This is why you listen to dermatologists, not some TikTok rando.

Can you guys go over *why* I need to apply sunscreen every two hours? Like what happens to the sunscreen to make it ineffective after 2 hours? Why doesn't this happen in the bottle? Are there ways to make it last longer so folx who can't afford to go through a bottle of sunscreen every week can still protect their skin?

I’m so thankful for the channel as well as other dermatologist based channels who actually know what they’re talking about. Random people with no background will go viral telling you that you can and can’t do something in skincare. That’s not only annoying but just dangerous form of misinformation 🙄

My rule... listen to your skin... I have used them together but usually I divide them between my morning and night routines not to overload my skin. One must have enough time for all those products too. Thanks for sharing, your videos are a big help, I learned a lot 🙏

Thank you for talking about this! I once told someone Salicylic Acid wasn’t really a BHA and they looked at me like I was insane. I thoroughly enjoy you guys so much.

Skincare is so personalized! Thanks for sharing your take on the “no rules” just know your needs and goals.

What a PERFECT video, in merely ten minutes! I take exceptional care of my skin, but always had looming questions about mixing stuff. You guys are the BEST!

Thank you! I’ve been using bha and retinal and it seems to work fine! I love nuanced convos about skincare and this was super educational, thanks!

Thank for correcting those misconceptions. I was always not convinced with the information that the influencer share as a fact regarding the skin. Everything really depends on the skin. I did use a lot of active separately like one active for a period of time, but I was not getting the needed results like other people with day this magic product changed my skin. That’s why I started mixing active in the same routine while checking for irritation and listening to my skin. Everyone has different skin with different tolerances to actives.

Thank you for this!! I was so confused and scared of starting my skin care bc of so many products and what you could or couldn't mix, this video totally simplified it!!

Finally! The answer to the question I've been asking and thinking about. I'm glad my experiment will not harm my skin coz I didn't know if I can put Salicylic Acid face wash, BHA toner and Retinol in one routine. So far, my skin is okay and my skin is a lot better. ^^

Thanks for breaking this information down 🙏🏽 I’ve used some of these ingredients together and I’ve never had any issues, but my skin is not sensitive. 🥰🙏🏽😎

Omg! Thank you for making this video! I got a new moisturizer that has hyaluronic acid in it, I use during the day but I have not been using it at night because I thought you weren’t supposed to mix it with retinols. And ever since I seen your video Previously about why you might use vitamin C at night, it makes so much sense! And while I’m at it, I also want to give a big huge thank you to both of you from a long ago previous video that you did about psoriasis and salicylic acid and recommending T sal from Neutrogena, and rotating it with the T gel, which I have used in the past, and never felt like worked, … this has changed my life! Lol my scalp has never been better and my hair has never been better and I’m not embarrassed anymore that someone’s going to see a huge white patch coming out of my hairline, because it no longer exists! So THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! You guys are the best!

Uh…I want the book! I love love LOVE diagrams. And there’s so much info on what never to mix and this cleared up a lot for me personally, so thank you.

Love watching your videos. Not only do you not seem to be burnt out but you even seem excited still about skincare and the Derm world.

I use Cerave SA cleanser at night with my compound prescription with retinoid, vitamin C & kojic acid. In the morning skincare I use adapelene with soothing ingredients. I just started slowly like they recommended in other videos and now I use them every night. I make sure to observe my skin as my skin is combination & sensitive.

Give your editor a raise, I'm impressed with these transitions and lil notes in the corner lol

Thank you so much for explaining this! I see it all over don’t use this with this but no one ever explains why and I’m a person that needs it explained. Also glad you guys said there are no’s in skincare because I agree 100% skin care is personalized for everyone. We’re all different so whatever works for you go for it 😊

In other words, listen to the DOCTORS instead of TT Twits! Thank-you to the real experts: Dr. Maxfield & Dr. Shah!!

This video came out at the perfect time! I have VERY dry skin and also live in a very dry climate that gets extremely cold in the winter time (we're talking like -30C/-22F at times)... while also being one of the sunniest places in Canada. So I'm starting to rejig my routine in anticipation of that. I started dabbling in a very low potency retinol serum from The Ordinary but found using it on alternating days with 10% Lactic Acid was still too drying (and I'll likely drop the LA back to 5% once I run out). I believe it was in one of your videos that I saw a suggestion that using a retinol cream could be better for us dry folks so I'm currently waiting on an order of Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Repair Cream to kind of get me back into the retinol world. I appreciate the debunking of some of these more extreme "myths' or overgeneralizations, while also acknowledging that I'll probably still need to use retinol and lactic acid on alternating evenings as my skin can already feel a little tight on a rotation.

