Skincare products are fickle friends. No matter how much you spend on a fancy anti-ageing product, the fussy thing will only work when applied correctly, and with complimentary skincare products. Unfortunately, skincare is an industry that’s rife with confusing labels and science-speak that will render even the most dedicated beauty enthusiast useless if she doesn’t have a degree in dermal therapies. Fortunately, we’ve constructed an easy guide to which skincare ingredients you should never mix, to ensure you never buy a product you don’t need, and that the products you do have work twice as hard.
#1 Never mix Vitamin C with acids
This means you shouldn’t be layering a product containing Vitamin C over or under a product that contains glycolic, lactic or salicylic acids – because those acids will render the vitamin C useless.
Found in: facial creams, serums, toners and cleansers
#2 Never mix retinol with acids
If you’re using an anti-ageing product containing retinol or retinoids, you shouldn’t be using it in conjunction with products that contain glycolic, lactic or salicylic acids. Doing this can make your skin feel dry and irritated.
Found in: facial creams, serums, toners and cleansers
RELATED: What you need to know about using retinol/Vitamin A
#3 Never mix Retinol with Vitamin C
Never layer up skincare products that contain vitamin C and retinol. Not only will it increase you skin’s sensitivity to sun, but it will probably make your skin feel red and irritated.
Found in: facial creams, serums, toners and cleansers
#4 Never mix acids
Choose one of the three acids (glycolic, lactic or salicylic) and stick to it. Mixing acids can result in painful skin reactions.
Found in: facial creams, serums, toners and cleansers
#5 Never mix niacinamide with vitamin C
If you use multiple facial products, such as cleansers, moisturisers, face oils, serums and eye creams, it’s important to ensure you aren’t layering a product containing niacinamide over or under a product containing vitamin C. You’ll end up with a red face and pimples.
Found in: facial creams, serums, toners and cleansers
You might also like:
What order should you apply skincare products?
How to correctly identify your skin type
6 myths about skincare that you probably believe
Looking for more skincare tips? Check out the video below.
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