At Skincare by Alana, we’re all about maximizing the outcomes of your skincare routine.
With out correct information of the energetic components in your product lineup, you might be lacking out on potential skincare synergies.
Or worse – a nasty combination may trigger irritation and reverse the meant results of the merchandise.
Perhaps your new quarantine ritual has included watching GRWM (“prepare with me”) movies on Youtube or looking Pinterest for at-home masks and pure skincare merchandise to up your skincare recreation.
The #SkincareRoutine hashtag has been used over 10 million occasions already, every with a singular mixture of cleansers, serums, peels, and moisturizers – that’s 10 million doubtlessly totally different suggestions!
It may be tempting to wish to undertake a “little little bit of this, little little bit of that” to mix totally different skincare merchandise, however the outcomes don’t all the time maximize your advantages.
Now that you’ve got a grocery record of skincare product suggestions to select from, it’s time to take a crash course in “Skincare Mixology 101” to be taught what skincare combos it’s best to keep away from.
We’ll break it down by the highest trending skincare components and check out what works with them, and what doesn’t.
PS – we’ve carried out all of the analysis for you!
Learn by means of our article for profitable skincare product suggestions.
Retinol
First, let’s discuss Retinol.
Retinol, also referred to as Vitamin A, works by boosting the manufacturing of elastin and collagen within the dermis whereas gently exfoliating the outer layer of the pores and skin.
When used appropriately, it will probably do wonders for tackling effective strains, wrinkles, night pores and skin tone, and soothing rosacea.
Retinol is highly effective by itself, however it may be an excessive amount of of an excellent factor.
Retinol has numerous wonderful advantages for a lot of totally different pores and skin sorts – but it surely’s not proper for everybody.
Earlier than you determine to include retinol into your skincare routine, try our weblog or take our quiz to see if retinol is best for you!
What to Keep away from with Retinol
Zits Merchandise with Benzoyl Peroxide & Salicylic Acid
Each benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are highly effective acne-fighting components.
Salicylic acid is used to unclog pores and deal with zits whereas benzoyl peroxide eliminates acne-causing micro organism within the pores and skin.
Nevertheless, when both are used with retinol, the components cancel one another out and eradicate all the advantages.
Retinol on it’s personal can unclog pores and assist combat zits so in case you’re already utilizing a retinoid in your routine, contemplate dropping different acne-fighting merchandise that comprise Benzoyl Peroxide & Salicylic Acid and let the retinol work its magic!
AHA’s (Alpha Hydroxy Acids)
AHA’s are exfoliating acids that may work wonders when paired with moisturizers however with out, they’ll dry out your pores and skin.
Retinol, when utilized in extra or on already average to dry pores and skin, can even trigger dryness or irritation.
As an alternative of layering on doubtlessly drying components, it’s greatest to skip merchandise containing AHA’s and as an alternative attain for merchandise that replenish and hydrate your pores and skin. (extra on that beneath!)
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is nice for safeguarding your pores and skin, however the pH ranges required to activate vitamin C simply don’t work with retinol.
When these two components are used collectively, they’ll cancel one another out or trigger irritation.
On days the place you utilize retinol, it’s greatest to go away the vitamin C for fruit juice and never in your pores and skin.
Retinol + Impatience
The ready recreation may be excruciating, we all know.
However in an effort to get the total advantages of this superpower product, it’s greatest to not rush into issues.
Check retinol on a small a part of your pores and skin, avoiding the fragile pores and skin round your eyes, to see the way it reacts.
Strive spacing it out over a couple of occasions per week fairly than each day while you first begin out.
In any other case, your pores and skin could turn into overloaded and react with irritation, redness, or peeling.
Take it sluggish and thank retinol later!
What Works with Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
We talked about that retinols can dry out the pores and skin, so to make a profitable combo, skip the AHAs and head for the hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid is a deeply penetrating moisturizer that may stability out any of the drying results of retinol.
As a result of hyaluronic acid is of course occurring within the physique, with 50% of it concentrated in your pores and skin, it helps to revive moisture for all pores and skin sorts.
It’s the dream workforce!
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a skincare celebrity.
It’s a strong antioxidant that helps to restore pores and skin cells and stop harm from UV rays and air air pollution whereas brightening and firming.
Not solely that, however Vitamin C can even assist combat and restore harm brought on by free radicals.
A fast apart so you possibly can perceive the true profit Vitamin C has to your pores and skin – let’s discuss free radicals.
You’ll have seen this phrase bouncing round within the descriptions of skincare merchandise however in case you’re nonetheless not 100% certain of what it means, right here it’s in a nutshell.
Free radicals are unstable molecules which can be present in our exterior atmosphere together with the air, water, meals, medication, you identify it.
Their instability implies that they’re continuously making an attempt to bond with different atoms and molecules, together with these in our our bodies, inflicting the pores and skin pointless oxidative stress.