I have a nighttime skincare routine featuring Inkey List SA cleanser, followed by Vichy Vitamin C, No.7 1% retinol, and Cerave PM lotion. I was initially unsure if this would be excessive, but I introduced each product slowly to observe my skin's reaction. It's been effective for my oily skin with light hyperpigmentation. I don’t have a sensitive skin. I also undergo PRP microneedling or pico laser treatments biannually. And, of course, I diligently use sunscreen every single day, also reapply it a couple more times throughout the day. I've received numerous compliments on my skin texture and its healthy glow. ☺️

I am on my third year of using tretinoin. I built my tolerance this year and can now comfortably combine Salicylic Acid toner and Tretinoin at least once a week in the same routine. My skin "shines bright like diamond" the next day. 😅😅😅 Dont get disappointed when the answer is "it depends" because patience is a talent (never a virtue) 😁

for me retinol or exfoliating actives around the eyes is very helpful because if i don't used it, there would be a mini pimple around there. and sometimes im layering exfo+retinol as spot treatment for my acne because it heals faster, but only for night time routine of course😂

Wow, life changing, honesty 😅 so many dermatologists say not to mix those, not so many say why. Also my adapolene product contains a warming in prescription about not mixing it with salysilic acid and turns out it's not about some chemical reaction between those 2. Those 'cautious ' combos also confused me in your other videos and now I have the reason to trust you and try some of them as I see my skin tolerates adapolene but acne not going away fully 💔

Loved this video. Great information, as always. Thanks!

Thankyou both so very much ❤, this was a fantastic guides for the future xx

Great video and useful diagram. Thank you.

Thank you for the link to affordable products in your description box. Gonna give these a try

Nothing has been as effective as my mix of moisturiser, retinol and salicylic acid serums. I immediately see the difference if I miss more than 2 nights in a week. Niacinamide is often mixed in there too, as I find that base works well with my skin. Day time is sunscreen only.

Thank you for this!! I always wonder if ppl recommend not mixing any 2 ingredients because it'll deactivate/oxidize each other or is it just a precaution for irritation. I started realizing most of these no-no combinations are just a precaution but ppl saying these are so persuasive that I wonder if they'll mess the overall formulations.

THANKS for breaking it down for us! So many skincare products out there becomes darn confusing!!

I recently started learning a lot more about different skin care ingredients and upping my skincare game now that I'm in my 30s. I love your videos and your friendship! You mentioned something that I have been curious about--how long would you recommend letting Vitamin C or a retinoid sit/absorb in your skin before moving on to the next step?

I love their nuanced take. There's so much fear mongering out there, and claims are just made with no nuance. I've even seen dermatologists fear monger online, so we need more people like these two doctors!

OMG THANK YOU! For finally saying more than "you can't use it". Why? there are so many people who watch youtube vidoes who are not the beginners in skincare anymore and appreaciate more advanced skincares and 90% of the content is for the beginners with super sensitive skin types ;D I use l-ascorbic acide, wait 2 min and apply tretinoin with no irritation but that is because I am into skincare for years and my skin is acclimated. But there are more people like me who want to maximize their routines instead of " keeping it simple" and we are curious how to combine actives. Question - regular peptides (not copper) - okey to mix with anything? :) Also, what about copper peptides plus other antioxidants ? (ordinary says not to use their copper with antioxidants because you can get an orange hue on the face, because of some chemical reaction, I wonder does it make it ineffective then>?)

I needed this. Thank you, docs. 🇯🇲

So glad you guys made this video!

I needed this video so badly. I was so confused about what I could and could not mix with my Retinoid

Thanks a lot. Very helpful information 🙂

Thank you guys for all the amazing info!

Can you guys please speak on the efficacy of sunscreen sprays! Love for you guys to try the nakedsundays one!

THIS WAS SO USEFUL! THANK YOU. I just bought CeraVe's Blemish Control cleanser which has Salicylic acid and I already have in my skin care routine CeraVe's retinol, and they're actually both from the same line, that's specific por acne-prone skin so my head was spinning thinking they messed up putting in the same line two ingredients that people say you cannot mix!

I've also read advice about not mixing products (I forget which) because of pH rather than the potential for irritation

Thanks docs you’re the best. God bless. ❤

The only thing i question here is the retinol and vitamin c one.. so as far as i know the reason they're not to be mixed is not because they react to each other but because they work at pretty specific pH levels and theyre not the same. This is referring to ascorbic acid specifically because it requires a rather acidic pH to be stable whereas the retinol (or tretinoin rather) needs a slightly higher pH. The place where this would then not apply would be with, say, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate because that form of vitamin c is oil soluble therefore doesnt have a pH to begin with so that becomes irrelevant. I sometimes use tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate with my tretinoin for that reason but not typically. If you even see this comment could you clarify on this specifically regarding the pH issue?

