How To Use Hyaluronic Acid With Retinol
Hyaluronic acid is a moisturizing agent that helps to hydrate the skin. When combining your retinol with hyaluronic acid, it is best to use your serum first before applying your hyaluronic acid to your skin.
How to do it:
- Cleanse your face using warm water and a gentle face cleanser.
- Dry your face using a clean towel and apply your facial toner.
- Massage a drop or two of retinol serum on your face using your palm or fingertips.
- Keep massaging for a few minutes
- Wash off any leftover retinol on your palm or fingertips
- Let your skin fully absorb the retinol, then you can apply your hyaluronic acid. This will moisturize your skin and prevent the drying effect of retinol serum on your skin.
Other useful tips:
- Do not combine or mix your retinol with exfoliants if you are a first-time user of retinol serum or if you have sensitive skin.
- Do not use more than the recommended amount of retinol serum per application.
- Always wear a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every time you use your retinol in your morning routine.
- Always moisturize your skin after applying retinol serum to it to avoid getting dry skin.
- Avoid applying your retinol serum on wet skin. Ensure that your skin is completely dry before the application of retinol on your skin.
How To Use Vitamin C Serum To Brighten And Glow Up Your Skin
You probably already know what vitamin C serum does to the skin, but do you know how to use it effectively to boost your skin appearance? This article right here will enlighten you on how to use it to get the most benefit from it.
If you do not already know, Vitamin C contains the best anti-aging properties and that is what makes it spectacular. The use of vitamin C serum can instantly upgrade your skincare game as it turns your dull skin around into radiant glowing skin.
It will help to achieve the glow and shine that will make your skin-pop by maintaining a smooth, even skin tone for you. Another good news, it works for all skin types.
The serum is quite popular in skincare work, and I bet you cant wait to reap all of its benefits. Ahead in this article, you will discover several ways to use it to achieve the utmost result.
Tips For Using Vitamin C And Retinol
While using vitamin C and retinol was considered harmful in the past, now you know that its perfectly okay. Just ensure you follow these tips:
1. Start Slowly
As with any skincare ingredient or product, start slowly and observe how your skin reacts.
Thats because although very effective, vitamin C and retinol are intense ingredients and so you need to give your skin time to adjust before you go all in. Integrating them too quickly can cause dryness, flakiness, or inflammation.
You could begin using them once a week and if you dont notice any reaction, use them twice a week, then thrice a week until you reach the most suitable frequency for you.
2. Wear Sunscreen
Yes, vitamin C builds a barrier that protects the skin from UV rays, but this doesnt mean you shouldnt wear sunscreen.
And no matter how much you change specific ingredients in your routine to meet your skincare concerns, you should always include SPF.
Sunscreen application applies too to when you introduce retinol to your skincare. As mentioned earlier, retinol is a form of vitamin A. This vitamin thins the skins barrier, increasing its susceptibility to the suns UV rays, so its vital to wear SPF when using retinol.
3. Hydrate
Your skin needs regular hydration and moisture for it to be healthy. And the fact that retinol can have a considerable drying effect on the skin, causing flakiness and dryness, is more reason to hydrate often.
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Vitamin C Treatment Regimen
For the best outcome, use vitamin C serum daily. And because a primary benefit of using vitamin C is it helps protect skin by shielding it from pollution, radicals, and ultraviolet light, you want to use it in the morning rather than the evening.
After applying vitamin C, give your face 90 seconds to absorb and follow with a moisturizer. The moisturizer seals the benefits of your serum and boosts your skins protective lipid barrier.
To get the most out of a vitamin C serum:
- Apply it and also sunscreen to bolster protection as SPF absorbs UVA and UVB rays. Teaming up vitamin C serum with sunscreen can also reduce signs of premature aging.
- Use it after cleansing and toning, then apply moisturizer and SPF.
- Vitamin C serum works best on exfoliated skin. Otherwise, when you dont exfoliate, and theres a build-up of dead skin cells, it makes it difficult for the product to penetrate. However, especially chemical exfoliates can irritate your skin, therefore avoid using them at the same time. Instead, apply one in the morning and the other at night.
Keep an eye on the products ingredients list and percentages to get an idea of its effect on your skin, more so after exposure to sunlight. We understand these lists can sometimes seem like a foreign language, so if youre unsure how strong a percentage is, contact the company.
Benefits Of Vitamin C For Your Skin
Vitamin C is one of the best ingredients for clear, healthy skin. It will do two main things for you:
- Prevent sun damage & premature aging
- It keeps dark spots, wrinkles, and skin sagging away. The sun creates oxidants in your skin that accelerate the skin aging by causing dark spots and pigmentation issues.
- Vitamin C is a super antioxidant that neutralizes the oxidants to prevent sun damage. It also gives you a healthy glow.
