Your skin requires a low pH level (0 to about 3.5)to absorb Vitamin C, while Retinol requires a higher pH level (around 5.5 to 6). When you mix Vitamin C and Retinol, the pH of vitamin C increases and the pH of Retinol decreases — hence why it's believed that the two ingredients render each other ineffective.
The truth: You can use vitamin C with retinol and retinoids. Get them as separate products so you can tailor the concentration of each and use them at the right time of day. Although vitamin C can be used day or night, it is ideal for daytime use, while retinol and retinoids should be applied at night.
Since retinol and L-ascorbic acid have a big gap in pH, using them at the same time will lower the retinol's pH and raise the vitamin C's pH. The result? The retinol will become less active, and the vitamin C will have a reduced ability to get into your skin. Essentially, they will both become less effective!
Don't Mix Retinol and Vitamin C
Combining these two all-stars won't necessarily harm your skin, but it's best to avoid it if possible. Vitamin C can become inactive with small variations in a solution's pH, like when you add retinol into the mix.
Can vitamin C and retinol be used together? The short answer is that yes, vitamin C and retinol can be used together. “Given the facts about these two ingredients, I'm baffled why this myth about them being incompatible persists,” Paula Begoun, the "Cosmetics Cop" and founder of Paula's Choice, tells us.
In short: yes, you can use vitamin C and retinol together; try retinol at night and vitamin C during the day—always with sunscreen.
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.
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.
Rouleau says the best time to use a scrub is in the morning. Overnight you've loosened up dead skin cells with your glycolic acid or retinol products, making the morning a perfect time to brush them off.
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.
First, vitamin C works to help improve the look of dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin. Then, retinol steps in to help improve skin's elasticity. The result is that retinol and other retinoids may help improve skin's texture while helping to minimize the look of fine lines.
Can you use niacinamide with retinol and vitamin C? You can indeed use all three of these ingredients together, but the order in which you layer them play an important role when avoiding skin irritation. To gain optimal results I would suggest using a serum enriched in vitamin C during your morning routine.
Retinoids work best if you use them daily. Specifically, they should be used at night because some types are deactivated by light and air. It's important to start slowly and allow your skin time to adjust. Using too much too quickly can cause redness, dryness, and irritation.
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.
“AHA, BHA, retinol, and benzoyl peroxide can be mixed with moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and rosehip oil to get effective results — just ensure you are not using retinol as well as AHA or BHA's during the day," says Graf.
Many people wonder when the best time is to use their Vitamin C products. While some associate Vitamin C with daytime, others believe nights and evenings are best to use their Vitamin C-infused products. The truth is, Vitamin C can work effectively in the days or evenings.
Vitamin C is used for its anti-ageing benefits as it boosts collagen, improves elasticity and repairs damaged cells. Using it before bed is safer and has far more beauty benefits and thus, we totally recommend you to use it in the night, before hitting the sack.
For peeling skin related to retinoids, it is important to keep your skin moisturized and hydrated. Externally, utilizing a thick emollient over the retinoid will help with peeling skin. Emollients are essentially moisturizers that soothe and soften the skin, treating dry and peeling or flaky skin.
It's best to apply Vitamin C before Retinol, as Vitamin C has a lower pH than Retinol. Once your skin absorbs the Vitamin C serum, your skin will return to its regular pH levels after 30 minutes or so. (You want your skin to return to its normal pH levels so vitamin C doesn't lower the pH of retinol.)
Use your vitamin C serum first, and let it dry.
Then "Let vitamin C completely dry prior to placing niacinamide," says Lamm. That way, the ascorbic acid has a chance to settle into the skin, and there's a smaller chance of combining the two actives.
When layering these powerful ingredients applying vitamin C first and leaving about 15 minutes in between applying your niacinamide product will give the skin enough time to absorb and remain comfortable before using niacinamide to lock moisture into the skin.
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.
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.
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.