At Skincare by Alana, we’re all about maximizing the outcomes of your skincare routine.

With out correct data of the lively substances in your product lineup, you may be lacking out on potential skincare synergies.

Or worse – a foul combination may trigger irritation and reverse the supposed results of the merchandise.

Possibly 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 need to undertake a “little little bit of this, little little bit of that” to mix totally different skincare merchandise, however the outcomes don’t at all times maximize your advantages.

Now that you’ve a grocery listing of skincare product suggestions to select from, it’s time to take a crash course in “Skincare Mixology 101” to study what skincare combos you need to keep away from.

We’ll break it down by the highest trending skincare substances and check out what works with them, and what doesn’t.

PS – we’ve accomplished all of the analysis for you!

Learn via our article for successful skincare product suggestions.

Retinol

First, let’s discuss Retinol.

Retinol, also called 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 could actually do wonders for tackling high-quality traces, wrinkles, night pores and skin tone, and soothing rosacea.

Retinol is highly effective by itself, however it may be an excessive amount of of factor.

Retinol has a lot of superb advantages for a lot of totally different pores and skin varieties – however it’s not proper for everybody.

Earlier than you resolve to include retinol into your skincare routine, take a look at our weblog or take our quiz to see if retinol is best for you!

What to Keep away from with Retinol

Pimples Merchandise with Benzoyl Peroxide & Salicylic Acid

Each benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are highly effective acne-fighting substances.

Salicylic acid is used to unclog pores and deal with pimples whereas benzoyl peroxide eliminates acne-causing micro organism within the pores and skin.

Nonetheless, when both are used with retinol, the substances cancel one another out and eradicate all the advantages.

Retinol on it’s personal can unclog pores and assist battle pimples so in case you’re already utilizing a retinoid in your routine, contemplate dropping different acne-fighting merchandise that include 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 substances, 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 under!)

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 substances are used collectively, they’ll cancel one another out or trigger irritation.

On days the place you employ 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 might be excruciating, we all know.

However with the intention to get the total advantages of this superpower product, it’s greatest to not rush into issues.

Take a look at 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 every week somewhat than daily while you first begin out.

In any other case, your pores and skin could grow to be overloaded and react with irritation, redness, or peeling.

Take it gradual 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 successful combo, skip the AHAs and head for the hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid is a deeply penetrating moisturizer that may steadiness 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 varieties.

It’s the dream group!

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a skincare celebrity.

It’s a robust 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 battle and restore harm attributable to free radicals.

A fast apart so you’ll be able to perceive the true profit Vitamin C has on your pores and skin – let’s discuss free radicals.

You could 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 are present in our exterior surroundings together with the air, water, meals, drugs, you identify it.

Their instability signifies that they’re continually attempting 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 on your pores and skin?

Free radicals can deteriorate the pores and skin and pace up the growing old course of.

Mainly, 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 usually 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 substances listing is an efficient technique to spot it.

The one bother is that Vitamin C doesn’t at all times combine effectively with different substances.

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.

In case you’re utilizing each substances, you’ll need to depart at the very least half-hour in between functions to permit your pores and skin’s pH steadiness to normalize.

With out this little breather, the substances will cancel one another out and also you received’t reap the advantages of both of those superior nutritional vitamins.

AHAs

Just 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 substances 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 means, it’s greatest to move on the AHAs!

What Works with Vitamin C

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid additionally makes an amazing 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 effectively with vitamin c’s delicate pH steadiness and helps to lock in moisture!

Vitamin E

Hold the nutritional vitamins coming!

Each nutritional vitamins A & E hail from the identical antioxidant household and battle towards 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 ensure that to learn the substances label carefully.

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!

Successful 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’ll be able to get up to a recent, glowing, brilliant face the following morning.

In case you’ve already used retinol previously and are on the lookout for a robust, buildable method, Rhonda Allison’s Retinol Supreme is for you.

Simply pair it with our Hyaluronic Moisture Enhance Serum to seal in moisture and depart your pores and skin wanting wholesome and hydrated.

In case you’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 daily and contains hemp oil to lock in moisture.

Not into hemp? No worries.

We’ve bought one with out, too!

This Cosmedica Skincare Duo comes with a prepping Vitamin C toner to wick away filth, oil, and free radicals and a Hyaluronic Acid Serum to lock in moisture.

This duo is ideal for these new to skincare – strive 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 additional antioxidant love.

This 2-in-1 Vitamin C & Ferulic Acid Serum makes use of emblica extract, a fruit that’s excessive in antioxidants, to battle 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 method” to skincare and the business is altering on a regular basis.

One particular person could swear by their retinol, and one other could also be in love with their Vitamin C routine.

Whereas it might look like a good suggestion to get one of the best of each worlds through the use of each sorts of merchandise, you may very well be doing extra hurt than good or neutralizing the substances.

The pores and skin is extraordinarily absorbent so typically, in case you give your pores and skin sufficient respiration room between functions, you need to use merchandise that will in any other case react poorly when utilized one on high 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.

Similar to pairing wine with dinner, you want to have understanding of the dish and its substances with the intention to discover the proper bottle of wine that may make all of the flavors sing.

What all of it boils right down to is lots of analysis and somewhat 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 simple skincare quiz to get personalised suggestions from a licensed esthetician that may ship you down the street to excellent, wholesome, joyful pores and skin.