WHAT’S THE PERFECT COMBINATION?
The efficacy of different active ingredients to your skin when combined can give you faster results. However, there are some skincare ingredients that are firmly prohibited to be used together. To make sure you’ll never experience the bad effects of combining certain skincare ingredients, always do a research on each product that you are putting on your face, otherwise, irritation may occur and can even trigger cystic acne.
Studying skincare ingredients to never mix matters. You don’t want to lose money without doing good to your skin, right? Here are the skincare ingredient combinations that are definitely a NO-NO to be put on your skin at all costs:
Retinol + AHAs/BHA
Powerful exfoliants such as AHAs (glycolic and lactic acid) and BHA (salicylic acid) and Retinol (a form of vitamin A), can speed up the exfoliating process of the skin to accelerate cellular turnover. These ingredients help in getting rid of the old, dull, and damaged cells on the surface of your skin and restore new, glowing, and healthy ones when used on their own.
But when used together, it is more likely that they can cause redness and irritations to the skin and are more sensitive to sunlight.
Retinol + Benzoyl Peroxide
Retinol can treat acne, too. So does benzoyl peroxide. It keeps the pores clean and helps out kill the bacteria that cause acne because of its peeling action. Even so, benzoyl peroxide can be very harsh alone. That’s why it is recommended that it should be the last treatment to be used only on pimples.
Mix benzoyl peroxide together with retinol, it gets even harsher resulting in flakiness, redness, peeling, and irritation.
Vitamin C + Retinol
It is suggested to use Vitamin C in the morning, and Retinol to be used at night. Both are powerful ingredients that fight free radicals, brightens, and boosts the collagen production of the skin. Vitamin C is known to be good in protecting the skin against daily exposure of free radicals.
These ingredients cannot be mixed together or else, severe irritation can occur.
Vitamin C + AHA/BHA
You may think that Vitamin C is a magic potion for your skin but it doesn’t go well with most of the ingredients which you think it would. Vitamin C and AHA/BHA are both acids and are PH dependent to get activated. But, they don’t play well together. It is recommended to use vitamin C in the morning and AHA/BHA at night for a solid skincare regimen.
BHA + Benzoyl Peroxide
Thinking of mixing these ingredients as a great solution for acne? It’s a NO-NO! Once more, they are both acidic. Too much acid in your skincare routine will lead to skin frustration and can cause excessive dryness and irritation.
A better way to get the maximum benefit of these ingredients without harming any inch of your skin is to use them on alternate nights
Oil-Based + Water-Based Products
Oil ward off water.
And when it comes to your skincare, it will be just the same. Consistency in your skincare products is a must. Nevertheless, don’t worry because it doesn’t cause damage that much unlike the other combo. The only side effect that it’ll leave on your skin would be that neither of the water-based elements will absorb into your skin when applied first.
There are skincare ingredients that throw a tantrum when forced to collaborate with other active ingredients. They are better off on their own and will work at their best and give their full potential. That’s kinda frustrating!
But, no worries! What you should do is be aware of these ingredients and avoid them to be mixed no matter what.
The fix: Play it safe. You can apply them alternatively, every other night if you are aiming them to get along.