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Evening

Ingredient pairing

Can you mix Glycolic acid and Retinol?

Same answer whichever way you searched it: Retinol and Glycolic acid.

Use with careUse these with care.

Glycolic acidRetinol

Retinoids and exfoliants both speed up cell turnover, so on the same night their irritation adds up, most of all while your skin is new to either. An AHA also makes skin more sensitive to the sun (measured for glycolic acid, lactic by its class), so the morning sunscreen matters.

Do this: Use them on alternate nights rather than the same evening; once both are old friends, your skin decides.

☀ Morning

Nothing here

☾ Evening

Glycolic acidRetinolGlycolic acid makes skin more vulnerable to UV.

Use on alternate nights, not the same evening.

Glycolic acidWorth paying for
Efficacy9
Anti-aging7
Brightening4

Skip if: sensitive, compromised barrier, rosacea

Ask your doctor in pregnancy
RetinolWorth paying for
Efficacy9
Anti-aging9
Brightening4

Skip if: pregnancy, breastfeeding, very sensitive, compromised barrier

Not in pregnancy

This answers one pair. Your shelf has more than two things on it, and they can fight each other too.

Building the section…

Use these with care.

Retinoids and exfoliants both speed up cell turnover, so on the same night their irritation adds up, most of all while your skin is new to either. An AHA also makes skin more sensitive to the sun (measured for glycolic acid, lactic by its class), so the morning sunscreen matters.

Written by Maya Faour, founder and sole writer; not a dermatologistHow we work →

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Which one goes first?

Not on the same night

Use Glycolic acid and Retinol on alternate evenings rather than layering them together.

Glycolic acid: Give it three months or more, and possibly less: that is simply when it was measured.

how it was measured

Measured on investigator-graded overall severity of photodamage, a 0-9 composite; sallowness is the only individual sign that separated for glycolic acid, and only on the forearm; measured at the trial's end, so possibly sooner.PMID 8651713PMID 8642081

Retinol: Give it four to eight weeks: that is when the change first became measurable.

how it was measured

Measured on investigator-graded photoaging parameters versus vehicle - lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, elasticity, firmness and overall photodamage on a 0-9 scale; the first visit at which the change was measurable.PMID 19852122PMID 17515510

Glycolic acid and Retinol: Use with care. Use these with care. Retinoids and exfoliants both speed up cell turnover, so on the same night their irritation adds up, most of all while your skin is new to either. An AHA also makes skin more sensitive to the sun (measured for glycolic acid, lactic by its class), so the morning sunscreen matters. Which goes first: Not on the same night.
The short version, if you want to keep it.

How to introduce Glycolic acid and Retinol

  1. Patch test each one first: a coin-sized amount on your inner forearm for two or three days, watching for redness or stinging.
  2. Alternate nights: Glycolic acid one evening, Retinol the next, so your skin only handles one of them at a time.
  3. Start the retinoid at once or twice a week and increase gradually, giving your skin time to settle between steps.
  4. If skin turns tight, flaky, red or starts to sting, drop back a step and let your barrier recover for a few days before pushing on again.

There is room for both here, as long as you build up gently and let your skin set the pace.

For your skin type If your skin is sensitive or reactive, take this pair slowly: Glycolic acid and Retinol are the higher-irritation ingredients here, and using actives close together magnifies that.

Using a third ingredient? Check all three →Or decode a whole product label →

Also worth checking

More pairings with Glycolic acid

More pairings with Retinol

Glycolic acid and Retinol, answered

Can you mix Glycolic acid and Retinol?

Use these with care. Retinoids and exfoliants both speed up cell turnover, so on the same night their irritation adds up, most of all while your skin is new to either. An AHA also makes skin more sensitive to the sun (measured for glycolic acid, lactic by its class), so the morning sunscreen matters. Use them on alternate nights rather than the same evening; once both are old friends, your skin decides.

Should you use Glycolic acid and Retinol in the morning or at night?

Keep them to the evening, but on alternate nights rather than together.

How should you introduce Glycolic acid and Retinol?

Patch test each one first: a coin-sized amount on your inner forearm for two or three days, watching for redness or stinging. Alternate nights: Glycolic acid one evening, Retinol the next, so your skin only handles one of them at a time. Start the retinoid at once or twice a week and increase gradually, giving your skin time to settle between steps. If skin turns tight, flaky, red or starts to sting, drop back a step and let your barrier recover for a few days before pushing on again. There is room for both here, as long as you build up gently and let your skin set the pace.

What else should you not mix with Glycolic acid?

Nothing else clashes badly with Glycolic acid. It fits into most routines, though it is always wise to introduce one new product at a time.

Sources

Plus how we reach every verdict: how we score →

General guidance, not medical advice. When in doubt, introduce one product at a time, andhere is when to see a dermatologist instead.