Can I use Hyaluronic Acid and Retinoid?
The good news is, using hyaluronic acid and retinoids together is a match made in skincare heaven. Even though retinoids (which are another more potent form of retinol) are known for being quite a tricky ingredient to use in your routine, they do work well with hyaluronic acid. What you’ll often find is that the drying effects that occur when first use retinol in your skincare routine will be counteracted and calmed thanks to the hydrating benefits of hyaluronic acid.
If you’re in need of a quick reminder the skincare benefits you can expect to see when using hyaluronic acid and retinol, you can check out our Skin School which has a collection of information about all the most used and popular skin ingredients. Now let’s get stuck in and find out more about whether you can use hyaluronic acid and retinoids.
What goes first hyaluronic acid or retinol?
It is often considered to apply hyaluronic acid after retinol to gain optimal results. This is due to the humectant traits of HA ensuring that water surrounding the face is drawn in from the atmosphere and locked into the outer surface. This is something that hyaluronic acid continues to do once it is applied to the skin. By ensuring the protective skin barrier is left hydrated, plumped, and moisturised will not only ward off potential damage from free radicals, such as pollution and UV exposure, but will keep the drying effects of retinoids at bay.
How to layer hyaluronic acid and retinol
Cleanse the skin of any remaining traces of makeup and impurities.
Apply your retinol enriched product to cleansed skin.
Allow about 30 minutes in between applications to ensure the retinol is fully absorbed in the skin.
Follow this with a serum or moisturiser containing hyaluronic to the skin locking hydration into the skin surface.
Once the morning has arrived finish your morning routine with a SPF of 30 and above.
If you are wanting to know more about layering hyaluronic acid and retinol together in more detail, there is a dedicated blog post about it for you to check out.
Can you layer retinol and hyaluronic acid?
Absolutely! It is perfectly safe for you to layer retinol and hyaluronic acid. Using these ingredients together is one of the most popular skin combinations due to how effective hyaluronic acid is at helping to combat the side effects that occur when using retinol.
Although these side effects are something that everyone who uses retinol will experience and generally don’t last long, by teaming it with a clever humectant, such as hyaluronic acid, you will find the drying, flaking, and red patches of skin are not as irritating.
What can you not mix with hyaluronic acid?
Hyaluronic acid is undoubtably one of the most versatile skincare ingredients and can be teamed with some of the most potent ingredients, such as retinol, benzoyl peroxide, some forms of vitamin C and beta hydroxy acids, such as salicylic acid. All these ingredients deliver impressive skin benefits, from evening out the skin tone, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improving the complexion by helping to improving the firmness of the skin.
As effective and easy as hyaluronic acid is to introduce into your daily skincare routine, it is still important that you consult with a GP, dermatologist, or medical professional to ensure you will reap the rewards and bypass any unwanted skin irritations.
What can you not mix with retinol?
When it comes to mixing ingredients with retinol, there are a number of potent actives that should be avoided. These are, vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and acids such as glycolic acid and salicylic acid.
You’ll find that mixing these ingredients together can result in them cancelling out each other, as well as becoming too harsh for the skin. You’ll often find that using retinol with these ingredients will lead to the vital oils needed in the surface barrier will be stripped away. This results in the skin becoming irritated, dry, uncomfortable, and the protective skin barrier is left weakened and susceptible to potential skin damage.
If you wanted to find out more about retinol, how it benefits the skin and what not to mix with it, check out our dedicated blog post.
Can you use hyaluronic acid every day?
Yes, you certainly can, in fact, you can use hyaluronic acid twice a day in your skincare routine. Ideally, you’ll want to apply your HA enriched product to a cleansed skin that is still slightly damp, this will help the humectant traits of the ingredient lock in extra moisture. You can then follow this with a moisturiser or face oil as this will not only form a protective layer over the skin but will also aid hyaluronic acid in keeping the complexion plumped, hydrated, with a youthful bounce all day.
Can I use retinol every night?
DQH Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C?
