Skincare Pairs Best Used Together

You’ve probably heard such advice as “don’t use retinol and vitamin C together”, but what of things that work better together than by themselves?

Dr. Andrea Suarez, dermatologist, advises:

Let’s get synergistic

This one’s actually a two-part video, so we’ll include the items from both. If you want to watch both videos, then we’ve linked the first one below, and it’ll offer you the second one after that.

Meanwhile, without further ado, the recommendations are:

1. benzoyl peroxide + adapalene: robust pairing for acne; benzoyl peroxide reduces acne bacteria, inflammation, and clogged pores, while adapalene normalizes skin turnover and reduces inflammation; adapalene also helps fade post-acne dark marks. She advises to start with adapalene first, then add benzoyl peroxide 2.5% for better tolerance.
2. azelaic acid + niacinamide: helpful for hyperpigmentation, redness, acne, and rosacea; azelaic acid blocks melanin production, reduces inflammation, and is pregnancy-safe; niacinamide reduces pigment transfer, calms redness, supports skin barrier, and decreases oil oxidation. Thus, together they target pigmentation and redness from multiple pathways.
3. retinoid (adapalene, retinol, retinaldehyde) + ammonium lactate (≥12%): boosts collagen production, thickens skin, reduces wrinkles, and improves rough, sun-damaged skin; retinoids work on cell turnover and collagen, ammonium lactate improves epidermal and dermal thickness, exfoliates, and hydrates. These can be irritating, so she recommends to start with retinoid first before adding ammonium lactate.
4. salicylic acid + sulfur: good for seborrheic dermatitis, oily skin, fungal acne (malassezia folliculitis), tinea versicolor, and psoriasis. Salicylic acid exfoliates and unclogs pores, sulfur is anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and mildly exfoliating. This pairing calms redness, scaling, bumps, and softens plaques in psoriasis.
5. sunscreen + iron oxides (tinted sunscreen): protects against both UV and high-energy visible light; especially useful for evening out medium to deep skin tones that are especially prone to hyperpigmentation. Sunscreen blocks UV, while iron oxides help shield against visible light that worsens blotchy pigmentation.
6. cysteamine + adapalene: for hyperpigmentation: cysteamine reduces melanin production; adapalene speeds up skin turnover, disperses pigment, and reduces inflammation. She recommends to use cysteamine in the morning (short-contact, rinse off), adapalene at night.
7. zinc pyrithione + sulfur: for seborrheic dermatitis or fungal acne: zinc pyrithione lowers yeast on the skin; sulfur is anti-inflammatory, exfoliating, and antimicrobial. She advises to use zinc pyrithione cleansers or shampoos, then sulfur as a mask or leave-on. Both can be drying, so follow with moisturizer.
8. hyaluronic acid + petroleum jelly: for lips: hyaluronic acid increases hydration, petroleum jelly locks it in and shields from irritants. Together, they plump, smooth, and heal cracked lips. Petroleum jelly alone helps, but the combo works better for instant softness.
9. hyaluronic acid + retinol: for anti-aging and stretch marks: hyaluronic acid hydrates and reduces dryness from retinol. Retinol improves fine lines, texture, and discoloration. Many retinol products already include hyaluronic acid. This pairing also shows promise for stretch marks.
10. licorice root + azelaic acid: for redness (post-inflammatory erythema): licorice root calms inflammation; azelaic acid reduces redness, acne, and hyperpigmentation. Available in both prescription and cosmetic strengths.
11. ceramides + urea: for dry, rough skin: urea hydrates and gently exfoliates; ceramides restore and support the skin barrier. Great for body, face, hands, heels, and keratosis pilaris. Works even better under occlusion (e.g. topped off with petroleum jelly overnight after application).

Now, maybe you don’t use 22 items for your skincare, but this guide should at least enable you to get the most out of the ones you do use!

For more on all of this, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!