Layering skincare merchandise with dimethicone – or any mixture of components – is essential to the outcomes you get out of your skincare routine. Your fastidiously thought of particular person skincare merchandise are made out of components that will not mix effectively, could stop absorption of different merchandise or could create undesirable really feel or movie in your pores and skin. A reader requested me the essential query about product layering within the context of dimethicone and I will share my reply with you. The ideas apply to all product layering, whether or not there may be dimethicone in your product or not.
Hiya Dr. Bailey, layering skincare merchandise with dimethicone is one thing I’m questioning about. My moisturizer comprises dimethicone and I’m simply questioning if that will stop the tretinoin (Retin A) that I exploit from penetrating my pores and skin? Ought to I apply tretinoin first then my moisturizer? Does it actually matter if I apply it earlier than or after the tretinoin? Thanks very a lot in your time. Sincerely, Rui
Pricey Rui,
This is a wonderful query. The skincare merchandise that you simply apply, and their components, do have an effect on one another in a lot of methods. Absorption is one in every of them. We layer merchandise as a result of some components cannot be positioned collectively in the identical bottle, tube or jar and saved for months to years however are appropriate and lively when layered in your pores and skin for 12 hours.
The layering order of skincare merchandise is essential to product outcomes, nevertheless it’s additionally troublesome to be completely sure that we all know what’s really occurring on the pores and skin stage. That is as a result of it isn’t attainable to review all of the product or ingredient combos. In some unspecified time in the future, we now have to assume issues by with common scientific rules as finest we will.
Layering Pores and skin Care Merchandise
As a common rule I like to recommend thinner and/or water-based skincare merchandise first and thicker/oil-based or dimethicone containing merchandise after.
You’ve gotten heard that “water and oil do not combine”. It’s a useful idea relating to merchandise. Your pores and skin is extra advanced as a result of it is composed of lipids (oils which we are saying are lipophilic) and protein (that ‘likes’ water and we describe as hydrophilic). Because of this the lipids will take up components that blend effectively with oil and the protein will take up components that blend effectively with water. We use this to our benefit in product layering.
Layering ‘occlusive’ skincare merchandise
When layering your skincare merchandise, there may be the extra idea that’s essential and that’s that some components are ‘occlusive’. I prefer to say that they “seal the deal” with merchandise layered earlier than and assist stop pores and skin dryness. It doesn’t imply that an ingredient makes your pores and skin really feel heavy or that the ingredient clogs pores, it simply means that it’ll layer on high of the pores and skin to stop water loss. This is applicable to oils and dimethicone.
Occlusive components comparable to oils and dimethicone (a siloxane that features different components on this household comparable to cyclopentasiloxane and cyclohexasiloxane) will assist prevent water evaporation from pores and skin referred to as Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL). However, water-based formulations will penetrate pores and skin and in addition evaporate if they aren’t ‘trapped’. We use occlusion to assist lure water-based components in addition to water that retains your pores and skin hydrated and supple.
Lastly, there are particular person ingredient combos must be thought of separately. I will begin with dimethicone, which has its followers. That stated, some folks choose to make use of extra ‘pure’ occlusive comparable to botanical oils.
Is dimethicone unhealthy for pores and skin?
My opinion is that dimethicone is usually a nice skincare ingredient when formulated right into a product fastidiously. I additionally like pure oils in skincare. The underside line is that dimethicone has some wonderful causes for being in your skincare merchandise.
4 advantages of dimethicone in skincare
- Dimethicone is added to skincare merchandise as a result of it helps them to glide properly over your pores and skin.
- A bit of dimethicone in your pores and skin additionally offers it an exquisite silky really feel and softens the looks of nice wrinkles.
- It improves your pores and skin’s capability to retain moisture and helps to guard it from irritation.
- It’s moisturizing, pores and skin softening, noncomedogenic and nonacnegenic and prevents extra oil from diluting different skincare merchandise comparable to make-up.
- Dimethicone could even barely enhance the thickness of the highest residing layer of your pores and skin referred to as the dermis.
As a result of it acts as a barrier nonetheless, dimethicone could have an effect on the penetration of some components comparable to Retin A into the pores and skin. It is dependent upon how a lot dimethicone is within the product although. Merchandise with a considerable amount of dimethicone might effectively block tretinoin if they’re utilized first.
Merchandise with a comparatively small quantity of dimethicone comparable to my Daily Moisturizing Face Cream work effectively with tretinoin. I’ve constructed 1000’s of tretinoin and retinol skincare routines with this cream and have by no means discovered it to have any unfavourable impression on Retin A penetration by way of the plain seen outcomes of tretinoin.
Be taught extra: How to Apply Tretinoin Cream: A Guide to Demystifying Its Use
How have you learnt if tretinoin Retin A can penetrate your dimethicone moisturizer?
In case you have any doubts about your merchandise, you may all the time take a look at them as a result of Retin A will irritate your pores and skin once in a while if it is penetrating. After I assist my sufferers work out this product mixture, I inform them that in the event that they’re on the strongest stage of Retin A cream they usually by no means get irritated then both they’ve actually robust pores and skin or one thing they’re doing earlier than software of the Retin A could also be affecting its penetration.