Thank you very much! This is so informative!

Ive been using a Vitamin C Serum before my Retinol and its done wonders for my skin and getting rid of dark spots i get.

I’m 53 and have very dry skin and was diagnosed with psoriasis at 10 years old. I currently take Otezla to help it. So far I’ve aged pretty well despite dry skin. I’m scared to start a skincare routine to prevent aging on my sensitive skin. Please do a video on skin care just for people with dry/sensitive skin.

Thank you for all the great informational videos❤😊

My Favorite Dermatologist. I followed and watched all yours videos now my skin is so good and almost glass skin. ☺️ +weekly I go to face spa

I use carrot seed oil and mix it with a bit of rosehip seed oil on my face every morning. I let it sit for about an hour while getting ready then put a regular light face cream that has a bit of irish sea moss to firm it up, then a bit of sunblock powder. Have been doing this for over 10 years. I'm in my sixties and it works really well at reducing the signs of sun damage. Some skin care experts would say no but it works for me. Basically if it works for you go for it.

Great information! TFS!🥰

this !!!!! sooo many people don't know that you can't mix certain things!!!! and if you start using not well known products like tranexamic acid per say, it can be really hard to find the answers online to see what you can and can't mix. also they'll be articles that contradict the next article. so it can be sooo difficult figuring out how to incorporate your skincare products

I stopped coloring my hair over a year ago due to severe skin irritation. My skin reacted worse as I got older. I wonder why 🤔 Do you guys know? My grays are coming in nicely and I have received numerous compliments from the young to the very old lol. Wish I could’ve been braver yrs ago lol Your grays are coming in nicely too Dr Shah! I love seeing ppl embracing their grays 💕😁

Thanks for the great info

Very good video as always, docs! Could you link some of the articles you read in the description of your videos?

THIS is the video I've been waiting for!

I have very oily, acne prone skin. I used to do this routine that had my skin glowing. It had allllll the actives. My skin has never looked better, but ppl kept saying it was too much, too many actives, and I’m not seeing the damage now but it’s there and I will see it in the future. So I tried to alternate actives, but then that was too much trouble, and too high maintenance, so it was hard to do it consistently. You can tell the difference- I have texture, occasional pimples, and the accompanying discoloration. I am going back to my all out, all actives routine! Thanks for the tips!

Haha! Here I was, thinking you shouldn't mix certain things because it would cause an explosion on my face 😂 Like if you mix certain household detergents it can be dangerous, I thought mixing skin products was also dangerous 😂 Now I understand better

Love Altreno, it was a game changer for me.

I would love to see you guys do a Dime skincare review 🙏🏻.

Love my alpharet which I use after a salicylic wash since my combo skin has decided to give me acne at my big old age. I have sensitive skin and I tolerate it well

I have been using salicylic acid and retin-a together at night to fight my unbelievably stubborn acne since June of this year. In my 15 years of dealing with acne my skin has never looked better. I'm so glad I stopped listening to skin care influences who kept saying you couldn't mix these actives.

Would you guys do a video on Methylene Blue in skin care? I would love to hear what you have to say about this ingredient. You guys are brilliant and gorgeous too

Thank you for the clarification. I’ve been struggling with this problem. Basically, most people on the internet say not to do it or not to mix it, but it has worked for me for a year now. So when this started popping up on my FYP, I got really worried. HAHAHA. For context, I used: LUXE ORGANIX: Retinol + Bakuchiol GARNIER: Bright Complete Anti Acne Serum (This contains Vitamin C, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, and AHA) - basically, all ingredients that are said to be incompatible with retinol.

Great video, thank you! Do you happen to have any information on the interaction of hypochlorous acid with other ingredients? I have heard mixed things. Thank you!

I use a retinol and a bha, but I'm acne prone and oily. Seems fine for me.

Thing is for me when I started using Retin a, I don’t need any other active ingredients. Just antioxidants under sunscreen. You really don’t need much when you have Tretinoin- Gold skin care ingredient.

