38 Skincare Ingredients Combinations That Work Better Together
how to layer active ingredients in skincare
Ipreviously wrote an article on “A Guide To 21 Skincare Ingredients That You Should Never Mix” to help you know which skincare ingredients you should never combine together or else you could potentially render them useless and cause skin irritation.
Mixing the right skincare ingredients isn’t easy but it can greatly help your skin to effectively address and solve multiple skincare concerns(whether you’re dealing with hyperpigmentation, acne, fine lines, and wrinkles).
I have put together a beginner’s guide to the do’s of skincare ingredients mixing so that you can be aware of powerful skincare ingredients combinations that work better together for your skin.
1. Retinol + Hydrating Ingredients(Ceramides/Hyaluronic acid/Glycerin/Urea)= Hydrates your skin and makes the side effects of retinol such as dry skin and irritation, more bearable.
2. Retinol + SPF= Protects you from the sun as retinol makes your skin hyper–sensitive to the sun
3. Vitamin C + Vitamin E=Double protection against free radicals and environmental stressors
4. Ceramides + Cholesterol + Fatty acids= Repair skin barrier function and improve hydration.
5. AHAs or BHAs + Sunscreen=Reduces your skin’s sensitivity to the sun as exfoliating acids make your skin sensitive.
6. Antioxidants + SPF= Compliments each other because they protect your skin against UV damage and free radicals up to 78%
7. Benzoyl Peroxide + Topical antibiotics (Clindamycin or erythromycin)= Efficient in fighting acne and preventing acne breakouts
8. Retinol or Tretinoin + Peptides= Increase in collagen production. Retinol boosts the efficiency and penetration of peptides and enhances your skin’s ability to absorb peptides creams and serums. Combined together they help improve skin firmness.
9. Benzoyl Peroxide + SPF= Benzoyl Peroxide can make your skin sensitive in the morning. To prevent this, apply an adequate amount of sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun and prevent blemishes.
10. Hyaluronic acid + AHAs/BHAs= Hyaluronic acid is gentle and is a great way to moisturize and cool down the irritating effects of exfoliating acids.
11. Ceramides + Niacinamide= Ceramides help increase the barrier function and improve moisture retention while Niacinamide helps minimize the appearance of pore size and reduce oil production.
12. Zinc oxide + Iron oxide= Increases sun protection of mineral sunscreens, reduces white–cast in mineral sunscreen, broadens its UV protection agents and reduces the amount of UV rays that penetrate the skin to 1.5%
13. Vitamin C + E + Ferulic acid= Vitamin C is highly unstable and is known to be less effective when exposed to sunlight so it needs other ingredients like Vitamin E or Ferulic acid to extend the efficiency and stability of Vitamin C up to 8 times.
14. Niacinamide + Hyaluronic acid= Both are water-based treatments that help hydrate the skin. For best results, apply hyaluronic acid first on damp skin before niacinamide for plenty of hydration.
15. AHAs/BHAs + Squalene= Squalene helps calm redness and irritation caused by the effects of exfoliating acid
16. Peptides + Vitamin C= Healthy Skin Barrier and fight free radicals
17. Retinol + Centella Asiatica= Soothes, hydrates and makes your skin less sensitive to the irritating and drying effects of retinol.
18. Sodium Hyaluronate + Makuna Honey= Sodium Hyaluronate is a derivative of hyaluronic acid and makuna honey helps it perform better. These two ingredients have a humectant–emollient relationship. Sodium Hyaluronate hydrates by pulling moisture into the skin and makuna honey, an emollient, prevents the moisture from slipping out.
19. Ferulic acid + Resveratrol= Best antioxidant protection against the damaging effect of free radicals. Both stimulate healthy cell growth.
20. Green Tea + Caffeine= Caffeine enhances the antioxidant effects of green tea and both ingredients help prevent free radicals and UVB–induced skin cancer
21. Sunscreen is compatible with every skincare ingredient
22. Resveratrol + Glycolic acid= Increases cell turnover and helps get rid of hyperpigmentation and melasma
23. Niacinamide + Vitamin C = There’s been a ton of misinformation online that vitamin C should not be mixed with Niacinamide. This is completely untrue. Unlike niacinamide which is very stable, vitamin C is highly unstable and can be easily rendered inactive when exposed to sunlight, air, and other ingredients. Vitamin C does it best at a low pH(acidic) while Niacinamide works best at a higher/neutral ph. Combining both of them would give you a brighter complexion, target signs of aging, and improve dull skin and enlarged pores. If you must use them together, apply vitamin c first then niacinamide 30 minutes later.
24. Azelaic acid + Niacinamide= Teats hyperpigmentation, age spots and dull skin.
25. Retinol + Niacinamide= Increases the rate of skin cell turnover, stabilizes your skin barrier, increases hydration, and helps reduce irritation by soothing the skin.
26. Squalene + Retinol=Has a calming and soothing effect on the skin
27. Benzoyl Peroxide + Any Hydrating Ingredient(Hyaluronic acid/Ceramides/Glycerin/Urea)= Delivers moisturizing benefits to the skin as Benzoyl Peroxide can be very drying.
28. Niacinamide + Squalene= Repairs and promote a happy and healthy skin barrier
29. Centella Asiatica + Antioxidants(Vitamin C, E, and A)= Increases the production of collagen by three times, and has anti-aging, hydrating, and wound–healing benefits.
30. Niacinamide + Resveratrol= Evens out skin tone, Improves hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkles
31. Centella Asiatica + Glycolic acid + Vitamin C= Increases collagen production up by four times.
32. Centella Asiatica + Aloe Vera=Reduces inflammation, kills acne-causing bacteria, heals, and soothes the skin.
33. Hyaluronic Acid is compatible with almost every skincare ingredient
34. Niacinamide is safe to mix with almost every skincare ingredient. It’s uncommon for niacinamide to trigger irritation as the skin reacts very minimally to it unless it is in a high concentration.
35. Azelaic acid + Vitamin C= Triples the efficiency of Vitamin C. Great for fading skin discoloration, brightens and evens out your skin
36. Resveratrol + Hyaluronic acid= Reverse skin damage and plumps the skin.
37. Hyaluronic acid + Retinol + Sunscreen= Minimizes irritation caused by retinol, soothes, hydrates the skin, and protects your skin from the sun.
Because retinol can be drying on the skin, pairing it with an ultra-hydrating ingredient like hyaluronic acid is very important. Retinol can also make you more sensitive to the sun, so wearing it in combination with SPF is also a good idea.
38. Niacinamide + Peptides = Great for fighting dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles
Thank you for taking the time to read this article on the best skincare combinations. Please leave a comment or 50 claps if you enjoyed this article, it encourages me to write more.
