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Retinal and lactic acid

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Retinal and lactic acid: keep them apart

Keep them apart

Use them on alternate nights to avoid skin irritation. Both ingredients work hard to renew the skin, which can cause redness and dryness if used together. The shopper can alternate nights or switch to a gentler formula.

Retinoids: a journey from the molecular structures and mechanisms of action to clinical uses in dermatology and adverse effectsWhy Topical Retinoids Are Mainstay of Therapy for Acne

Retinal products

Lactic acid products

Questions and answers

Can you use retinal and lactic acid together?

Keep retinal and lactic acid apart because combining them in the same routine may cause irritation and barrier disruption. Alternate their use by applying lactic acid in the morning or every other night, and retinal on alternate evenings.

Which goes first, retinal or lactic acid?

Keep retinal and lactic acid apart by alternating them, using lactic acid in the morning or every other night and retinal on alternate evenings, because combining them in the same routine step may cause irritation or barrier disruption. You can also find them together in The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion.

Are retinal and lactic acid good for sensitive skin?

Sensitive, dry, and reactive skin should avoid direct overlap of retinal and lactic acid because combining them in the same routine may cause irritation or barrier disruption. You can alternate their use by applying lactic acid in the morning or every other night, and retinal on alternate evenings.

Research on retinal and lactic acid

Behind this pairing advice

Lovi checks every pairing with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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