Ingredient pairing
Can you mix Pro-vitamin B5 and Retinol?
Same answer whichever way you searched it: Retinol and Pro-vitamin B5.
Fine togetherThey're fine together.
These two actually work well together, and are often formulated side by side.
Routine: You can use these together, morning or night.
Skip if: pregnancy, breastfeeding, very sensitive, compromised barrier
Not in pregnancyThis answers one pair. Your shelf has more than two things on it, and they can fight each other too.
Which one goes first?
Apply Retinol first
- 1Cleanse
- 2Retinol
- 3Pro-vitamin B5
- 4Moisturize
On freshly cleansed skin, Retinol goes on first, then Pro-vitamin B5 over it. The rule of thumb is thinner and lower-pH first, richer last.
Pro-vitamin B5: Give it under two weeks: that is when the change first became measurable.
how it was measured
Measured on barrier recovery after experimentally induced irritation, TEWL and erythema versus placebo; the first visit at which the change was measurable.PMID 19753737PMID 14641355
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
Adding Pro-vitamin B5 and Retinol to your routine
- Good news first: these two get along, so there is no special order or waiting period to manage.
- Still add them one at a time, a week or two apart, so if your skin does react you know which one to look at.
For your skin type If your skin is sensitive or reactive, take this pair slowly: Retinol is the higher-irritation ingredient here, and using actives close together magnifies that. On the upside, Pro-vitamin B5 leans hydrating or soothing, which helps buffer the rest.
Also worth checking
More pairings with Pro-vitamin B5
Pro-vitamin B5 and Retinol, answered
Can you mix Pro-vitamin B5 and Retinol?
They're fine together. These two actually work well together, and are often formulated side by side.
Should you use Pro-vitamin B5 and Retinol in the morning or at night?
Either. Pro-vitamin B5 and Retinol are fine to use together, morning or night.
How should you introduce Pro-vitamin B5 and Retinol?
Good news first: these two get along, so there is no special order or waiting period to manage. Still add them one at a time, a week or two apart, so if your skin does react you know which one to look at.
What else should you not mix with Pro-vitamin B5?
Nothing else clashes badly with Pro-vitamin B5. 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.