bobbi
3 years ago

Can I use salicylic acid (Paula's Choice) in a routine with retinol?

I am using a retinol serum from Cerave, and would like to add salicylic acid to reduce blackheads. can I use both products at night?

Paula's choice - 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
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CeraVe - Retinol Face Serum For Post-Acne Marks
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It depends on how sensitive your skin is. If you'd describe it as sensitive or very sensitive, I'd stay on the safe side and use the salicylic acid product in the morning, and retinoid at night. At the same time, if your skin is not prone to reactions, you probably will be fine using both products in the same step at night - mostly because the retinol serum from Cerave contains around 0.01% of retinol, which is a low concentration. Also, you will decrease the chances of irritation if you only apply the SA product in the areas where you get blackheads (e.g. nose) rather than applying all over the face. Another note is that the SA product is not for everyday use (2-3 time per week is the max frequency I would go for), while retinol ideally is used every day.

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Oh, I thought I should use the exfoliant every day - good to know. Thanks for the tip!

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