To give your routine an anti-aging one-two punch, try first applying a vitamin C serum in the morning. In your nighttime routine, use a layer of a hydrating, retinol-based cream or a lightweight retinol oil.
Vitamin C and Retinol on Alternate Nights. Apply your vitamin C first, since it has the lower pH of the two. Then, wait half an hour before you apply your retinol the waiting period allows your skin's pH to return to normal and decreases the risk of irritancy.
Retinol and Vitamin C don't actually mix well and can degrade each other making them at best inert, at worst capable of causing a chemical burns or damage. Products like these use extremely low concentrations of actives to keep the products stable.
For application: 2-3 drops of each serum and 1 pea-sized amount of creams should be enough for your face and neck. If you plan to incorporate multiple Vitamin C's, Retinoids, or Direct Acids into your routine, use them on alternate evenings. Make sure your skin adjusts to one before introducing another.
Skin Cycling, approved by dermatologists consists of a 4 night routine (cycle). Exfoliate, retinol, recover, recover. Dry face throughly before applying your vitamin C cream or serum. Use a pea sized amount on face and a pea size amount for neck and 2 pea sized amounts for décolletage.
It's important to always start with clean, dry skin to make the most out of using retinol. Retinol penetrates the skin better and is more effective when applied after gently cleansing the skin with a mild face wash and toning it but before any moisturizer, since it acts as a treatment.
The last step of your night-time vitamin C skincare routine is to hydrate your skin and lock in the goodness of all the other vitamin C skincare products that you used so far. A rich and nourishing moisturiser locks moisture in your skin and rejuvenates your skin overnight.
Don't combine retinol with alpha or beta hydroxy acids, benzoyl peroxide, vitamin C, and other retinols or retinoids. Don't skip sunscreen Retinols are usually used as part of nighttime skincare routines, but even when they're applied at night, they can lead to lingering sun sensitivity.
Applying a retinol serum in the evening can help refine the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, skin texture, pores and post-acne marks. When used together, retinol and vitamin C provide a comprehensive approach to skincare that addresses multiple complexion concerns.
Retinol and other retinoids work best if you use them daily. But when you first start out, you should begin using retinol every 1 or 2 days. This helps your skin get used to it, and avoid irritation. After a few weeks, slowly work your way up to using it every night.
While you can work your vitamin C serum into either your morning or evening skincare routine, most dermatologists recommend the morning [2]. This keeps your skin protected from free radicals as you go about your day, and can work especially well with your sunscreen to keep you safe from UV radiation.
HA provides hydration, which can counteract the potential drying effects of retinoids. Since Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 is a water-based serum, it would be applied first and then after, you would apply retinoids, such as Retinol 1% in Squalane, as it's an anhydrous formulation.
We recommend applying vitamin C before using retinol, giving it 30 minutes in between to allow the vitamin C to fully absorb. This helps preserve the effectiveness of the retinol by allowing the skin to return to its natural pH level.
It's perfectly safe and very effective to incorporate both retinol and vitamin C into your skincare routine, as long as you use them at different times of the day.
The Best Moisturizers to Use After Retinol
Hyaluronic acid is the ultimate hydrator, she says, while products with ceramides help restore the skin barrier and lock in moisture. She also suggests using a formula that's fragrance-free (to prevent further irritation) and non-comedogenic (to avoid clogging pores).
Apply Vitamin C first because it is water-soluble and has a lower pH than retinol, allowing it to absorb fully into the skin for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, your skin will return to its natural pH level-this is vital so that the Vitamin C doesn't lower the pH of the retinol and lessen its effect.
After applying your retinol product, it's best to wait roughly 10 minutes before moving on to the next step in your routine.
Specifically, it's best to use vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night. The reason for that has a lot to do with how each ingredient works. Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant and may have sun-protective properties, so using it in the morning can boost your ability to limit potential damage from UV radiation.
Don't Mix with Certain Ingredients:
Avoid applying Vitamin C with products containing AHAs, BHAs, retinol, or benzoyl peroxide in the same routine. These ingredients have different pH levels that can clash with vitamin C, reducing its effectiveness and potentially causing irritation.
It's essential to make sure to wait until your skin is dehydrated before moving on to applying your retinol. If you use it on wet or even damp skin, there is a greater likelihood that you'll experience irritation. That is because cleansing the skin opens up the pores.
Nearly across the board, dermatologists recommend incorporating vitamin C serum into your morning routine as opposed to using it at night.
What vitamin deficiency causes sagging skin? A deficiency in Vitamin C can accelerate skin ageing, resulting in premature skin sagging and wrinkling. This is because Vitamin C enhances the production of the protein collagen, which is vital to providing the firmness and vibrancy that counteracts skin sagging.
Not using sunscreen:
Vitamin C serum can make the skin even more sensitive to the sun, making it especially important to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to protect the skin from UV damage.