Mixing Skincare Brands – Yay or Nay?

Take a look at the skincare products that you’ve amassed recently and you’ll likely notice that they come from a variety of skincare brands. Is it really a good idea to mix all of these brands together or would you be better off sticking to a single brand for your entire skincare routine? 

Keep reading as Lionesse talks through the pros and cons of combining multiple skincare brands in your beauty regimen.

The Benefits of Sticking to One Skincare Brand

Let’s start by taking a look at some of the benefits of sticking to just one brand, rather than mixing multiple skincare brands:

Products From the Same Brand/Line Will Be Designed to Complement Each Other

Usually, rather than producing single products every now and then, skincare brands tend to design entire product lines, just like the Black Onyx line from Lionesse. There’s a reason for this – the products in that line will be created to complement each other. Not only will the ingredients in each product be compatible, and will have been tested alongside each other to confirm this, but they will also be chosen to work synergistically together. They’ll usually all focus on the same skin concern/s but will tackle the issue from different angles. As you can imagine, this can often provide results sooner than if you were to use products from different skincare brands.

Let’s go back to the Black Onyx Collection as an example. It consists of a range of products that all work to brighten and revive the complexion. You would start with the Black Onyx Mask, follow up with the Black Onyx Serum and then finish with the Black Onyx Cream. With each of these products working to correct the look of dullness and drabness in the skin, you’ll be able to accomplish your skin goals so much faster!

You’ll Be Less Likely to Experience Irritation From Your Skincare Routine

Not only will the products produced by a single brand be crafted to complement each other, but you’ll also be less susceptible to irritation. This is a very common problem when mixing skincare brands. It’s so easy to combine incompatible products/ingredients, leaving your skin feeling inflamed and irritated.

If you pick products from the same brand/line, irritation will be kept to a minimum. Even if one product contains potent active ingredients, there’s a good chance that the other products will be formulated to soothe the feeling of irritation, so that it doesn’t arise in the first place.

The Benefits of Mixing Skincare Brands

Although it can be beneficial to stick to a single skincare brand, there are also a few advantages that come from mixing different brands:

You’ll Have a Bigger Choice of Products

If you remain loyal to a single skincare brand, this means that you’ll be restricting yourself to the products and ingredients that they produce. As a result, you may end up missing out on certain products that could have otherwise benefited your skin.

Say, for example, you’re struggling with fine lines around your eyes but your go-to skincare brand only produces a single eye cream. Incorporating an eye serum from a different brand would enable you to give your skin more of what it needs, rather than leaving it lacking. 

It Will Be Easier to Customize Your Skincare Routine

Having a much wider selection of skincare products to choose from will also enable you to better customize your skincare routine. This is so important because everyone’s skin is different. Sure, a product line from one brand may be proven effective for tackling certain visible skin concerns but your skin will have its own individual needs. ‘One size fits all’ doesn’t apply to skincare, which is why it can sometimes be problematic to only use one brand.

Mix different skincare brands and you’ll be able to bring together a wider array of ingredients and products. This will allow you to tailor your routine to your skin’s specific requirements. 

Things to Keep in Mind When Mixing Skincare Brands

If, up until now, you’ve always chosen to stick with one brand rather than mixing different skincare brands, it would be worth experimenting with doing things a little differently. However, don’t jump blindly into this. Instead, if you plan on combining multiple skincare brands, there are a few things that you’ll need to keep in mind:

Learn About Conflicting Ingredients

Unfortunately, not all skincare ingredients play nicely together. In fact, combine the wrong ingredients and you could end up causing havoc for your skin, resulting in irritation and long-term skin damage. This is why it’s vital to learn about conflicting ingredients before you start mixing skincare brands.

The biggest issues lie with hydroxy acids. These are exfoliating ingredients. They work by dissolving the glue-like links that hold dead skin cells to the surface of the skin, allowing them to drop away. Avoid combining hydroxy acids with high concentrations of other active ingredients, such as vitamins A and C. You should also be very careful if combining alpha-hydroxy acids with beta-hydroxy acids. If they’ve been pre-mixed into a single product, then they’ll have been used in ratios that keep things safe. However, if you’re using one product with an AHA and another with a BHA, you’ll likely end up suffering from the symptoms of over-exfoliation.

Benzoyl peroxide is another ingredient to be wary about. It’s a popular ingredient among those with acne-prone skin. The downside to it is that it has a drying effect on the skin. Because of this, you should never mix it with other ingredients that also dry out the skin, such as hydroxy acids and retinol.

Layer Your Products in the Correct Order

Often, if you purchase several products from the same skincare brand, they’ll often come with clear usage instructions that tell you the best order in which to apply those products. However, if you go it on your own and buy products from various skincare brands, you’ll have to figure out the order on your own. This may not seem like a big deal but layering your products correctly is vital if you want them to work properly.

Fortunately, there’s an easy rule to follow to get this right. After cleansing your skin, start with your thinnest and lightest product before slowly working your way up to the thickest.

This usually means applying a toner after cleansing, with toners boasting a very watery, lightweight texture. You would then follow this up with a serum or two. Again, start with your thinnest serum before layering the thicker serum over the top. Finally, round off your routine by applying a cream – the thickest product that you’ll be using. This not only forms a barrier over your skin to keep it feeling protected but it will also seal in all of the other products that you’ve just applied. 

Prevent Pilling By Patting Instead of Rubbing

As we mentioned earlier, products from the same skincare brand will be designed to work beautifully together. Stick to the same line and it’s unlikely that you’ll experience pilling. This is when products fail to sink into the skin properly and instead form tiny balls that collect on the surface of the skin. It often occurs when products are applied in the incorrect order but mixing products from different brands can cause this too.

To get around this, make sure that the products you’re using are compatible with each other. You should also try patting them into your skin instead of rubbing them in. This will reduce the amount of friction that’s created on your skin’s surface, helping to prevent those little balls from developing. 

Give New Products Enough Time to Work

Products from the same brand are often tested together. This is why many skincare brands can estimate how long it will take for their products to start working. When used together in the right order, you’ll hopefully be able to witness the same results that the brand did when conducting their trials.

However, use products from different brands and you lose this advantage. This doesn’t mean that the products you’re using won’t work well together but how long they take to do so is up in the air. You’ll likely need to practice much more patience when waiting to see results.

How long does it usually take for skincare products to work?

You’ll need to wait for at least a couple of months. This is how long your skin cell turnover cycle takes, meaning the rate at which new skin cells make their way to the surface of your skin. The visible changes that your products stimulate will occur in those new cells. This means that you won’t actually be able to see them for a month or two, until those cells have risen to the surface.

With that said, some skincare products are revered for their fast-acting abilities. The Lionesse White Pearl Wrinkle Reducing Syringe is one. It takes just seconds to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, providing almost instant results. However, formulas like these are the exceptions. You’ll need to practice some patience with all of the other products that you use!

So, Should You Mix Skincare Brands?

As you can see, there are pros and cons to both sides, making this a very individual decision. If your skin is prone to sensitivities and irritation, you may want to stick with the same skincare brand to save your skin from reacting. On the other hand, if you have several visible skin concerns that you want to tackle, mixing skincare brands will likely bring you the best results as you’ll be able to pick and choose from a much wider range of products and ingredients. If this is the route that you choose to take, be sure to keep our above tips in mind to ensure that you only experience the very best results from your skincare routine, with none of the potential downsides.

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