Skin care is a delicate business – it requires a lot of care and attention to maintain. Unfortunately, some skin care products contain harmful ingredients that could damage your skin.

While individual ingredients may be safe on their own, they could combine with other substances to create dangerous chemical reactions that could harm your skin. This article will discuss 10 dangerous skin care ingredient combinations to avoid.

1. Benzoyl Peroxide and Hydroquinone

Benzoyl peroxide and hydroquinone are common ingredients in acne and skin lightening products respectively. When combined, they can produce benzoquinone, a compound that can cause DNA damage and be carcinogenic.

In addition, this combination can result in skin irritation, redness, and discomfort.

2. Retinol and Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)

Retinol is a vitamin A derivative and is an anti-ageing skincare ingredient that enhances collagen production in the skin. On the other hand, AHAs, such as glycolic acid and lactic acid, exfoliate the skin and promote cell turnover.

However, combining the two could lead to skin inflammation, redness, and irritation. Retinol makes your skin more susceptible to AHAs, which can interfere with the skin’s barrier function, resulting in sun sensitivity and increased skin damage.

3. Salicylic Acid and Glycolic Acid

Salicylic acid is an exfoliant with anti-inflammatory properties, and it is effective for treating acne. Glycolic acid is also an exfoliating agent that treats skin discoloration and wrinkles.

When combined, these two acids can cause an increase in skin sensitivity, which might result in skin peeling, redness, and irritation.

4. Vitamin C and Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that helps to protect the skin against environmental damage and delivers brightening properties when applied topically. However, when combined with AHAs, the combination can lose its potency and become destabilized.

This could lead to reduced efficacy in reducing settings of ageing and skin discoloration.

5. Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs)

While both AHAs and BHAs are effective exfoliators, they operate differently. AHAs exfoliate the skin’s surface, while BHAs penetrate deeper into the pores and exfoliate from within.

Combining these two can create an over-exfoliation that can lead to skin dryness, redness, and irritation.

6. Hydrogen Peroxide and Vitamin C

Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent and can have adverse effects on the skin, especially when in contact with vitamin C. When the two are combined, they can oxidize and break down the skin’s natural collagen, causing damage.

This reaction may also result in skin irritation, redness, and discomfort.

7. Niacinamide and Vitamin C

Niacinamide is an active ingredient that treats redness, inflammation, and acne. It is known to be relatively stable since it does not undergo significant changes when exposed to other compounds.

However, when mixed with vitamin C, it can reduce vitamin C’s effectiveness, which results in decreased benefits to the skin.

8. Vitamin A and Benzoyl Peroxide

Vitamin A and benzoyl peroxide are common ingredients in acne treatments. However, when combined, they can cause skin irritation, redness, and flaking.

Benzoyl peroxide can also increase skin sensitivity when exposed to sunlight, which could lead to dryness and peeling.

9. Retinol and Benzoyl Peroxide

Retinol and benzoyl peroxide are two popular acne-fighting ingredients with different mechanisms of action. Retinol enhances skin cell turnover, while benzoyl peroxide prevents bacteria growth on the skin’s surface.

Combining these two ingredients can cause skin irritation and inflammation, leading to redness, dryness, and flaking.

10. Vitamin C and Sunscreen

Applying vitamin C followed swiftly by sunscreen can limit the efficacy of the sunscreen. Vitamin C is an active ingredient that can make sunscreen less effective, neutralizing some of the sun protection.

It is advisable to wait for at least thirty minutes after applying vitamin C before using sunscreen.