7 Skincare combinations that can lead to adverse effects

Beauty enthusiasts who witness visible results with skincare actives often make the mistake of forming skincare combinations that can cause skin irritation. Thus, one must know which combinations can have adverse effects. The reason behind such effects is that certain skincare combinations may contain products that have opposing functions.

When starting a skincare regime, it is recommended that one uses a single active at a time and if they wish to use more than one, they must alternate between the same instead of layering it onto the skin.

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7 Skincare combinations that beauty enthusiasts must avoid

Retinoids, AHAs, and BHAs form an integral part of one's skincare. However, mixing two skincare ingredients can cause trouble in one's skincare routine.

Team SK has curated a list of 7 skincare combinations that beauty enthusiasts must steer clear of:

• Retinol, Retinoid, and Vitamin C
• Retinol with BHAs and AHAs
• Similar actives in two products
• Retinoids and salicylic acid
• Retinol and Benzoyl Peroxide
• Hydroquinone and Benzoyl Peroxide
• Soap-based cleansers and Vitamin C

1) Retinol, Retinoid, and Vitamin C:

Vitamin C is a powerful skincare ingredient for treating pigmentation, dull skin, and UV damage. It fights free radicals and enhances collagen production in the skin. Retinoids and retinol are Vitamin A derivatives that target signs of ageing. However, using the two together can cause redness and irritation.

One way to reap the benefits of the Vitamin A derivatives and Vitamin C is to use Vitamin C in the morning followed by sunscreen and retinol at night.

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2) Retinol with BHAs and AHAs:

AHAs and BHAs gently exfoliate the skin and increase cell turnover. These include lactic acid, mandelic acid, and salicylic acid. Mixing these ingredients with retinol or retinoids can increase the risk of irritation.

While using any of these ingredients causes purging initially, using a combination of AHAs, BHAs, and Vitamin A derivatives can aggravate the skin, cancelling out the benefits of these actives.

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3) Similar actives in two products:

While one may think that using two products with the same type of actives will offer double the skincare benefits, it often leads to adverse effects on the skin. Using a combination of similar actives like two AHAs or BHAs will cause their pH to clash and will allow only one ingredient to work on the skin.

The best way to incorporate similar actives for maximum benefit is to use one in the AM regime and the other in the PM regime.

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4) Retinoids and salicylic acid:

Salicylic acid benefits acne-prone skin and oily skin while retinoids target signs of ageing. Salicylic acid dissolves the lipids between the cells and the fats in the oil glands, thereby unclogging pores.

However, it can cause an adverse effect when combined with retinoids as their combined effect will cause burning and scarring on the skin.

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5) Retinol and Benzoyl Peroxide:

Retinol unclogs the pores and causes rapid skin cell turnover and benzoyl peroxide offers similar benefits to the skin. However, combining both can cause extreme skin dryness. It will also yield no beneficial results as the two ingredients will cancel each other out owing to the pH.

It is ideal to alternate between the two and to use retinol for uneven skin tone, pigmentation, and signs of ageing. Benzoyl Peroxide can be used to target whiteheads and blackheads.

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6) Hydroquinone and Benzoyl Peroxide:

Hydroquinone is a popular skin-lightening agent while benzoyl peroxide targets whiteheads and blackheads. This skincare combination is not ideal as it can cause skin irritation and lead to skin-staining instead of the desired skin-lightening effect.

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7) Soap-based cleansers and Vitamin C:

Soap-based cleansers have a high pH which is likely to interfere with the efficacy of Vitamin C. Since soap-based cleansers and Vitamin C are designated as AM skincare essentials, the cleanser will decrease the effect of Vitamin C and also lead to excessive drying. Additionally, this skincare combination can damage the skin barrier.

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The abovementioned skincare combinations must be avoided even if one's skin has built immunity to skincare actives. However, beauty enthusiasts can mix skincare ingredients like retinoids + peptides, and Vitamin C + Hyaluronic acid to maximise the benefits of their skincare routine.