Sheila Krishna, it's totally fine to use vitamin C with over-the-counter retinol products or dermatologist-grade retinoids—which, BTW, is the broader term for vitamin A derivatives, including retinol, tretinoin, and adapalene, just to name a few.
Main Takeaways: Retinol and vitamin C can be easily and effectively used together as long as they're not used at the same time. Good to Know: By allowing a couple of hours between the application of retinol and vitamin C, even sensitive skins can avoid irritations. Recommended Products: Nectar of the C Vitamin C Serum.
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, it is especially important to avoid using the following skin products on the same area as tretinoin: Any other topical acne product or skin product containing a peeling agent (eg, benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, salicylic acid, or sulfur).
AHAs and BHAs, such as glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids should never be used with Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an acid, too, and is unstable, so the pH balance will be thrown off by layering these ingredients together and might as well be useless.
Don't Mix: Retinol with vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and AHA/BHA acids. AHA and BHA acids are exfoliating, which can dry out skin and cause further irritation if your skincare routine already includes retinol.
In short: yes, you can use vitamin C and retinol together; try retinol at night and vitamin C during the day—always with sunscreen.
To maximize your results from tretinoin and reduce your risk of side effects, it's best to pick a moisturizer that's 100 percent free of alcohol, benzoyl peroxide, artificial fragrances, salicylic acid or any other peeling agent or ingredient that has irritated your skin in the past.
So, should I use vitamin C or retinol for wrinkles? Well, when it comes right down to it, the choice is really in what you're looking to do for your skin. While vitamin C is incredible for the skin because of its ability to help brighten and improve hyperpigmentation, the best active ingredient for wrinkles is retinol.
Apply your vitamin C first, since it has the lower pH of the two. Then, wait half an hour before you apply your retinol. Incorporating the waiting period allows your skin's pH to return to normal, so each ingredient can work at its intended pH.
To reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and other signs of aging, vitamin C and retinol are two key ingredients to keep in your arsenal. Vitamin C is known for its brightening benefits, while retinol boosts cell turnover.
Vitamin C serum protects the collagens while the Retinol serum helps in cell turn over thereby creating new collagens. Vitamin C serum fights dry skin, while Retinol serum may dry out your skin upon regular usage. Vitamin C serum is not as effective as the Retinol serum in anti-ageing therapy.
Keep Your Face Clean
Touching your face or allowing oil or bacteria to build up can also increase the side effects of the tretinoin purge. Only touch your face with clean hands and leave your skin to do its thing. Also try not to pick at flaky or dry skin caused by the purge.
Generally, it is fine to use tretinoin every night, but you may not want to because of the initial side effects, especially when you first start. You should only use tretinoin as prescribed to avoid significant skin irritation, redness, and other side effects.
Fortunately, it's safe to mix niacinamide and retinol. In fact, the combination is considered to have numerous benefits.
Is it a good idea to combine Vitamin C, Retinol and Hyaluronic Acid in a skincare routine? Yes. These ingredients work well when used individually and even better when paired together.
After 4-6 weeks, your skin will get used to tretinoin and will begin to be noticeably smoother and more even. A lot of the initial irritation will settle down and true “retinization” of your skin is in full force.
"You can use tretinoin or [over-the-counter] retinols forever."
The only skin care product that can truly provide a slight tightening effect with regular use is Retin A, or Tretinoin. This is because Vitamin A helps speed up skin cell turnover, helping to boost collagen production.
Tretinoin purging is when the skin gets worse before it gets better. Tretinoin speeds up the skin cell turnover process, causing some initial breakouts, drying, and peeling. These symptoms eventually go away and leave clearer skin underneath.
Many tretinoin users experience a “purge” during the first several weeks of treatment. During this period, acne — the very problem tretinoin is supposed to treat — often gets worse, resulting in everything from the occasional whitehead to severe breakouts.
Retinoids such as Tretinoin, acids such as salicylic, and benzoyl peroxide are just a few of the products that cause purging. These products contain active ingredients that increase the skin cell turnover rate, therefore causing your skin to purge.
While the best vitamin C serums tend to focus on collagen synthesis, skin tone and clarity to shift pigmentation, the best retinol creams speed up cell turnover so can prove helpful in learning how to get rid of acne and for general textural improvements.
You can absolutely use vitamin C and niacinamide together, Singh goes on to emphasize. That said, if you ever have any doubts as to whether it's safe to mix two skin care ingredients, a dermatologist can always offer advice. Your skin is affected by more than what you put on it.
Can You Use Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C Together? Not all powerful skincare ingredients can be mixed, but hyaluronic acid and vitamin C are two that become even stronger when paired with one another. These ingredients can provide both immediate and lasting results when used together in anti-aging formulations.