It’s easy to create a skincare routine, but knowing how to use it is another thing entirely. In most cases, if you’re not getting the desired skin results, it could be due to the layering of conflicting ingredients. So, is it possible that salicylic acid and vitamin C are such ingredients? Or are these active ingredients the duo that’s been missing from your skincare routine? If you want answers, stick around because today we are going to explain the benefits of salicylic acid and vitamin C and how they can be used in your daily life.
What are the benefits of salicylic acid for skin?
Salicylic acid is one of the most commonly used beta hydroxy acids and is favored by many people with oily, acne-prone skin. This acid is derived from willow bark, and unlike its water-soluble relatives (called alpha-hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble, which means it can penetrate deeper into the lower layers of the skin. Once it reaches the lower layers, it can help unclog pores of excess sebum, dirt, bacteria, debris, and impurities. This results in clearer skin tones and greater definition.
Not only does salicylic acid benefit the underlying layers, but the outer surface of the skin benefits as well. When applied to the skin, salicylic acid removes the buildup of dead skin cells. This is accomplished by breaking the bonds that hold dead cells to the surface. Over time, this can cause the complexion to look dull and prone to acne, blackheads, and other blemishes.
If you’d like to learn more about salicylic acid and how it can improve your skin, check out this dedicated blog post from a beauty insider.
What are the benefits of vitamin C for skin?
Vitamin C is considered one of the most powerful antioxidants, which means it is very effective at fighting free radicals and preventing them from causing further skin damage. Examples of free radicals include pollution, central heating, UV rays and harsh climate. They attack proteins, fats and cell membranes as soon as they come into contact with the skin, causing signs of premature aging such as fine lines and wrinkles as well as hyperpigmentation, flaky patches of skin and loss of elasticity.
Many people usually prefer to use vitamin C in their morning routine as this ingredient gives the complexion a radiant glow. You’ll also find that vitamin C can target areas of hyperpigmentation, plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The thing about vitamin C is that there are a lot of outdated studies going back to the 1950s that describe vitamin C as an unstable skin component. Thanks to improvements in modern technology, this is no longer the case as all products now contain a stable form of vitamin C.
Visit The Beauty Insider to learn more about vitamin C. So please check out our blog post.
Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C?
Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, it’s thought that using salicylic acid before using vitamin C ensures it penetrates faster and works faster.
This is an efficient way to utilize two power sources, and the reason has to do with pH. For example, the skin’s natural pH is about 4.7, making it slightly acidic. Salicylic acid and vitamin C are also both acidic, and you’ll find that vitamin C is absorbed quickly into the skin. Therefore, using salicylic acid beforehand can increase the acidity of the skin and allow vitamin C to penetrate into the skin faster.
While this is considered an effective way to combine two powerful ingredients, you need to be aware of your skin type and how it reacts to certain active ingredients. Even people with perfect, normal skin can experience skin sensitivity and irritation. Therefore, always consult a doctor or dermatologist before using any new products on your skin.
It’s also important to follow skin application rules. In this case, you need to use the product correctly to ensure you get the best results for your skin. If you’re not sure what I mean, the basic rule for skin is to start with the thinnest consistency and work your way up to the thickest consistency. This prevents a barrier from forming on the surface, preventing other active ingredients from penetrating the skin.
Can I use salicylic acid at night and vitamin C in the morning?
Yes, absolutely, this is considered the most effective way to get returns without any adverse side effects. This is because there is enough time between applications to ensure that the skin’s pH levels return to balance.
You’ll also find that Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants and is perfect for use in the morning to ensure your skin is protected and looking its healthiest. Due to the small size of salicylic acid molecules, it is an acid that is able to reach the deepest parts of the skin. While this is effective at keeping skin clear, it also increases the risk of irritation and photosensitivity. Therefore, many people prefer to use powerful BHAs in their evening routine without exposure to UV rays, pollution, or harsh weather.
Warning: If you avoid using sunscreen every day, none of these ingredients will do what your skin needs. The combination of chemical peels and powerful ingredients increases the risk of further damage to the skin’s surface. Use SPF 50 every day to keep your skin protected and your lipid barrier healthy, even on cloudy days, keeping your skin in top condition.
