- Cleanse and tone your skin. Use a gentle cleanser to wash your skin—to remove dirt and other grime from the skin. ...
- Use either vitamin C or retinol serum. For your morning routine, apply a few drops of vitamin C serum over your face to nourish and brighten your skin.
- Use your hyaluronic acid serum. Use your hyaluronic acid a few minutes after using either vitamin C or retinol serum on your skin. ...
- Moisturize. Use a moisturizer that contains sunscreen of SPF 30 to moisturize your skin and protect it from damage.
Can you mix vitamin C with niacinamide, acids, or retinol?
Niacinamide With Vitamin C Are a Winning Combination. This means that you’re safe to use both niacinamide and vitamin C, either together in the same product, or combined from different products that you layer one over the other. The benefits from such a mix are numerous: On its own, niacinamide is a skin-restoring ingredient that can visibly ...
How to combine vitamin C and retinol?
︎ Vitamin C in the Morning, Retinol at Night. Your easiest course of action is to separate vitamin C and retinol from each other and apply them at different times of day. This ensures that each ingredient can work at its correct pH. ︎ Vitamin C and Retinol on Alternate Nights
Does retinol counteract vitamin C?
Previously, doctors thought that the acidic pH needed for vitamin C absorption contributed to the degradation of retinol, according to King. But new "studies show that combining retinol with vitamin C or another antioxidant may help stabilize it ,” King says.
Should you use moisturizer with vitamin C?
“I recommend using an antioxidant serum (mostly commonly vitamin C) every morning, followed by a moisturizer with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher,” she advised. Dr. King acknowledges that moisturizer products can also contain built-in vitamin C in order to brighten and hydrate the skin effectively.
What Are the Benefits of Retinol?
Also known as vitamin A, retinol is an antioxidant that protects the skin from environmental stressors trying to harm it. (FYI, in this article, we’re talking about over-the-counter retinol, not prescription-grade retinol products). Retinol has incredible anti-aging properties thanks to its ability to reach the middle layer of skin.
What Are the Benefits of Vitamin C?
Although vitamin C performs a myriad of functions, it’s probably most widely known for its ability to brighten skin. Like retinol, vitamin C is an antioxidant so it helps protect skin from environmental stressors that could potentially harm it.
How to Use Retinol and Vitamin C Together
As we mentioned above, using retinol and vitamin C together, at the same time, can cause irritation. (it’s kind of like having an energy drink and a caffeine-filled soda in the same sitting!). But that’s not the only reason. Retinol and vitamin C each operate best at different pH levels (those are the acid-alkaline ratios of a substance).
What is the best vitamin C treatment for dull skin?
One solution might be a serum, like our daily Morning Glow Vitamin C Serum, which can be applied topically for brightening dull skin.
What is the best topical anti aging cream?
Retinol and Vitamin C are two most popular topical anti-aging skin compounds on the market. Both have proven benefits to collagen production, and each one offers additional benefits that can give your skin the advantages it needs to recover from damage and have a youthful, firm glow up.
Can you combine retinol and vitamin C?
Can They Be Combined? There’s a big difference between using retinol and vitamin C concurrently, and combining the two for use simultaneously. In addition to the irritation risks of starting two different skin treatments at the same time, there are also potential problems from applying them at the same time.
Can retinol cause skin irritation?
For example, your skin may get irritated if you use a serum with vitamin C (which is acidic) and as well as a retinol cream, or if you use a retinol serum along with a prescription retinol cream. Irritation is a known potential side effect of both compounds, particularly with prescription retinol formulations like tretinoin, ...
Is retinol good for skin?
Both retinol and vitamin C provide a multitude of skin health benefits, and they can be an effective system for reversing aging damage when used together. Retinols like tretinoin, which has been prescribed by dermatologists since the ‘60s, have been shown to improve the synthesis of collagen. They’re also effective at helping your epidermis discard ...
Does vitamin C help with skin?
They’re also effective at helping your epidermis discard dead skin cells more effectively, so the young, healthier cells can shine through. Meanwhile, vitamin C is one of the most important compounds in helping your skin keep a healthy glow, and is particularly helpful in fighting sun damage. Sunlight beats up your skin throughout the day.
Does vitamin C help with free radicals?