- Supports collagen to counteract wrinkles & crepiness
- Vitamin C plays a key role in collagen production. That is a protein that makes up 75% of your skin. It keeps it firm and bouncy. You lose 1% of collagen per year, which causes crepey skin and wrinkles.
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Should You Use Vitamin C With Retinol
Theres been a lot of uncertainty around using retinol and vitamin C. This hesitation is due to their differing pH levels.
You see, both retinol and vitamin C require a specific pH level to get absorbed into the skin. For vitamin C, its 0 to about 3.5, while retinol requires a higher pH level of 5.5 to 6. And mixing vitamin C and retinol results in an increase in the vitamin Cs pH and a decline in the retinols pH, which is why many believe that the two ingredients render each other ineffective.
However, contrary to this popular belief, the two work brilliantly together. The secret lies in applying the two in succession. Apply vitamin C serum and wait a minimum of 30 minutes to give it time to get absorbed before using retinol.
Its common, though, to experience skin irritation, but you can prevent such a reaction by using them at different times of the day. Ideally, you can use your vitamin C serum in the morning and the retinol at night.
Vitamin C stabilizes retinol, making it more effective. And when applied correctly in the right succession, the two ingredients form a barrier which protects the skin from the adverse effects of the environment that cause skin damage and speed up aging.
Benefits Of Using A Vitamin C Serum
Here are the benefits of using vitamin C:
- Hydrating: Manganese ascorbyl phosphate, a precursor of vitamin C, hydrates the skin, helping it to maintain its moisture by reducing trans epidermal water loss .
- Brightening: Using vitamin C can help reduce pigmentation and dullness, resulting in a youthful glow.
- Evens skin tone: Vitamin C is known to treat several inflammatory conditions, including redness, leading to an even skin complexion.
- Fades hyperpigmentation: Sometimes, excess melanin is produced in certain skin areas, resulting in dark spots, such as sunspots and melisma. Applying vitamin C in these areas hinders melanin production, removing dark spots much like hydroquinone.
- Promotes collagen production: Over time, collagen depletes, causing fine lines and wrinkles to develop. Vitamin C bolsters collagen production.
- Can help reduce under-eye circles: It plumps and hydrates the area under the eyes, smoothing out the discoloration causing the circles.
- Helps prevent skin sagging: Collagen is tied to skin elasticity and firmness, and when its levels drop, the result is the skin sagging. But when you apply vitamin C serum, it helps boost collagen production, causing overall tightening.
- Protects against sun damage: Because vitamin C is rich in antioxidants, it acts as a barrier against the damaging effect of free radicals.
- Helps soothe sunburns: Vitamin C promotes cellular turnover, enabling the damaged sunburn cells to be replaced with new healthy ones.
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Store Your Vitamin C Serum Properly
When buying a vitamin C serum, make sure its packaged in an airtight container, preferably made of tinted glass. This is because vitamin C is quite unstable and can quickly get deactivated if overexposed to air, water or light.
After youve brought it home, its best to store it in a dark and cool place to prevent it from getting oxidized. A good storage spot could be inside a cool cabinet or in your refrigerator. Dont leave it around on your dresser.
Are you looking for the perfect vitamin C serum for your skin? Check out this great all-natural serum that contains 20% vitamin C for the optimal antioxidant protection for your skin. Not just that, it also contains other skin-protecting ingredients such as ferulic acid, vitamin E, vitamin B3, hyaluronic acid and more.
Is vitamin C your skincare favorite too? How did it help you with your skin issues? Let us know in the comments section below.
Use Vitamin C In The Morning
While you can use vitamin C serum any time of the day, mornings are the best time for application. This is because it can protect your skin when youre ready to go out and your skin gets exposed to the maximum levels of UV radiation, pollution, and other stressors.
With that said, you should give your skin a few minutes before heading out so that the serum can be properly absorbed. Otherwise, light can interfere with its absorption.
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Can The Formula Change In Color Once Opened And Does This Impact Product Efficacy
The formula color of LiftActiv Vitamin C Serum may change over time, but this has no effect on product efficacy. The formula is stored in dark colored glass packaging to slow down oxidation and other degradation accelerated by light. Glass is the most stable way to store Vitamin C formulas, as acids can react with plastic packaging. To help maximize product potency, store in a cool, dry place and keep away from heat and light.
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Option : Apply Them At The Same Time
You might be surprised to know that it’s also possible to apply your vitamin C serum and acid together, at the same time.
In fact, using an acid right before vitamin C could actually ENHANCE your results.
That’s because the active form of vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, has been found to penetrate best at a low pH, under 3.5.
We know that AHAs and BHAswhich are typically between pH 3.0 and 4.0make the skin more acidic by lowering its pH. So by applying an acid first, it will create the optimal conditions for the L-ascorbic acid to be effective.
Acids may even improve the conversion of vitamin C derivatives into L-ascorbic acid.
