Skincare Ingredients You Should Never Mix (And What to Use Instead)

Skincare can feel pretty daunting, right? With so many products claiming to give you that glow-up, it’s tempting to throw everything at your face. But here’s the catch: not all skincare ingredients play nice together. Mix the wrong ones, and you could have redness, irritation, breakouts, or even a less effective routine. Knowing which ingredients don’t mix during your routine can help you avoid a skincare disaster and keep your routine working at its best.  Skincare is a science, and each ingredient has specific pH levels and absorption properties that determine how it interacts with other products. Some ingredients, such as acids and retinoids, are potent on their own and can cause excessive dryness or sensitivity when layered improperly. Others, like vitamin C, require a stable environment to deliver their full brightening and antioxidant potential. Mix the wrong ones, and you could end up with redness, irritation, breakouts, or even a less effective routine. Knowing which ingredients don’t mix during your routine can help you avoid a skincare disaster and keep your routine working at its best. Skincare is a science, and each ingredient has specific pH levels and absorption properties that determine how it interacts with other products. Some ingredients, such as acids and retinoids, are potent on their own and can cause excessive dryness or sensitivity when layered improperly. Others, like vitamin C, require a stable environment to deliver their full brightening and antioxidant potential. Using the wrong pairings can disrupt the skin’s barrier, leading to increased sensitivity, dryness, and inflammation. Understanding which combinations to avoid is crucial for maintaining a healthy, glowing complexion. Vitamin C + Niacinamide Vitamin C and niacinamide are both powerhouse ingredients known for brightening the skin, reducing hyperpigmentation, and improving texture. However, when used together, they can cause irritation, redness, and breakouts in some individuals. FaceFacts Vitamin C Brightening Serum hydrates, brightens, and absorbs fast, so you can layer your moisturizer right away.Where To Buy: Shop Luxbeauty Store. Price: ₦3,800 READ ALSO: The 7 Best Niacinamide Toners for Skin Brightening and Oil Control Vitamin C, particularly in its purest form (ascorbic acid), works best at a low pH (typically around 3.0-3.5) to penetrate the skin and provide its antioxidant benefits. Conversely, Niacinamide functions optimally at a more neutral pH (around 5.0-7.0).Packed with 10% pure niacinamide and 1% zinc PCA, it helps control oil, reduce blemishes, and even out skin tone. Where To Buy: Shop Luxbeauty Store Price: ₦15,900 Older studies suggested that niacinamide could cancel out the benefits of vitamin C, though newer research shows this isn’t always the case. Nevertheless, if you have sensitive skin, combining these two may lead to discomfort. READ ALSO: Niacinamide vs Vitamin C: Which Ingredient Works Better for Hyperpigmentation? If you want to incorporate both into your routine, use vitamin C in the morning for its antioxidant protection and niacinamide in the evening to soothe and repair the skin. Alternatively, you can apply them at different times of the day or wait at least 30 minutes between applications.  Vitamin C + Peptides Peptides are excellent for skin repair and anti-ageing, while vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that brightens the skin and fights free radicals. However, using them together can lead to redness, irritation, and itching. This reaction occurs because vitamin C is highly acidic, with a pH of around 3.0-3.5, while peptides are delicate compounds that work best at a neutral or slightly alkaline pH. When combined, vitamin C can alter the molecular structure of peptides, potentially breaking them down and reducing their effectiveness in promoting collagen production and skin repair. Additionally, peptides are known for signalling the skin to build more collagen, but the presence of an acid like vitamin C can interfere with this process. Peptides’ destabilisation may lead to reduced hydration and elasticity benefits, making them less effective when used alongside an acidic antioxidant like vitamin C.Where To Buy: Shop Luxbeauty Store Price: ₦16,600. READ ALSO: What 3 Weeks With One-Day’s You Collagen Intense Cream Taught Me Use vitamin C in the morning to protect against environmental damage and peptides in the evening to aid in skin repair and hydration. This way, both ingredients can work optimally without interfering with each other. Vitamin C + Glycolic Acid Glycolic acid should be used at night to exfoliate and renew the skin, while vitamin C should be applied in the morning for its brightening and protective benefits. If you want the effects of both, opt for gentler exfoliants like lactic acid, which is milder and less likely to irritate.