What does this imply to your pores and skin?
Free radicals can deteriorate the pores and skin and pace up the growing old course of.
Principally, they’re precisely what you don’t need.
So when Vitamin C was proven to restore free radical harm, we had been throughout it.
Vitamin C is commonly included into lotions and toners however is only as a serum.
Vitamin C is available in many concentrations and derivatives, however searching for “ascorbic acid” within the components record is an effective strategy to spot it.
The one hassle is that Vitamin C doesn’t all the time combine nicely with different components.
What to Keep away from with Vitamin C
Niacinamide AKA Vitamin B3
Niacinamide is one other brightening vitamin that’s present in quite a lot of merchandise.
The Vitamin C + Vitamin B3 combo is hard however doable.
If you happen to’re utilizing each components, you’ll wish to go away a minimum of half-hour in between functions to permit your pores and skin’s pH stability to normalize.
With out this little breather, the components will cancel one another out and also you received’t reap the advantages of both of those superior nutritional vitamins.
AHAs
Much like when AHAs are used with retinol, this combination can dry out and irritate the pores and skin when utilized in tandem with vitamin C.
Collectively, these components are both too exfoliating and may trigger flaking and peeling or the acids will destabilize one another and also you received’t see any results.
Both manner, it’s greatest to cross on the AHAs!
What Works with Vitamin C
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid additionally makes a terrific companion to vitamin C!
Research have discovered that utilizing hyaluronic acid for simply 8 weeks can considerably enhance pores and skin’s texture, moisture, and firmness.
Take a look at our weblog for 26 advantages that come simply from utilizing hyaluronic acid.
Plus it performs nicely with vitamin c’s delicate pH stability and helps to lock in moisture!
Vitamin E
Maintain the nutritional vitamins coming!
Each nutritional vitamins A & E hail from the identical antioxidant household and combat in opposition to UV harm, holding your pores and skin recent and radiant.
Who doesn’t need that?
You’ll usually discover merchandise which have each nutritional vitamins A and E in a single, so be sure to learn the components label intently.
Ferulic Acid
Ferulic acid is one other antioxidant discovered primarily in crops like oats, corn, and eggplant.
It’s a highly effective anti-aging ingredient that has been discovered to spice up the effectiveness of vitamin C – we may all use a sidekick like that!
Profitable Product Combos
This Full Spectrum Hemp Retinol Oil is ideal by itself!
It’s infused with hemp and rosehip seed oil to softly moisturize your pores and skin in a single day so you possibly can get up to a recent, glowing, vivid face the subsequent morning.
If you happen to’ve already used retinol up to now and are on the lookout for a strong, buildable system, Rhonda Allison’s Retinol Supreme is for you.
Simply pair it with our Hyaluronic Moisture Increase Serum to seal in moisture and go away your pores and skin trying wholesome and hydrated.
If you happen to’re on the lookout for a day by day Vitamin C moisturizer, then look no additional – this Vitamin C moisturizer is gentle sufficient to make use of each day and consists of hemp oil to lock in moisture.
Not into hemp? No worries.
We’ve obtained one with out, too!
This Cosmedica Skincare Duo comes with a prepping Vitamin C toner to wick away dust, oil, and free radicals and a Hyaluronic Acid Serum to lock in moisture.
This duo is ideal for these new to skincare – attempt it out whereas it’s nonetheless on sale!
In want of some severe pores and skin hydration?
This Derma E Vitamin E Cream deeply hydrates the face and physique and repairs UV harm with out leaving a heavy residue.
Pair it with Vitamin C oil for some further antioxidant love.
This 2-in-1 Vitamin C & Ferulic Acid Serum makes use of emblica extract, a fruit that’s excessive in antioxidants, to combat off free radicals and enhance the elasticity, readability, and texture of your pores and skin.
The Backside Line
We all know that everyone has their “secret system” to skincare and the business is altering on a regular basis.
One individual could swear by their retinol, and one other could also be in love with their Vitamin C routine.
Whereas it could seem to be a good suggestion to get the very best of each worlds by utilizing each forms of merchandise, you may very well be doing extra hurt than good or neutralizing the components.
The pores and skin is extraordinarily absorbent so usually, in case you give your pores and skin sufficient respiration room between functions, you should use merchandise that may in any other case react poorly when utilized one on prime of one another.
In any case, it’s only a matter of time and paying shut consideration to your pores and skin to see the way it reacts.
Identical to pairing wine with dinner, you must have an excellent understanding of the dish and its components in an effort to discover the right bottle of wine that can make all of the flavors sing.
What all of it boils right down to is a number of analysis and a little bit little bit of experimentation to discover a skincare ensemble that works for you.
Need assistance discovering the place to start out?
Take our fast and straightforward skincare quiz to get personalised suggestions from a licensed esthetician that can ship you down the highway to excellent, wholesome, comfortable pores and skin.