Typically, vitamin C acts as the primary antioxidant to fight free radicals caused by UV rays, which left unmitigated will throw a wrench in the normal production of new calls and collagen in the dermis. With reduced levels of vitamin C, your skin is left without the necessary tools to deal with the free radicals created by radi ation.
Vitamin C basics and benefits
Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin considered to be essential to the body. It has a reputation for being an immune system booster, and people often turn to it when they’re feeling under the weather.
Retinol basics and benefits
Next up is retinol, a derivative of vitamin A. Retinoids are over the counter, while a dermatologist must prescribe retinoids. Many of the benefits of retinol are similar to vitamin C, although each ingredient works differently.
What factors into combining vitamin C and retinol?
Unfortunately, there are “wrong” ways to combine vitamin C and retinol. If you aren’t aware of the best practices of using both ingredients, you may inadvertently make both less effective.
The best ways to use vitamin c and retinol together
There are a few options for how you can effectively use vitamin C and retinol together without losing either of their benefits.
To wrap things up..
Vitamin C and retinol are effective ingredients alone and can be a true powerhouse duo when combined. Learning more about how each of them works can help you use them together for the best results possible.
Considerations when using both vitamin C and retinol
When using both of these active ingredients, there are some things to consider first:
So, can you use these two together or what?
For those who want a high-level answer -- we’ve simplified it for you.
Skincare routine suggestions for using both vitamin C and retinol
There is a time and a place for all skincare products. Here are some ways you can use both vitamin c and retinol in your skincare routine.
Let our formulas do the heavy lifting for you
Our flawless duel combo includes two physician-formulated products for flawless skin. The flawless combo includes:
How to Use Vitamin C Serum and Retinol
Using retinol and vitamin c together in your skincare is beneficial but only if you use them together properly. You can either separate them into different routines in the day or allow your skin to absorb one before trying the other.
1. Apply Vitamin in Your Am Routine and Retinol in PM Routine
This is a safe way to use the two ingredients together on your skin without triggering side effects. Doing this gives your skin time to restore its pH balance between the application of the products.
2. Use Retinol One Night and Vitamin C Serum the Next
This is the safest way to reap the benefits of both retinol and vitamin C serum, especially if you have sensitive skin. This will prevent the risk of irritation or inflammation on the skin.
3. Allow Vitamin C Serum to Absorb Then Apply Retinol
Since vitamin C has a lower pH level than retinol, you should apply it first. This method only requires you to wait for your skin to absorb the vitamin C serum completely before applying retinol.
Other Application Guide on Using Retinol and Vitamin C in Skincare
It is important to start the application of any skincare ingredient or product slowly. Introduce new ingredients to the skin and take note of how your skin reacts to them, especially when it comes to active ingredients like retinol and vitamin C.
Can You Use Retinol and Vitamin C With Hyaluronic Acid?
You can use retinol and vitamin C serum with hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine. This is because the skin needs extra hydration after the use of retinol—which has a drying effect on the skin.
How to Use Vitamin C Serum and Hyaluronic Acid and Retinol
Here’s how to use vitamin C, retinol with hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine:
What Does Vitamin C Serum Do?
Vitamin C serum is one of the most popular anti-aging skincare products on the market today. It has a number of benefits, including stimulating collagen production, brightening skin, and fading dark spots.
What Does Retinol Do?
Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A, so it’s sometimes called “vitamin A” or “vitamin A1.”
What Are the Benefits of Using Vitamin C Serum With Retinol?
Retinol encourages the production of collagen in the skin, which is important for healthy skin, hair, and nails. Vitamin C helps with collagen production as well, so using these ingredients together can help your skin look even-toned.
How to Use Vitamin C Serum With Retinol
There are two ways to use vitamin C serum with retinol—you can either layer them together or apply them separately. And both of them work.
Are There Any Side Effects?
The most common side effects of using vitamin C with retinol are redness, peeling, and dryness. These side effects are temporary, but some people may experience them more often. You will also have to wait at least a month before you see results.
Tips for Using Vitamin C With Retinol
Vitamin C serum is a powerful antioxidant that can help your skin fight off sun damage and environmental pollution. Therefore, it’s best to apply it in the morning before heading outside.
FAQs
Yes, it does. Vitamin C serum can make your skin more receptive to other active ingredients, including retinol. As a bonus, applying vitamin C first may help protect your skin from some of the retinol’s side effects, such as redness and flaking.