‘Skincare Smoothies’: Why You Have to Be Careful About Mixing Skincare

When mixing skincare ingredients, you should treat it as carefully as you would baking a cake. But instead of getting the precise measurements, you need to get the products mixing right. While it’s always a good idea to look for labels like cruelty-free and natural, knowing about the ingredients can ensure that you avoid unwanted irritation, side effects and reactions. To get a better idea about the same, we’ll look at different skincare ingredient combinations and how they can impact your skin.

Ingredients that go well together

1. Vitamin C and SPF

Vitamin C is often the answer to uneven skin tone and pigmentation. This is because Vitamin C can help boost protection against sun damage, work to address dark spots and help brighten the skin. Complementing this with an SPF can help you further avoid sun damage and retain the positive after-effects of applying products like a Vitamin C serum.

2. Retinoids and Niacinamide

Retinoids are a great weapon in the battle against ageing, helping improve uneven skin texture, reduce acne breakouts and enhance the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However, they can be a cause of redness and irritation in the earlier stages of their application, as the skin renews dead skin cells with new ones. Niacinamide can help calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier, making the transition to using retinoid treatments smoother as it can help reduce potential side effects.

3. Peptides and Hyaluronic Acid

Peptides can act as a filip to skin collagen production, enhancing skin elasticity and firmness. Hyaluronic Acid complements them by deeply hydrating the skin, ensuring it stays plump and hydrated as collagen is rebuilt. This can lead to a rejuvenated and replenished skin.

4. Vitamin C and Vitamin E

Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that fights free radicals and helps brighten the skin, while Vitamin E provides additional antioxidant protection and supports skin repair. Together, they create a potent protective armour against different types of UV damage and boost each other’s stability to a good extent.

5. Glycolic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid

Both Glycolic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid are excellent hydration agents for the skin. They can be a great duo for people with dry skin. Plus, possible side effects of using Glycolic Acid like redness and irritation can also be mitigated by hyaluronic acid.

Ingredients that don’t go well together

1. AHAs and BHAs with Retinol

While exfoliation is essential for healthy and clear skin, you need to be very careful in selecting what you use Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs) with. For instance, using them with peeling agents like retinol can cause excessive cell turnover which can even turn into skin burns in severe cases.

2. Retinoids and Vitamin C

Vitamin C can be a powerful antioxidant in treating skin pigmentation and UV protection. Retinoids boost collagen production and fight free radicals, helping against premature ageing. However, combining them can have unwanted side effects, especially for those with sensitive skin. It is best to alternate their use and leave a decent time gap in between.

3. AHAs with Niacinamide

Niacinamide, just like AHAs, helps in treating acne and improving skin texture. While it may intuitively make sense to combine the two and double their impact, it actually has the opposite effect. This is primarily due to the difference in pH levels of both the ingredients due to which, their effectiveness can be dented.

4. Benzoyl peroxide and Retinoids

Benzoyl peroxide is an oxidising agent whereas retinoids are prone to oxidation. Applying them together can lead to extreme dryness of the skin as well as irritation. Hence, it is best to use them in alternative routines rather than together at the same time.

5. Benzoyl peroxide and hydroquinone

Hydroquinone is most commonly used to treat hyperpigmentation, due to its properties of being a skin-lightening agent. On the other hand, Benzoyl peroxide helps the fight against acne. While they may have different use cases, they should never be used together as they can stain your skin and also cause extreme irritation.

Knowing the main attributes of your skin and areas of improvement is the first key step in finding the most suitable skin routine. After that, it is all about knowing the right ingredients and mixing them well to suit your needs. It is important to know what can and cannot be mixed to avoid side effects and irritation. Expanding your knowledge base and being careful in selection can help solve the same.