Steer clear

Before you come over all scientist and start playing matchmaker, keep these guidelines in mind

Don’t assume extra exfoliation is a good thing

‘Doubling up on your resurfacing ingredients, such as retinol and chemical exfoliants, can cause redness, flaking and even burns,’ says Dr Bhanusali. To start, it’s safer to use AHAS (like glycolic) or BHA (such as salicylic) twice a week, but not on the same nights that you use retinol. One exception is lactic acid, which is more hydrating than the rest.

Don’t overdo the actives

It’s possible to have too much of a good thing, so beware of layering on too many potent picks. Dr Libby often sees patients in her clinic who are using a glycolic acid cleanser, followed by an acid serum, which is a sure-fire way to irritate skin. What that looks like? Redness, flaking, stinging. If in doubt, introduce one active-laced product to your routine at a time.

Don’t mix up your acne fighter

Remember all the benefits of vitamin C we talked about? Well, you might unknowingly undo them with a popular acne-fighting ingredient called benzoyl peroxide.

‘It can destabilise vitamin C, so they shouldn’t be used in succession,’ explains Dr Libby. She suggests keeping them apart by using your BP cleanser at night and vitamin C in the morning.