, use it at night.
AHA’S/BHA’S & RETINOL
Acids like BHA’s & AHA’s ( glycolic, salicylic lactic etc) should not be used at the same time as retinol as this can cause excessive dryness, redness & irritation. Alternate nightly between them.
NIACINAMIDE & VITAMIN C
Although the jury remains out on these two, the fear here is that they’ll cancel each other out rendering both formulations ineffective so best to exercise caution just in case!
VITAMIN C & AHA’S/BHA’S
As they’re both acids this is a big no no so use the acids at night & vitamin C in the day.
BENZYL PEROXIDE & HYDROQUINONE
Use these together and your heading for a seriously skin irritating outcome, also by mixing the 2 you run the risk of staining your skin!
GLYCOLIC & OTHER AHA’S/BHA’S
As both help remove dead skin cells, using them together in high percentages will double blast your skin & you’ll have an irritant reaction so always stick to low percentage combinations and only use once a week.
RETINOL & BENZOYL PEROXIDE
When used together their effects cancel out each other so the 2 are not compatible together.
I hope this clarifies this very confusing issue and helps you get the most out of using actives to look younger for longer!
Any questions? @ Wexford, Ireland
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