Can you use retinol and AHAs together?
Best used at different times
Use them on different nights rather than together. Both speed up how quickly skin sheds, and combining them makes dryness, peeling and redness much more likely.
Why
Retinol and exfoliating acids such as glycolic and lactic acid both thin out the outer layer of dead skin cells, just in different ways. On the same night, the effects add up, and the skin barrier can become irritated and tight.
Both also make sunscreen more important. In a controlled study, four weeks of 10% glycolic acid made skin more sensitive to UV light, an effect that faded within a week of stopping (Kaidbey 2003).
How to use them
- Alternate: retinol on some nights, an AHA on one or two other nights, and plain moisturising nights in between.
- Never apply either to skin that is already sore, peeling or sunburnt.
- Wear SPF 30 or higher every day while using either.
- Products that already combine a retinoid and an acid are formulated for that. Use them as directed and don't add another exfoliant on top.
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Other combinations
- Can you use retinol and vitamin C together? — use at different times
- Can you use retinol and salicylic acid together? — use at different times
- Can you use retinol and niacinamide together? — works well together
- Can you use retinol and hyaluronic acid together? — works well together
- Can you use retinol and benzoyl peroxide together? — use at different times
- Can you use vitamin C with AHAs or BHA? — yes, with care
- Can you use niacinamide and AHAs together? — works well together
- Can you use AHAs and BHA together? — yes, with care
Sources
Last reviewed 20 Oct 2026.
This is educational information, not medical advice. Introduce one new active at a time and patch test. If you use prescription skincare, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your GP, pharmacist or dermatologist first.