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Retinol and hexapeptide-9

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

Retinol and hexapeptide-9: depends on the strength

Depends on the strength

Use them at different times of day with the peptide serum in the morning and the retinol at night, because combining them in the exact same routine can cause irritation. Retinol speeds up skin renewal while hexapeptide-9 helps firm the skin, which can sometimes be too much for sensitive skin when mixed together. You can switch to a gentler retinol strength or wait longer between applying the two products if your skin feels irritated.

Retinol products

Hexapeptide-9 products

Questions and answers

Can you use retinol and hexapeptide-9 together?

Using retinol and hexapeptide-9 together depends on the strength, as combining strong retinoids with peptides may increase irritation. You can safely use them by alternating usage, such as applying your retinoid in the PM and peptides in the AM, or by layering them carefully for tolerance.

Which goes first, retinol or hexapeptide-9?

It depends on the strength, as strong retinoids should be separated from peptides like hexapeptide-9 to avoid irritation. You can alternate usage by applying your retinoid in the evening and peptides in the morning.

Are retinol and hexapeptide-9 good for sensitive skin?

Using retinol and hexapeptide-9 together depends on the strength because combining strong retinoids with peptides may increase irritation on sensitive skin. Alternate usage by applying your retinoid in the evening and peptides in the morning.

Research on retinol and hexapeptide-9

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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