Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We take no sponsored placements, accept no free products from brands, and sell no pay-for-ranking. No company can buy a spot on a list or a kinder verdict. The only relationship we have with a brand is that we may earn an affiliate commission if you buy through one of our links, and that is walled off from how we choose picks.

Through affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we recommend or the order we rank them. See our affiliate disclosure for the full details.

Amazon is our retailer at launch: it stocks nearly every product we cover, ships widely, and has a clear returns process, so it is the most useful single place to send readers. Our Amazon links are tagged so a purchase can be attributed to us, which is how the site is funded. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

No, and we say so plainly. We don't own a test lab and we run no trials. Instead we read the ingredient list, compile the stated concentration, compare the formulation and base, compute the cost per milliliter, and cite every efficacy claim to a published source. Our methodology page explains each step.

Buyer-first. For each product we compile the stated concentration (and, for an acid, the disclosed pH), compare the base and supporting ingredients, compute the cost per milliliter, and weigh all of it against the published evidence for that ingredient. The pick is the best value for a given skin type and budget, never the one that pays us most.

It means the brand does not disclose that figure, most often a retinol percentage. We print "Not published" instead of guessing a number. It is a finding, not a gap in our research: a brand that won't state its strength is telling you something, and a product that does state it has an edge in our comparisons.

Prices are pulled live from the retailer and stamped with the date they were pulled, so they are current at that moment but can change by the time you click. Always confirm the figure on Amazon's own page before buying. If we don't have a live price, the button reads "Check price on Amazon" instead of showing a stale number.

No. Most actives have a studied effective range, and going above it usually adds irritation rather than benefit. Niacinamide, for example, is well studied around 4-5% even though many serums sell 10-12%. A bigger number on the label is a marketing headline more often than a better result.

No. Actives & Acids is written by Stephen V., a skincare enthusiast who reads ingredient lists and checks the published evidence. He is not a dermatologist, and nothing on the site is medical advice. For a diagnosis, a reaction, or a prescription active, see a qualified professional.

Prices refresh automatically every day and are date-stamped. The written reviews carry a "last updated" date, and we revisit our roundups as formulas get reformulated, products get discontinued, and new options appear. If you spot something out of date, tell us and we'll check it.

Never. There are no invented reviews, testimonials, star ratings, or before-and-after photos anywhere on the site, and there never will be. Product images come from the retailer; the verdicts are our own analysis of the formula. It is the single line we won't cross.

Yes. The simplest approach is vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night, so two potent actives aren't working against each other at once. Some people tolerate layering both in one routine, but the AM/PM split is the easy, low-irritation way to get the benefits of each.

In short: AHAs (glycolic, lactic, mandelic) are water-soluble and work on the skin surface for dullness, texture and tone, so they suit normal-to-dry skin. BHA (salicylic acid) is oil-soluble and gets into pores, so it suits oily, congested and blackhead-prone skin. Many people use one of each on alternating days rather than both at once.

For most people, no — 10% is a common and generally well-tolerated level. That said, the best-studied benefits appear at lower concentrations (around 4-5%), so a higher percentage isn't buying you more proven benefit, and a few people find 10-12% formulas can feel irritating. If yours does, a lower-strength option is a reasonable swap.

A stated low strength, around 0.2-0.5%, in a cushioning base, used two or three nights a week and built up as your skin adjusts. Going straight to nightly use or a high strength is the fastest way to trigger flaking and give up. A product that publishes its percentage makes it much easier to start low on purpose.

No. That's a myth from decades-old research using unstable raw forms heated together. In modern serums the two are compatible, and some products combine them on purpose. You can use them in the same routine or split them across morning and night.

They're the same family at different strengths. Tretinoin is prescription retinoic acid that acts on skin directly; retinol is a milder over-the-counter form your skin converts in steps before it can act. Retinol is gentler and slower and needs no prescription; tretinoin is stronger, better studied for results, and requires a doctor.

No. Actives & Acids is general information written by a skincare enthusiast, not a dermatologist. For a diagnosis, a persistent reaction, or a prescription active like tretinoin, see a qualified professional, and patch-test any new active before adding it to your routine.