“Non-acidic forms of vitamin C are almost always of a higher pH than AHAs, so be sure that you acidify the skin first so that the THD , MAP , or ascorbyl glucoside can actually be broken down or transformed/activated into L-ascorbic acid to begin with,” suggests FutureDerm founder Nicki Zevola Benvenuti.
Post-application, the 30-minute waiting period would be applicable here as well. This will give the two treatments enough time to do their jobs at the low pH before applying hydration or sun protection.
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What Should I Look For When Choosing A Vitamin C Serum
A topical vitamin C antioxidant must be formulated properly in order to be effective. Based on the research of SkinCeuticals founding scientist Dr. Sheldon Pinnell, SkinCeuticals was the first to discover the exact formulation specifications required for optimal vitamin C absorption and efficacy. This is dependent on three factors, known as the Duke Antioxidant Patent the use of pure vitamin C , formulated at an acidic pH , and in a concentration between 10 and 20 percent. SkinCeuticals is the only skincare brand to formulate in accordance with these parameters.
Create An Even Skin Tone
It is found that Vitamin C can be extremely beneficial for treating hyperpigmentation. When there are areas on the skin that appear darker than the others, Vitamin C serum can be helpful. Certain conditions like hormonal changes or sun exposure are generally linked with aging signs. Some resources have shown that Vitamin C use can reduce melanin production, which is responsible for the darker appearance of the skin.
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The Moisturizer Goes After The Vitamin C Serum
Dont forget to seal in the ascorbic acid with a good moisturizer.
Whether you love creams, lotions or emulsions, a moisturizer helps seal in all the benefits of using a Vitamin C serum, such as brightening the overall appearance of the skin, getting rid of sunspots, and hyperpigmentation, and boosting skin repair.
How Do You Know If Retinol Is Working
You will be able to tell that your retinol serum is working when you start to notice changes in your skin.
Retinol helps to reduce aging signs such as wrinkles and fine lines and it also helps to smoothen the skin by promoting cell reproduction. If you have been using your retinol for a while, your skin should reflect the benefits.
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What About An At
While you can follow many of the same steps for a facial at home, its hard to replicate the experience of a spa facial. Compare it to rubbing your own feet or getting a professional foot massage theyre essentially the same thing, but the experiences are completely different.
Still, if youd like to enjoy the benefits of vitamin C without heading to the spa, you can absolutely follow the steps in a standard facial cleansing, exfoliating, massage and then use a vitamin C mask or serum.
I think vitamin C serums are best, Duffy says. That way you can layer sunscreen on top and it doesnt feel too heavy.
Incorporating a vitamin C serum into your regular routine has the added benefit of consistency. A daily vitamin C serum would be better than a vitamin C facial because the serum is applied daily, notes Duffy.
Keep in mind, too, that vitamin C is unstable, reactive, and prone to losing its antioxidant properties when exposed to air, light, and heat.
So, while you can find vitamin C powder, mixing it up with your favorite moisturizer may not yield the results you hope for. For maximum efficacy, your best option usually involves buying quality vitamin C products instead of trying to make them yourself.
Ingredients Of Vitamin C Serum From Natavis:
Vitamin C serum from Natavis is one of the best skin products in the world, and here are the reasons:
- It contains 10% Vitamin C, making it suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin.
- Contains Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate instead of pure Ascorbic Acid, which is more stable and weather resistant.
- Contains Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that doubles up with Vitamin C and doubles the serum’s ability to neutralize free radicals.
- It contains green tea extract and Ginkgo Biloba leaf extract, making it the best acne treatment.
- Contains a blend of hyaluronic acid and cassia Angustifolia seed extract, which works to eliminate wrinkles and fine lines.
Finally, Natavis Vitamin C Serum is 100% natural, without any chemicals or aromatics that have been shown to cause skin irritation.
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Notice If The Product Has Changed Color
Your vitamin C serum should be colorless or a light straw color, Dr. Hogan says. If it is oxidized, it becomes yellow or brown and is likely going to be less effective.
You can still use it if you want, but it wont do as much for your skin and, very rarely, oxidized vitamin C products can even cause slight yellow discoloration of the skin, Dr. Hogan says.
So consider getting rid of any vitamin C products that have dramatically changed color since you bought them. Especially if it is brown, I would say to toss it, Dr. Lamb says.
How Does Vitamin C Fight Free Radical Damage
Free radicals are produced in skin from environmental factors such as UV rays, infrared, pollution, and cigarette smoke causing atmospheric skin aging by generating free radicals — unstable molecules with unpaired electrons. Free radicals try to steal electrons from healthy molecules, causing oxidative stress. Over time, free radical damage leads to visible signs of accelerated skin aging including fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, and laxity. This science is known as the free radical theory of aging .Vitamin C, in its pure form , helps protect against this damage by donating electrons to neutralize damaging free radicals, in turn helping prevent the appearance of premature aging.
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