Right on time! I was literally googling this last night and confused myself again lol

I don't think you mentioned it, but you can also use Azelaic Acid and Retinol. Also, if you have been sensitive to retinol, I've seen a few dermatologists saying that after using azelaic acid for several months, your skin might be able to tolerate retinol without any adverse side effects. But I suggest you research this on your own instead of taking my word for it. And just to be safe, wear sunscreen when using actives as many of them can increase sensitivity to sunlight, causing more sun damage, which just counteracts what you're trying to achieve with actives. And I hate how underrated Azelaic Acid is. It is a very, very good alternative to retinol, especially if you have more sensitive skin, rosacea, etc. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% - Try it out. I believe it is also (from what I've researched or heard about it from derms online) less sensitive to sunlight but you should still apply sunscreen and reapply

I heard about the retinol sandwich... To avoid peeling, you can layer with moisturizer and any type of retinol over it.

I'm glad you all said that skincare is personal because you also have KZfaqrs who don't have sensitive skin and they shave every day or they can use three different types of exfoliants in one routine. And some people like me can't copy their routine because if I did my skin would have a fit.

Please explain copper peptides and layering it with other actives ❤

Thank you for this!

Most of these stuff are useless most important thing is Sun screen period. I have tried almost everything to look younger + delay aging as much as possible, anything from face exercises, vitamin C serum, Fraxel, collagen supplements and of course Retin A (7 years straight), home devices and what not. However, nothing made any real difference compared to the high-quality derma pen I purchased for under 100 bucks. Within 3 months of use, my skin has improved DRAMATICALLY. I don't look like I'm 18 again, but definitely not 42 either. My fine lines have disappeared completely, and my nasolabial folds are way less are nonexist. People often underestimate the power of wounding and the revolutionary effects it can have on the skin.

Thank you, as always : interesting and entertaining. A trend that I don't think has been mentioned by you (unless I missed it?) concerns methylated blue, a "miracle" ingredient in skin care as well as a supposed nootropic. Your take on it would be very interesting.

I absolutely love you two. When I found you guys I shared your videos with my wife and now we watch "every" video. Whoever does your video editing is amazing! I think the balance of serious information that helps so many with out being overloading along with your natural charisma, sense of humor, and abilities to poke fun at each other is the winning formula. P.S. Dr. Shah cannot move anywhere that prohibits the both of you from making these videos together. That's a firm RULE. P.P.S. Why did Dr. Maxwell not partner with you on "Remedy"? He just couldn't spare the budget from his surfing and sun tan lotion budget? 😂

Oh...y'all have a book....awesome. Can't wait till it's officially available

I have dry acne prone skin w/an oily nose. I like to keep it simple and simply not mix. My skin is happy. 😊

I definitely want your book! 👏👏👏

I stand wholeheartedly with Dr. L.J with what he said at the beginning of the video. It's absolutely brilliant and I couldn't have agreed to it better ❤

love this video! i exfoliate and use my tret in the same routine, my skin can handle it!

I love this video! Can you do a video on vitamin C products? I’m so lost

I use retinol 0.1% in the evening, but i use the ordinary retinoid elmusion together with vitamin c in daytime

I use SA and Retinol in the same evening, in fact I also mix SA with Panoxyl during washing my face, and I barely get irritated, so I'm one of those people who can tolerate it.

thank you ! I am mature man, well, I started to use the facial products, I have tired to use it appropriately but sometimes I am confused. thanks for your videos, if I have questions about it, hope you can tell me. thanks again.

This is great. I'm gad to hear a book is coming.

I use neutrogena’s retinol and spf day cream. I’m rubbish at putting anything on my face at night. I’ve tried for years and always end up forgetting or not being bothered! So a retinol to use in the day is good for me.

Thank you so so much for This Video! I believe the people on TikTok, but somehow I don’t believe them either. That’s why I’m very, very happy that I found this video and that I can trust you

Please make a video about pregnancy safe skincare! What is forbidden, what's recommended...? Thank you!

Learned it hard way - started to apply altreno tretinoin to my eyelids- got extremely dry eyes almost instantly. Although applying it to my under eyes doesn’t seem to irritate or do any harm

The "here we go" gives me a great feeling every time🙏

My skin is totally happy with a SA cleanser, 1% retinol and 2% salicylic acid in my evening routine, in fact it's helped so much with my acne and my skins never been better.

I have put tretinoin on my eyelids and around my eyes for a long time now with no irritation

Drs, can you please do a review of the brands One Skin and Intuisse? Thank you!

Did you ever do a follow up on what you did to heal? I looked through your playlist and I didn’t see anything xx

I love the editing style

If formulated well, vit c and retinol can be great in 1 product. Im having a lab make one actually

I'm not young, still have oily skin, almost wrinkle free face and I pile on everything. Haven't tried sand blasting yet though.

One thing that I always wonder in regards to light when we speak about retinol, is it just sunlight or even indoors light?

I must have super tough skin as I mix and layer lots of stuff but ALWAYS seal with Squalane and Argan Oil