Question

[jays19]

Can u use hyaluronic acid and retinol together?

[Xyraella]

Absolutely! Hyaluronic acid is great for hydrating the skin and retinol is a type of topical retinoid (aka vitamin A), an antioxidant and a skin-renewing agent so its a powerful anti-aging ingredient. Use the HA first followed by the retinol. Well hydrated skin soaks up active ingredients more easily. Just don't mix retinol with any exfoliating acids like BHA (salicylic acid) or AHAs (glycolic acid, tartaric acid, mandelic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, etc) because it also renews the skin -- your skin will burn and become irritated if it's not already used to using these acids.

[WinglessOne]

@Xyraella  Quick clarification: you can layer a BHA or AHA with an OTC retinol product, depending on your skin’s tolerance. For anyone new to both chemical exfoliation and retinol, I recommend easing your skin into the exfoliant first for a few weeks, then introducing the retinol one night a week for 2 weeks and slowly increasing nightly usage. 

Again, not everyone’s skin can handle this. And there are variables like the ingredients contained in your AHA/BHA exfoliant. I have a Paula’s Choice 2% BHA exfoliating gel that’s so soothing to use, I’ve had no trouble layering it over my retinol serum since the night I first started retinol. 😄 My 10% AHA serum (FAB’s) is also very soothing, and I had used it for months before starting retinol, so my skin was already well used to AHA—but I still backed my AHA usage down to 1-2 nights a week while introducing retinol to my skin. I did that for 6 weeks. Now I can layer retinol and AHA on the same night. 

What I won’t do is layer retinol, AHA and BHA on the same night. Could I, with no skin irritation? Maybe. But I don’t really need to use all 3 at once. 

[Xyraella]

Yes that is correct. As for me, my skin can't handle both so i alternate the days the that I use my actives. I would use my peter thomas roth 10% aha/2% bha once a week but in between I would alternate using the ordinary mandelic acid 10% (since it's a more gentle aha than others) and my peter thomas roth retinol pm serum (which I use 2x a week at most) and then I'd have a rest day. So sunday to saturday my actives look like this: aha/bha-rest-mandelic-retinol-mandelic-retinol-rest. So far my skin loves it so I'm not changing it any time soon 👌🏼

[WinglessOne]

@jays19  Yes, unless your doctor says otherwise. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that attracts hydration to your skin and helps keep it moisturized. Depending on the strength of your retinol product, your skin will probably appreciate that extra moisture boost. 🙂 

I use The INKEY List Retinol Fine Lines and Wrinkles Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL 3 nights a week. Sometimes I layer THE ORDINARY - Buffet (a peptides serum that contains hyaluronic acid) or Paula’s Choice Hyaluronic Acid Booster over it. Also, my AM and PM moisturizer, Youth To The People Superfood Air-Whip Lightweight Face Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid 2 oz / 59 mL , contains HA.