The Dos and Don’ts of Mixing Skincare Ingredients

Consider this your skin science class 101. No matter how much you educate yourself and read labels, chances are you’re not entirely sure what you’re slathering onto your skin every day. In between those unpronounceable ingredient lists, skin sensitivities, and new “It” ingredients, skincare has a way of radiating an air of hopeless allure. While we previously outlined the proper way to layer your skincare products, leading off with the thinnest consistency, there are even more rules to take into consideration when it comes to what you’re using. Some of those active ingredients that work to cure your skin issues should never be mixed with one another. Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Retinol before Salicylic Acid, never been flakier.

Times are changing, and products are much more advanced than ever before, but there are still certain ingredients that cancel each other out. And although helpful on their own, when mixed and matched topically, they can create a recipe for redness.

Stop sabotaging your spring skin efforts, and learn the rules and regulations of mixing. We spoke with Dendy E. Engelman of Manhattan Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, and Dr. Dennis Gross MD Founder of Dennis Gross Dermatology, to help ensure your products are as effective as they were intended to be. “A product’s efficacy is based on how well it’s formulated to target a specific area. Products work when they penetrate the skin, target an area and are formulated in such a way that they can get there,” notes Dr. Gross. On the flip side, “When you are applying products to help to improve your complexion, the last thing you want is to apply products that don’t work when in tandem, and actually inactivate the effects of one another,” said Dr. Engelman.

So to provide you with the skincare knowledge you need, we’re going to expose the ingredients that perform as promised and a few that crack under product pressure. Note that “no single ingredient has a monopoly. Combining multiple ingredients not only helps decrease irritation, but also provides multiple benefits,” says Dr. Gross. So hopefully you will start looking at your vanity in a new light, start asking your dermatologist the right questions and become more discerning when it comes to your skincare ingredients. These are the dos and don’ts of mixing and matching your ingredients.

The post The Dos and Don’ts of Mixing Skincare Ingredients appeared first on FASHION Magazine.