You'll want to apply your vitamin C serum to clean, dry skin. “As far as active ingredients go, vitamin C is quite unstable, and it's easily affected by outside elements such as air, light and moisture,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger.
Apply to clean, dry skin. You are going to want to apply your vitamin C to clean, dry skin right after washing or applying toner. It's important that your skin not be wet when you apply it. Vitamin C (especially L-ascorbic acid) is very unstable which means it loses potency when exposed to air, light, and water.
If all is well, you can begin using the product as recommended. Vitamin C-based products are suitable for both morning and night use. Apply it to a clean face before moisturizer and SPF if using it in the morning. Vitamin C is known to degrade when exposed to UV light, so it's important to protect your skin with SPF.
This is because damp skin is easier to penetrate than dry skin. (And when I say damp, I do mean damp. Think: just-cleansed or freshly-misted skin, not sopping wet.) This means your serums/face oils/moisturisers are going to get their best start so they can do their best work.
STEP 4: WAIT UNTIL YOUR SKIN IS DRY
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.
For the best results, dermatologists recommend applying your vitamin C serum first. Let it dry so your skin has the opportunity to absorb the ascorbic acid, and then move on to the niacinamide product.
Beta Hydroxy Acids
So that salicylic acid of yours should not be mixed with your vitamin C serum. It won't be able to help you with discoloration, collagen production, or protect you from UV rays. Additionally, combining the two can cause irritation and dryness.
There is no wait time required between applying your serum and moisturizer. You can even choose to mix them together in the palm of your hand before applying. (Exception: a daytime moisturizer with sunscreen shouldn't be mixed into other formulas since doing so could hinder the level of protection).
Yes, you can use hyaluronic acid and vitamin C together! Incorporating both hyaluronic acid and vitamin C into your skincare routine can provide exceptional benefits. Hyaluronic acid deeply hydrates and plumps the skin, while vitamin C brightens, protects against free radicals, and promotes collagen synthesis.
Vitamin C serums are notoriously sensitive to light, air, and heat. Exposure to these elements can cause the serum to degrade, leading to reduced effectiveness. Unfortunately, this is a mistake that many people overlook.
If you have more normal skin, go for a vitamin C serum with a lower pH of around 3.5 for optimal absorption. For sensitive skin, stick with something closer to the skin's pH level, at around 5 or 6. But sometimes, the product's pH levels may be hard to track down.
Skin benefits of vitamin C
A few clinical studies have demonstrated that vitamin C can improve wrinkles. One study showed that daily use of a vitamin C formulation for at least three months improved the appearance of fine and coarse wrinkles of the face and neck, as well as improved overall skin texture and appearance.
The REV-drying resulted in a 16.9% decrease in the total vitamin C content, while the air-drying resulted in a 33.3% decrease in the total vitamin C content. The values of β-carotene content were measured before and after drying for fresh carrots and dehydrated carrots.
Apply to Damp Skin
Compared to dry skin, damp skin is more receptive to skincare ingredients, so make sure you apply serum to damp skin after cleansing or mist skin with an soothing, alcohol-free toner for better and quicker absorption. Press serum into skin with an open palm, patting it on then smoothing it out.
Vitamin C serum up to 20% concentration can be applied twice daily both morning (AM) and night (PM) right after cleansing and hydration or toning. Take 2-3 drops of Vitamin C serum on your fingertips and gently apply them in your face and neck in circular motions.
What not to do after applying serum? After applying face serums you should never use any other skincare product immediately. Wait for a few minutes to allow it to get absorbed in your skin before you follow up with a moisturizer and sunscreen.
Serum and Moisturizer: 1 minute
Goldenberg's go-to recommendation for timing between serums and moisturizers is about one minute. This wait has the same reasoning: Sixty seconds — give or take — gives each product a moment to delve into your pores.
According to Women's Health, wet skin is 10 times more permeable than dry skin. This means that applying serum especially one with hyaluronic acid with its water-binding properties to wet skin can help quicken or enhance absorption of vitamins and nutrients in the formula.
"You can apply vitamin C serums to dry or damp skin post cleansing + toning, but avoid applying vitamin C to wet skin. It can make the acidic formula weaker by diluting it," says Anna De La Cruz, VP of Product Development.
4) Why does my skin look darker after using Vitamin C? If you are applying Vitamin C without sunscreen, it is likely that the Vitamin C degrades into Erythrulose, which is an ingredient you will find in many self-tanners. So please make sure you apply sunscreen always after applying Vitamin C.
Applying VItamin C serums to damp skin doesn't enhance their effects; instead, you'll neutralise the slightly acidic formula, making your Vitamin C serum weaker and potentially sabotaging yourself from ever seeing the results of Vitamin C: radiant, glowy skin.
In other cases, mixing can destabilize or cancel out the benefits of the antioxidant. Here are some ingredients to never mix with vitamin C: Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid.
Vitamin C is effectively an acid (it's sometimes known as ascorbic acid), so layering it with AHAs and BHAs like glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids is a big no-no.