by Anne

Combine creams and active ingredients harmoniously:what goes together and what doesn't?

A cream for moisture on the skin, one against wrinkles, then a suns...
wirkstoffe kombinieren

A cream for moisture on the skin, one against wrinkles, then a sunscreen on top and then a serum. Much helps. Much does not always apply to skin care and can sometimes even do more harm than good. We tell you which combinations of active ingredients are good and which are not.ht. 

The basis of the active ingredient combinations: The correct order in skin layering

Using different skin care products at the same time can be a good thing, after all, different creams have different strengths. And when you combine these, you bundle the advantages of the respective product. 

In thetheory that sounds sensible, but in practice arbitrary combinations of active ingredients are problematic!

Combined, some active ingredients can lose their effectiveness or even irritate and irritate your skin. Below we will go into more detail on which active ingredients you shouldn't just combine.

Before we get to that, let's first take a look at the correct order in which to use your care products. At theSkin layering it's about doing one thing at a time.Layer by layer. 

Namely with these 3Rs:

1. Cleaning

Also called toning. The point here is to clarify your facial skin and pores, to free them from impurities and dirt. Take one for this partmild facial cleanserthat is precisely tailored to the needs of sensitive skin. If you want to use an exfoliator or mask, that would be your turn after toning.

2. Regeneration

In this step, you want to give your skin what it needs to stay young. This sometimes includes yoursSerum especially for the face and eye area. The intensive active ingredients come after cleaning, but before the skin is tuned.

3. Refresh

In this last step, also known as tuning, the nutrient-rich and moisturizing care comes into its own: you give your skin back valuable moisture and nutrients that it has lost through everyday life. You can use awell formulated moisturizer with hyaluronic acid take or onehighly effective anti-aging face creamthat refreshes sallow skin.

Good to know: fat or water-soluble ingredients in skin layering

When layering, you should make sure that you don't layer just any cream on top of each other. Some work with active ingredients that are fat-soluble, others are water-soluble.

Light lotions in particular are water-soluble, and creams with a lot of content are mostly fat-soluble. 

Fortunately, it doesn't affect the effectiveness if you combine water- and fat-soluble ingredients. However, the combination can get crumbly and that's annoying again.

Extra tip: rely on tested care series

If you want to combine care products without risk, you should use products from one brand or care range if possible. The reason is that care series are coordinated with each other and you thus directly avoid complications due to unfavorable combinations of active ingredients.

If you are unsure which brand to rely on:

Check the products beforehand atcodecheck.info. This means that you know immediately whether your face creams, anti-aging serums and facial cleansers really arewithout questionable ingredients are formulated.

You should avoid these combinations of active ingredients

Combine vitamin C and fruit acids (AHA)

The recommendation: not recommended

The reason: skin irritation and dryness

Explanation: Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) include, for example, glycolic acid or lactic acid. Many like to use these substances as a chemical peel. Vitamin C also has an exfoliating and loosening effect. In combination, however, the pH value of vitamin C changes, which can lead to skin irritations and even severe skin dryness.. 

Combine retinol and vitamin C.

The recommendation: not recommended

The reason: skin irritation

The explanation: Both substances have an exfoliating effect on the skin. If both are combined, however, the effect is too strong. Skin irritation is the result. The use of both substances is conceivable if you use them spread out over the day: Vitamin C in the morning and retinol in the evening.

Combine retinol and fruit acids (AHA) or BHA (e.g. salicylic acid)

The recommendation: not recommended

The reason: the effect of retinol, which is only recommended to a limited extent, is negated. In combination with salicylic acid, it leads to dehydration of the skin.

The explanation: The acidity of the alpha or beta hydroxy acids is suspected of limiting the effect of the retinol. The combination of retinol and salicylic acid also increases the risk of skin drying out.

The use ofRetinol questionable, because the substance is quickly dosed too high and can sometimes cause dry skin. In contrast, an alternative active ingredient that is recommended for this isBakuchiol.

Combine benzoyl peroxide with AHA / BHA

The recommendation: not recommended

The reason: over-stimulation of the skin

The explanation: Benzoyl peroxide is often used for the treatment of acne and, together with alpha or beta-hydroxy acids (AHA / BHA), can damage the skin through hyperacidity. Accordingly, it is only recommended to use benzoyl peroxide alternately on one day and AHA / BHA on the other day. 

Combine vitamin C with benzyl peroxide

The recommendation: Ineffective, but harmless

The reason: the effect is canceled out

The explanation: Benzoyl peroxide has the property that it oxidizes vitamin C and thus neutralizes its effect. Both substances thus neutralize each other.

Combine retinol with benzoyl peroxide

The recommendation: not recommended

The reason: the effect is canceled out and can cause skin irritation

The explanation: As with vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide can also cancel out the effect of retinol because it oxidizes with the substance. Both substances neutralize each other and can also cause skin irritation. However, it can be used over the day: Benzoyl peroxide in the morning, retinol in the evening.

Combine vitamin C with niacinamide

The recommendation: only advisable to a limited extent

The reason: skin irritation, redness

The explanation: The acidity of vitamin C causes the niacinamide to transform into nicotinic acid, which dilates the blood vessels and can cause reddening of the skin - this would be the case especially with high doses of niacinamide. Basically, you should not combine niacinamides with acids. 

Combine AHAs with other AHAs

The recommendation: conditionally recommendable

The reason: skin irritation

The explanation: Alpha-hydroxy acids correspond to a chemical peeling on the skin - they have an exfoliating effect. The danger of combining several AHAs such as glycolic, lactic, malic or citric acid is that you over-stimulate your skin. If you want to intensify the peeling, you should increase the combined dose with caution and gradually.n. 

Conclusion: combine wisely or rely on pharmacologically tested products straight away

The combination of different care products is not without it. In order to avoid skin irritation, reddening of the skin or dry skin, you should combine products from the same care range and, if possible, test your own combinations with advice and caution.

When in doubt, keep away from experiments and #TreatYourself

Anne

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