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Benzoyl peroxide and retinol

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Benzoyl peroxide and retinol: keep them apart

Keep them apart

Use them at different times of day by applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and retinol at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide generates free radicals that oxidize and deactivate retinol, meaning you will not get the skin-clearing or anti-aging results you want. You can fix this by separating them into different routines or by using gentler strengths.

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

Benzoyl peroxide products

Retinol products

Questions and answers

Can you use benzoyl peroxide and retinol together?

No, you should keep benzoyl peroxide and retinol apart in your routine because benzoyl peroxide causes oxidation and deactivation of the retinol molecule. Instead, use benzoyl peroxide in the morning and retinol at night to avoid this interaction.

Which goes first, benzoyl peroxide or retinol?

Keep benzoyl peroxide and retinol apart by using benzoyl peroxide in the morning and retinol at night, because benzoyl peroxide can oxidize and deactivate retinol.

Are benzoyl peroxide and retinol good for sensitive skin?

No, benzoyl peroxide and retinol should be kept apart in your routine because they can oxidize and deactivate each other. You may use benzoyl peroxide in the morning and retinol at night to help avoid irritation.

Research on benzoyl peroxide and retinol

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. Sof铆a Perea P茅rez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sof铆a Perea P茅rez, 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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