Can I use Benzoyl Peroxide and Retinal together?
Piel's routine check says: Caution
Benzoyl peroxide can break most retinoids down when they go on together, so both do less. Use them at different times of day. This applies when applied at the same time.
This one is not about irritation. Benzoyl peroxide is an oxidiser and most retinoids oxidise with it, so applied together a share of each is spent on the other rather than on skin.
Nothing stings and nothing looks wrong — the routine simply does less than it should, which is why Piel flags a pair that feels fine.
Different times of day keeps both intact: benzoyl peroxide in the morning and the retinoid at night, or on alternate days if the morning is already full. Waiting between layers does not help here the way it does with irritation, because the two have to be on skin at different times, not in a different order.
Benzoyl Peroxide belongs to Piel's family of benzoyl peroxide; Retinal to retinoids that benzoyl peroxide breaks down.
About Benzoyl Peroxide
CosIng classes Benzoyl Peroxide as:
- oxidising
An antibacterial ingredient long used for breakouts. It bleaches fabric, so towels and pillowcases in contact with it commonly discolour.
Read the Benzoyl Peroxide page
About Retinal
CosIng classes Retinal as:
- skin conditioning
Retinaldehyde, a vitamin A derivative that sits one step closer to retinoic acid than retinol does. It appears in products aimed at the same concerns as retinol, and the same first-weeks dryness is common.
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