The beauty industry regularly comes up with innovations, whether they are chemical or wholesale organic skin care products. Companies and brands emerge on the market, saying they have something new to show, and they could be right. They might have developed something more effective than anything we’ve seen before.
But how do we introduce a new product into our skincare routine? How do we know it’s not going to have adverse effects on our complexion when combining it with the creams we already use? It’s important to know what’s safe and wise to mix and what isn’t; or you might make acne worse, develop a rash or feel all sorts of other consequences. Read on to find out which ingredients you shouldn’t use at the same time, and which are a perfect match.
Ingredients You Definitely Shouldn’t Mix
Have you heard of retinol? We’re guessing you have as it plays a significant role in the composition of anti-aging creams and facial treatments. There are a few other ingredients which don’t pair too well with it. Some of those are hydroxy acids, which are also used in battling wrinkles. Mixing them might be too strong of an irritant for skin tissue.
On the same note, retinol combined with salicylic acid can also be a highly aggressive treatment. This mix, as well as retinol and benzoyl peroxide, can make skin dry. It doesn’t matter if your skin is sensitive or not; you could still start peeling off any time. Benzoyl peroxide is excellent for treating acne, but make sure to use it at a different time of day.
Also, don’t add vitamin C to retinol, no matter how beneficial they both are for smoothing out lines and wrinkles. Things can backfire, and you’ll get the opposite of what you wished for. Speaking of vitamin C, it isn’t a good idea to mix it with hydroxy acids either. They can change the vitamin’s pH and deactivate it. We advise on leaving the acids and retinol for night use while applying vitamin C products during the daytime.
In case you’re undergoing a peeling treatment or waxing, leave your regular products aside for a day or two. Retin-A or retinol could do more harm than good as they act on already irritated tissue. This could lead to painful cracks on your skin.
Benzoyl peroxide, which we already mentioned, should not be put together with hydroquinone. One fights acne, while the other lightens up your skin, but combining them could result in stains on your face. Also, benzoyl peroxide does no good to tretinoin since it cancels out its effects.
Sunscreen should play a significant part in our everyday lives as UV rays dry and age our skin and could even cause cancer. But does it work well with other products? Not really, or at least not with those containing antibiotics or vitamin A because they can increase your odds of getting severe sunburns. Moisturizers might be excellent, but they could lower its effectiveness.
Lastly, don’t mix oily and watery products since at least one won’t be absorbed into the skin. Using a wet cleanser, wiping it off and then applying oily moisturizers is alright. But an oil-based product will create a film on your skin, so putting anything on top is pointless.
Beneficial Mixes to Choose From
Now, what should you mix to make a real positive impact on your looks? What are the timeless skin care secrets of a successful beauty enhancing routine?
Remember how we talked about the great powers of vitamin C? It offers excellent protection from external damaging factors, including UV rays, while stimulating collagen production and thus reducing wrinkles. To all those, add the magic of vitamin E, another amazing antioxidant which increases skin hydration. Used together, these ingredients will fight the signs of aging, firm up the skin, and prevent inflammation.
Another youth enhancing factor is vitamin A, in the form of retinol, which works pretty well when combined with hyaluronic acid. Retinol will make your skin smooth by reducing fine lines and pigmentation spots, through an exfoliating process. Although it boosts collagen levels, skin tissue might become dry or even irritated. That’s where hyaluronic acid comes in as a moisturizer, to keep your skin hydrated and glowing.
Mixing acids might sound weird, but hydroxy acids work well together, in small concentrations, of course. For instance, salicylic acid and glycolic acid make a great team when it comes to getting rid of acne through exfoliation. Furthermore, you could add benzoyl peroxide to the combo, for a deeper pore cleansing and antibacterial action.
Generally, when choosing a product, try to pick a mix of ingredients which are as natural as possible. Neora offers a few options of products which perfectly balance flower or leaf extracts with fruit juices to create a combination that will make you feel young and beautiful. They start with cleansers, patches, eye serums, and the great night and day anti-aging creams.
All this chemistry might have confused you, but we’d like you to take one thing away: as with anything else in life, the skin needs its balance too. Don’t neglect its needs, but don’t aggress it with many irritants at the same time either. Using dozens of products will take you nowhere, or it could make your skin condition worse than before. Choose only a few that show real, desired results, and you’ll be on the right path.