Likewise, tretinoin will scale back blackheads to deal with pimples and trigger pores and skin brightening, enchancment in uneven pigment and discount in nice traces and wrinkles. All of those outcomes are 100% seen to you within the mirror. If you happen to see tretinoin working, it is getting by and being absorbed into your pores and skin!
Learn how to layer skincare at night time with Retin A
For instance, I personally have use my Daily Moisturizing Face Cream for years with its dimethicone content material. The layering order of my nighttime merchandise with tretinoin is:
- Green Tea Antioxidant Skin Therapy Cream,
- Every day Moisturizing Face Cream,
- wait quarter-hour or extra, then
- I apply my tretinoin (Retin A).
Discover that I like to recommend making use of the Inexperienced Tea Remedy Cream first as a result of it’s a thinner product. It’s not water based mostly however the consistency is far much less occlusive.
I can and do get very chapped from Retin A occasionally and so I do know that the Retin A is getting by the Every day Moisturizing Face Cream. I can even see the helpful ends in the mirror.
Apply moisturizer earlier than tretinoin not after tretinoin
There isn’t a level in making use of your moisturizer after Retin A as a result of moisturizers must be utilized instantly after toweling your pores and skin dry to ensure that them to work. Retin A in my follow, alternatively, is all the time utilized after ready 15 or extra minutes after toweling dry and making use of different merchandise (together with your moisturizer). This helps to stop pores and skin irritation, chapping and the retinoid dermatitis. I have been prescribing tretinoin because it was first launched for pimples within the mid-Nineteen Eighties. I’ve intensive expertise with serving to all complexion sorts tolerate this medication and I’ve discovered that ready quarter-hour actually reduces tretinoin pores and skin peeling.
Stopping pores and skin irritation is why I apply my moisturizer, wait quarter-hour or extra after which apply my Retin A final. – Dr. Bailey
Retinol causes much less pores and skin irritating than tretinoin for delicate complexions
Some folks with delicate pores and skin don’t need the inconvenience of tretinoin or wish to alternate it with a neater to make use of retinoid. Retinol is thought to be much less more likely to result in retinoid dermatitis. It has the identical mechanism of motion as tretinoin although must be utilized in increased concentrations to stimulate collagen renewal.
Retinol might be utilized proper after washing and toweling pores and skin dry. My Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream comes comprises the very best allowed retinol focus, which is 1%, which we denote as 10X. This can be a medical-grade retinol that you’d count on from a dermatologist and retinoid knowledgeable.
My Retinol Night time Cream can be formulated with the identical inexperienced tea antioxidants as my Inexperienced Tea Cream and it has dimethicone. I really prefer it topped with my Every day Moisturizing Cream for the additional advantage of ceramides and squalane within the Every day Cream. Frankly, I do that 3 to 4 nights per week and the tretinoin routine all the others.
My face all the time sleeps with a retinoid as a result of they’re one of the best components to combat the indicators of pores and skin growing older and I need that! – Dr. Bailey
Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Night time Cream comprises dimethicone
Get the advantages of three helpful components in a single product.
I alternate my Retinol Cream with tretinoin (or use it extra typically than tretinoin since it’s simpler) and apply it proper after cleaning my face, neck and chest at night time.
How lengthy do you wait to use moisturizer after retinol?
Let the retinol product dry to the contact however past that, there is no such thing as a want to attend. I apply retinol after which I layer my Every day Face Cream on high. If the retinol is just not completely dry to the contact, it is attainable to pat the moisturizer onto pores and skin.
Can you utilize a face oil with retinol?
Sure. As of this replace in 2023 my publish menopausal 64 yr previous complexion wants much more lipid components. I high my retinol with the Daily Moisturizing Face Cream boosted with a couple of drops of my Omega Face Booster Oil which comprises lovely botanical barrier therapeutic oils. Typically I even apply my face oil straight with out cream and straight on high of the Retinol Night time Cream. It is simple to inform that that the retinol is working as a result of the pores and skin brightening is seen within the mirror. That is 37+ years of utilizing a nightly retinoid cream and my pores and skin appears youthful than my joints really feel!
This was a fantastic query that reveals you perceive quite a bit about skincare components. I hope my reply helped.
Heat Regards,
Cynthia Bailey MD, Dermatologist
Click on right here to see my Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream and Daily Moisturizing Face Cream
Disclaimer: Please understand that availing your self of the chance to submit and obtain solutions to your questions from Dr. Bailey doesn’t confer a health care provider/affected person relationship with Dr. Bailey. The data offered by Dr. Bailey is common well being data impressed by your query. It shouldn’t be an alternative to acquiring medical recommendation out of your doctor and isn’t meant to diagnose or deal with any particular medical downside (and isn’t an extension of the care Dr. Bailey has offered in her workplace for current sufferers of her follow). By no means ignore your personal physician’s recommendation due to one thing you learn right here; this data is for common informational objective solely.
