SkinCare Products Do's and Dont's: Beauty Tips What Should You Combine and What To Avoid

Skin-Care Ingredients That Work Well Together

 These skin-care ingredients work well together and can be combined.

AHA/BHAs + Ceramides

Ceramides help to restore the skin’s barrier by holding your skin cells together and lock in moisture and are your skins barrier against pollution, colder weather, and bacteria. They can be found in many great over the counter products.

After using chemical exfoliants like AHA/BHA , you want to add moisture back into the skin and protect the skin barrier, and ceramides are a great option.

Retinol + Hyaluronic Acid

Because retinol can be slightly irritating and drying on the skin, hyaluronic acid can be soothing. Hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate and plump the skin, combatting both the irritation and peeling with the Retinol. it is a normal side effect to have some peeling, redness, and flaking with a retinol.

Benzoyl Peroxide + Salicylic or Glycolic Acids

Benzoyl peroxide is great for treating acne, while hydroxy acids are helpful in breaking down clogged pores and blackheads.  So this combination is a great acne treatment duo.

Peptides + Vitamin C Peptides help to hold cells together, and vitamin C helps to reduce oxidative stress.  This is a great combination to improve skin texture.

Skin-Care Ingredients That Shouldn’t Be Used Together

Retinol + Glycolic/Lactic Acid ( AHA's)

These products do not deactivate each other but when using too many active ingredients it can be too much for the skin. Retinol and AHAs like glycolic acid and lactic acid shouldn’t be combined as they can really dry out your skin and increase sensitivity. 

Retinol + Sun Exposure

Retinol is so effective because it increases cellular turnover on the skin’s surface, revealing younger cells. New skin can easily be irritated or sensitive when exposed to sun rays. This is why retinol should be used at night before bed instead of in the morning, when skin is more likely to be exposed to sunlight.

AHAs + BHAs Both of these are exfoliants. I always say there is such a thing of too much of a good thing! This definitely applies here.

AHAs are best for dry skin and anti-aging, while BHAs are best for addressing the appearance of acne such as large pores, blackheads and pimples. 

 These products are great but if used in excess can lead to  dry, irritated skin.

The best approach to exfoliating is to start out slow,  use the product once a week, then increase frequency as your skin adjusts. Over treating the skin make matters worse because excessive exfoliation can breakdown the stratum corneum, which is your skins barrier. Your skin may experience inflammation which can lead to premature aging.