Lately, we have been walking you through, step-by-step, how to build a sustainable and impactful skincare routine. We’ve given you the best skincare routine with face patches, and our founder has laid out her personal recommended routine.

The unique and wonderful thing about Dermaclara is it slots into your overall skincare routine and never cancels out all the other steps. It’s dermatologist-recommended, non-invasive, chemical-free, and reusable. Using Dermaclara enhances and boosts the effects of all the care you place into your skin.

But what happens when you zoom out and take a look at the other steps in your skincare routine? Below we take a look at some of the common ingredients you should avoid mixing when crafting your more extensive skincare routine.

Vitamin C and Niacinamide

Vitamin C and Niacinamide are both antioxidants often used for improving acne but used together can trigger breakouts. If you are using these ingredients together within the same skincare routine, experts suggest waiting ten minutes between applications otherwise, the potency of each can diminish.

Vitamin C, AHAs, and BHAs

AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acid, and BHA stands for beta hydroxy acid. Vitamin C, AHAs, and BHAs are all acids, and when used together, they throw off the pH balance of your skin. In addition, by combining these ingredients, you are reducing the effectiveness of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C and Retinol

Both Vitamin C and Retinol are active ingredients. Retinol boosts collagen and ramps up skin cell turnover but combined with Vitamin C can cause irritation. If you want to continue using retinol and Vitamin C in your skincare routine, it is essential to split them up, use retinol at night and Vitamin C in the morning.

Retinol and Benzoyl Peroxide

Retinol and Benzoyl Peroxide are commonly used to prevent breakout but used together deactivates them. Benzoyl Peroxide is great for inflammatory acne but will deactivate topical retinol if used together. Like Vitamin C and Retinol above, you can use these products separately.

SPF, Moisturizers, & Makeup

So, this one should be easy. There are two rules: (1) wear sunscreen every day and reapply every two hours, and (2) do not mix sunscreen with moisturizer or makeup and wait for the sunscreen to absorb fully before applying.

These are just a few things to keep in mind as you continue exploring and setting your skincare routine. Always make it a rule of thumb to research the ingredients listed in your products and ensure they don’t counteract one another, cause irritation, or worse.