No, there should be no problem with using these two products. Sodium benzolate is a preservative. Gluconolactone is often used as a food additive and is probably used here in this case to help restore the acid mantle of the skin, since it would also act as an acidifier. My guess would be this is probably to help keep the HA within the skin. You typically need to follow HA application with a moisturizer unless there is one built into the product.

The retin-A should be used at night. The Hyaluronic Acid during the day before you apply your moisturizer and or sunblock. There's nothing wrong with using HA at night too, but it might slightly dilute the retin-A.

Thanks very much. I put nothing else on with the retin-a, and the H acid under my moisturiser usually at night in between. I really feel it plumbs up the skin a bit. I used it last night and it lasted all day today. I don't put it under my spf 30, cos it's quite rich already and I don't wanna look too cakey.

Retin-A should only be used at night. So hopefully you are doing that.

HA has no oil in it, so it wouldn't make you look cakey if applied before your sunblock. HA should absorb right into the skin and leave no residue. It also builds up over time, so that at first you need more of it. It should be applied every day. It's good stuff! There is one made by Cellex-C called Hydra 5 B-Complex, that has very few ingredients and is a great product.

Who makes the one you are currently using? I'm curious about the gluconolactone in it. I quite like the idea of that, and wouldn't mind giving it a try.

Yes yes at night. I read up loads on retin-a before I started using it. I've been using it for only 2 weeks, and anybody with light acne, I'd definitely recommend it.

Anyway, the HA seems really powerful, so I'm gonna stick to using it under my cicaplast for the moment, can always build it up. Also it stings a tiny bit guess cos I'm not too used to the retin-a yet.

I got it from a UK based company called SR-skincare (online). I think it's quite a new company and they've changed name already. I think what they do is use the latest ingredients, but make it more affordable.

I had originally ordered the pure HA (which in the meantime I found out is not that effective) and was sent the one I've listed instead. That's why I've posted to ask about ingredients on here.

I can't find that particular serum I've received on the website and I've e-mailed to ask what's going on. I assume they are just renewing their range quite constantly. Waiting for reply. (But anyway it's working well, considering my entry level knowledge of it all)

Please have a look and let me know what you think.

Can you explain a bit more about gluconolactone and 'acid mantle of the skin' please. When I did my googling, most info I found about it was food related.

One more thing. I've quickly googled the 2 serums you listed. I've read people raving about SkinCeuticals products before, especially the Vitamin C serum. But then I found out it's very tricky to maintain the level of vitamins in the bottle, cos every time you open it, it oxidises a bit and loses strength. I've then seen people on

youtube making their own vitamin c serum, but a tiny bit each time. Personally I haven't used Vit C on my skin yet, cos I think it would all be a bit too much at once.

Vitamin B5 helps to heal the skin right? That's why I chose Cicaplast Baume B5 as my moisturiser as opposed to a serum. So far I'm very happy with it.

HA shouldn't sting, so I suspect the stinging is coming from the gluconolactone. The only Cellex C product I use is the Hydra 5 B complex. It's almost pure HA. You definitely need to moisurize immediately after it sinks into your skin. But it is a really nice product.

For vitamin C I use a product called Vivier Skin C E Peptides. I love it. I actually mix a pea-sized amount of retin-A with 3 drops of the C E Peptides. It seems to work really nicely and I've had no sensitivity reaction to it. The reason I think it's a better product is because it is fat soluable. Cellex C serum is water soluable and thus I don't see how it can penetrate much into the skin. It wouldn't get past the lipid barrier. Vivier Skin on the other hand is fat soluable.

I'm nore familiar with gluconolactone as a food additive, but I suppose in a skincare context it would be a polyhydroxy acid as opposed to an alpha or beta hydroxy acid. Rather than going into a chemisty lesson here, suffice it to say that it would behave along similar lines. It's acidic. Your skin has a protective acid mantle (protects against viruses, bacteria and so on) that can get stripped by washing, especially washing too harshly and with a cleanser that is too alkalinizing. This is why apple cider vinegar (diluted of course) makes a great toner. It restores the acid mantle. The PH of your skin likes to be mildly acidic (4-5.5). 7 is considered neutral, anything above is alkaline, anything below is acidic.

I wanna drop dead when I see the prices for these serums, but I've only heard great things.

What I've heard as well is that Retin-A works best if you don't mix it with anything, that's why I thought about putting it on in the morning.

It would work better undiluted. The reason I mix the 2 is that I want to use the Vivier Skin at night too and sometimes in the day. Plus I use retin-A gel .05% every night. I've used it alone and together with the C E Peptides and I like the result of the combo.

As for the cost, yes they are pricey, but IK found in the case with Vivier Skin that it lasts a really long time. You only use 2-3 drops for the entire face and one drop for the neck. So lasts a long time and ends up being no more expensive than many higher end drug store products.