Skincare Blogs

Active ingredients can be the game changer for your skin; however, it can be confusing to know which ones can and cannot be used together. So, we have answered some of the most common questions relating to some common active ingredients and whether it is safe to use them together.

There has been much debate around these two ingredients, two ingredients that are such powerhouse ingredients and two of the most popular ingredients in the skincare world right now. Both ingredients are what many people go to for anti-aging and helping to achieve brighter skin.

However, it is important to know how to use each ingredient if you are pairing them with each other. Many people believe that you can mix both ingredients in the same routine, while this is true, it must be done at different times of your routine. Be sure to never use both ingredients at the same time, it is recommended to use vitamin C in the morning and save the retinol for the evening, this will take away the risk of your skin flaking and being red and irritated.

There is tremendous benefit to incorporating both ingredients but make sure to use them at different times to get the best results and to avoid irritation.

Once again, both ingredients are used to much popularity to improve uneven skin tone and to overall brighten the skin.

This is a tough one, some people would recommend using them at different times and others would say you can use them at the same time. Our advice would be to listen to your skin, however, look for products that are non-irritating such as from our range which when used will not cause any irritation or redness. If you have sensitive skin, then opt for a wash-off AHA product such as our Skin Renewing Exfoliating serum to avoid any potential irritation.

Remember to always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen in the morning as your final step because certain exfoliating acids such as AHAs can increase the sensitivity of your skin to the sun and increase your risk of sunburn.

The topic of including vitamin C and niacinamide has been at the forefront of many debates in the skincare industry, many have claimed that using both ingredients together will neutralize their effectiveness and potentially create a substance that will redden the skin.

Research has shown those claims to be a myth, combining both ingredients can significantly lead to a variety of benefits to your skin. Both these ingredients can be used at the same time, i.e., both in the morning or evening.

Both ingredients are great for improving and brightening dull and uneven skin and complexion, both act as antioxidants and promote collagen production and can be a powerhouse combo for anti-aging, these ingredients can work synergistically and help the skin to become radiant and younger-looking.

First, we would like to just send a warning here, major risk for irritation, dryness, and flakiness if used together at the SAME time. Both these ingredients increase skin cell turnover, so to use them at the same time would be double exfoliating.

Does that mean that these two ingredients cannot be used in the same routine? NO.

We recommend that you use these ingredients on alternating nights, use an exfoliating acid such as an AHA 1-2 times a week, and balance that with using retinol on the other nights if your skin can tolerate it, the most important thing to do is to listen to your skin. With this example of ingredients, it is important to approach an incorporated routine with gentleness, take it slow, and build up to what your skin can tolerate. Also, it would be recommended to use a wash-off AHA product which can minimize the effect on the nights you don’t use a retinol.

Just be sure to not overuse these ingredients and damage your skin barrier.

This is a difficult one, because it depends on the type of salicylic acid product you are using, if you are using a wash-off salicylic acid product then by all means you can use retinol at the same time, yet if you are using a leave-on salicylic acid product then we would warn against using it and a retinol at the same time to avoid dryness and irritation.

Both these ingredients are amazing for acne, and depending on the severity of your acne it would be beneficial to use a salicylic acid cleanser and a retinol serum. Once again, we recommend that you listen to your skin, if you need to cut back then do not hesitate to do so.

Most salicylic acid products are in the form of a wash-off product such as a cleanser, like our Acne prone facial cleanser, and if that is the case then using a retinol will not affect your skin.

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA), and glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), and both work to exfoliate the skin, yet in different ways. Both ingredients when overused can cause dryness, redness, and irritation however, both can be used in the same routine, and by doing so it could help to clear and improve acne and particularly stubborn clogged pores.

We would recommend that you use a wash-off salicylic acid product such as our Acne prone facial cleanser which would mask any potential side effects.

Once again, listen to your skin, most ingredients can be used together barring some expectations and this is no different.

Be sure to use wisely, do not overuse, and always stick to exfoliating with an AHA 1-2 times a week only.

There is so much said and written about ingredients in skincare and cosmetic products that are toxic. Mentioning risks to a person’s health, which can ultimately scare us.

Firstly, claims that an ingredient can cause health scares such as disrupting and changing a person’s hormones and different elements of the biological system, etc. are absolute lies. When using an ingredient applied topically, it will not break through into the skin and find its way into the bloodstream, the skin is designed with a protective barrier. Does that mean that skincare ingredients are ineffective in achieving a certain skincare goal? NO, the ingredient will work on the skin and down into the different layers of your skin, but never “through” the skin and into the bloodstream. So, any ingredient deemed to be “toxic” or bad for the skin, would speak to that ingredient negatively affecting the condition of your skin, such as triggering or making worse acne, rosacea, eczema, etc.

So, is there any truth to the claims commonly found about certain ingredients said to be toxic circulating online? We will address some common ingredients and types of ingredients that have been labelled “toxic”.

Parabens are a group of preservatives that have received an enormous amount of hate. Many claim that parabens disrupt some biological systems, which could lead to various health problems.

Studies on this claim were made without considering and knowing how parabens are used in cosmetic products and the volume at which they are formulated. The studies used to claim the toxicity of parabens were based on examining products with extremely high concentrations of parabens, when in reality products formulated with parabens are formulated with amounts lower than 1% which is an optimal amount that parabens need to be formulated with to preserve products.

Many safety and health regulatory boards worldwide have stated that today in the world of cosmetics, parabens are safe and pose no health risk, and parabens are amongst the best and most effective preservatives around and are less sensitizing to the skin compared to other preservatives that are used in products labelled, “paraben-free”.

In conclusion, you do not have to fear parabens.

PEG is a type of ingredient that stands for polyethylene glycol. These compounds are mixed with fatty acids and fatty alcohols to create ingredients to function in many ways within skincare products, such as acting as thickening agents, emollients that are used to help prevent water loss from the skin and have a softening and soothing effect on the skin and as well as being used as a stabilizer for products.

Claims about PEG compounds being “toxic”, are based on the ingredient being contaminated with a harmful substance called 1,4 dioxane, which is a possible human carcinogen, however, studies show that the risk for this occurring is if the substance is inhaled in its purest form.

Yet, PEG compounds, when used in cosmetic products, are formulated to remove contaminants and a 2016 safety study from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded that PEG compounds are safe in their current use and concentrations used in formulations.