Do you have to use a set of skin care products? You don't have to stick to the old rules when it comes to skin care.

When you go to a counter to buy skin care products, the saleslady usually recommends buying them in sets. Is it necessary to use a set of skin care products? Can I match new skin care products with those that I have not used up at home?

Is it necessary to use a set of skin care products?

You don't have to use the same set of skin care products, but using lotions and emulsions from the same series of the same brand makes things easier. If you don't have time to consider how to match the skin care products, you can use the same set of skin care products. When researching and developing the same set of products under the same brand, each product’s characteristics will be taken into consideration to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Moreover, many products in the same series will give themselves a relatively clear positioning, such as anti-aging series, oil control series and so on. In order to achieve their own positioning, different series of lotions and creams will make targeted adjustments to their formulas. Therefore, if you feel that two items in the same set of skin care products are both useful, it is not a bad idea to use the same set of skin care products according to your needs.

Can skin care products be mixed and matched?

It is okay to mix and match skin care products, but when choosing, it is best to be familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of each product before considering the issue of matching. If you just randomly mix popular lotions and emulsions from different brands, the skin care effects will be difficult to predict.

Which skin care products should not be used together

1. It is recommended not to use vitamin C and retinol consecutively.

The optimal pH for vitamin C (3.5 or lower) and the optimal pH for retinol (around 5.5 - 6.5) are somewhat different, so it is not recommended to use these two ingredients at the same time. However, many vitamin C derivatives perform well around pH=7, so if your product is one of these derivatives, this concern is not that important. If you are still worried, you can leave a 10-30 minute interval between using vitamin C products and retinol products. However, I recommend that you use vitamin C with sunscreen in the morning and retinol at night.

2. It is not recommended to use fruit acid or salicylic acid products together.

Fruit acid and salicylic acid can exfoliate the outermost layer of the skin, and are also helpful for uneven skin tone. Salicylic acid also has certain anti-inflammatory and acne-removing effects. If there is a need for acid, it is recommended to use one product for both fruit acid and salicylic acid. Even if you have multiple types, it is recommended to use one at a time. After all, acids do exfoliate the epidermis and are relatively irritating. Using multiple products on top of each other is likely to significantly increase skin irritation or cause the skin to become red and dry. Once they are stacked, it may be more difficult to judge whether the irritation is serious or minor.

3. It is not recommended to stack different retinols or different fruit acids/salicylic acids.

The reason is the same as the above acid. Retinol is already quite irritating. Adding other substances to it may complicate the situation and make it difficult for you to judge.

4. Be cautious when using ALPHA/SALICYLIC ACID together

Because they are both quite irritating, most students recommend not using them together. Sometimes you may not feel anything wrong after using it once or twice, but it will become bad over time.

5. Vitamin C works best with sunscreen

Vitamin C, as an antioxidant, can better prevent and treat free radical reactions caused by ultraviolet rays while providing sun protection. I think the best way to use vitamin C is to use vitamin C lotion/essence first and then sunscreen (maybe?).

Vitamin C ingredients can be used during the day, and it is recommended to use them with sunscreen.

6. Make sure to use sunscreen with ALPHA/SALICYLIC ACID

Retinol, fruit acid and salicylic acid will make the skin more vulnerable to UV damage and more fragile over a period of time. Therefore, when using retinol, fruit acid, and salicylic acid products, you must do a good job of sun protection. Open an umbrella or apply sunscreen, otherwise you may get sunburned even worse...

7. A-alcohol can be used together with ordinary facial cream

If you feel that retinol is too irritating when used, one method you can try is to mix retinol into a facial cream and use it together, which can reduce the irritation to a certain extent. If you still feel the irritation is too strong after using this method, you may want to consider switching to a product with a lower retinol concentration.

Note: In the absence of skin care ingredients, mixing skin care products will basically not cause adverse effects on the skin. Since various skin care brands have their own strengths and unique skin care nutritional formulas, mixing skin care products from different brands can complement each other in nutrition. You just need to pay attention to the above usage suggestions.