What can and cannot be mixed with retinol? This is what the experts say

For months and even years, the -sometimes-maligned retinol has been forced to go on blind dates without company, confined to a loneliness caused by various fears, beliefs that prevent him from combining with other principles, under which they can usually be found. either in the form of alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids or polyhydroxy acids. Does it make sense to have such fears? We’re going to fix it, because according to some expert trainers and beauticians from various beauty salons, we can rest easy as long as we follow a set of simple instructions.

Where does the belief that retinol cannot be combined with exfoliating acids come from?

Apparently its origins are in the concept of exfoliation, as many think that both cosmetic principles work this way and, if this were true, it wouldn’t be silly to think that together they could overexfoliate our skin tissue. But is this so? Raquel González, director of training at Perricone MD and cosmetologist explains: “Retinol does not exfoliate, but renews the skin from the inside and at the cellular level, so that the deeper and healthier layers are replaced by the older, damaged or with too many dead cells. It works. from within and renews the whole fabric.” So it seems that the confusion stems from the fact that retinol, at certain levels, provides the same benefits as an exfoliating acid, although it does so by acting in a different way.” In addition, retinol and other vitamin A derivatives provide many benefits. more possibilities than exfoliating acids in anti-aging work, because it is the star principle to reverse aging and treat pathologies such as acne, thanks to its regenerative capacity and even antibacterial”, adds Estefanía Nieto, technical director of the cosmetics company Omorovicza.

So can they be mixed or not?

Since retinol doesn’t work in the same way as acids like glycolic, lactic, or salicylic acid, there’s no over-exfoliation of the tissue in the skin, something that, if done, could lead to conditions like skin hypersensitivity.” Since when we over-exfoliate, we tend to break down the lipid barrier that seals in the moisture of the skin and is necessary to keep it healthy, if this happens redness, inflammation and even a form of acne can develop. due to an imbalance in the skin levels,” says Bella Hurtado, technical director of the firm Boutijour.

Since there is no excessive exfoliation process, both principles can be combined in a cosmetic regimen and even in the same care routine, both morning and evening. Is this always the case now? Keep reading…

How to properly combine exfoliating acids and retinol?

The point is that while both types of cosmetically active ingredients work differently, they have in common that they are irritating. “These are principles that can irritate or cause redness at the beginning of use, especially retinol. For this reason, it is never recommended to use them at times when our skin is more affected,” explains Elisabeth San Gregorio, director of education at Medik8, an expert company in types of retinol and other derivatives, such as retina.

“With retinoids, we always do what we call the retinization period or, which is the same, apply the principle intermittently to avoid irritation. It is a process that takes about a month, after which we consider the skin as adapted to the active ingredient. After this phase, retinol should not make us sensitive unless we have additional pathologies, such as psoriasis or rosacea,” adds Elisabeth. In line with this, Raquel González notes, “Once we’ve re-tinted the skin, we can add hydroxy acids to the skincare routine without any problem. Of course, I always recommend that they’re properly prescribed to ensure they’re best suited for each skin type and to treat the specific care that led us to apply them “