What Factors Into Combining Vitamin C And Retinol
Unfortunately, there are wrong ways to combine vitamin C and retinol. If you arent aware of the best practices of using both ingredients, you may inadvertently make both less effective.
You cant just layer them on top of each other like you can with many of the other skin care ingredients out there. When it comes to effectively combining them, it comes down to two different factors pH and solubility.
PH
pH is the first important factor to take into account. Much like the skin has a specific pH , water-based skin care products also exist on that same scale.
When they are created, skin care companies design them to work optimally in a small pH range. Skin care products that arent water-based, which we call anhydrous, dont have a pH.
Vitamin C, and more specifically L-ascorbic acid , requires a lower pH than the skin. To effectively penetrate the skin, products that include vitamin C need to be at a pH of 3.5 or lower.
Retinol, on the other hand, works best at a pH closer to the skin. That pH is usually between 5.0 and 6.0 and tends to be the same across the board retinol, retinoids and retinol esters.
Obviously, with a pH scale that only spans from 0 to 14, a gap of 2 is relatively significant. That means that using them too closely together can either raise the pH of the vitamin C or lower the pH of the retinol, making both of them less effective.
SOLUBILITY
Can You Use Them Together
So now you know what retinol and vitamin C do for the skin separately, but what happens when you combine them? Well, you might just hit the jackpot of skin care when utilizing the power of both products, but it’s important to do it right.
Board-certified dermatologist and YouTube content creator Andrea Suarez, M.D., FAAD, cautions against using the two at the same time. “The two ingredients and their respective formulations can sometimes be very irritating if used together,” she says. Not to mention, layering them one after the other might render them ineffective.
As a general rule of thumb: Use retinol at night and vitamin C in the morning. “To get the most benefit from vitamin C, you want to use it during the day to protect the skin while exposed to environmental stressors such as the sun and pollution,” celebrity esthetician and skin expert Shani Darden tells mbg. On the flip side, retinol can promote cell turnover while you snooze. Not to mention, it’s much safer to apply retinol in the evening, as it can sensitize your skin to sun exposure.
Here’s a quick breakdown, if you’d like to see the routine all planned out:
Retinol Basics And Benefits
Next up is retinol, a derivative of vitamin A. Retinoids are over the counter, while a dermatologist must prescribe retinoids. Many of the benefits of retinol are similar to vitamin C, although each ingredient works differently.
Retinol works by helping to increase the rate that the body can create and turn over new skin cells. What that means for your appearance is that your face is always showing the most youthful skin possible, which is often far more radiant and smooth.
That process can also keep more water inside the skin, increasing your hydration. Retinol also helps exfoliate to constantly clear off the dead skin cells from the skins surface.
Retinol can also help to trigger an increase in the production of collagen. Thats why so many consider it to be such an effective anti-aging skin care ingredient. This action method helps plump and firm the skin, leading to a decrease in the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles.
Its also an ingredient that can effectively minimize the number of blemishes you experience. It does this by helping to regulate the production of sebum , which is a frequent clogging agent that can lead to breakouts.
Here are a few of the benefits that people can experience with topical retinol use:
- Fights visible signs of aging
- Evens the skin tone and reduces hyperpigmentation/dark spots
- Brightens the skin
The only potential drawback of retinol is that it can irritate the skin, especially for people prone to sensitivity.
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How To Use Vitamin C And Retinol Or Derm
Though its perfectly fine to use vitamin C and retinol or retinoids in your skincare routine, each is better suited to a different time of day. Vitamin C is best used in the morning, while retinoids are better for your nighttime skincare routine.Start your day with vitamin C to provide a shield and prevent damage from the suns UV rays that youll be exposed to during the day. Sun exposure is one element that generates free radicals in the skin, ultimately contributing to skin aging. In fact, its estimated that UV rays are responsible for up to 80% of skin damage. Vitamin C neutralizes free radicals from the sun to protect against photoaging.After your cleanser, apply your vitamin C serum to dry skin, followed by your moisturizer and sunscreen .Retinoids are better suited to your nighttime routine because they can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays, and sunlight makes them less effective.That said, if youre a nighttime-skincare-routine-only kind of person, theres no harm in using them both together. The vitamin C will still work to nourish your skin after sun exposure.Those with sensitive skin types could experience side effects like dryness or irritation. If youre new to vitamin C, choose a vitamin C serum with a low concentration to start. Test for skin sensitivity with your new product on a small patch of skin to see how it reacts before slathering it onto your whole face. A hydrating moisturizer can help reduce dryness.
How To Apply Vitamin C Serum
First, youll want to test the product to make sure your skin doesnt react negatively to it. Heres the three step process:
Once you are ready to apply, check the product label for detailed instructions. Typically, you will apply twice a day after cleansing and toning, then put moisturizer over the vitamin C serum.
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Can C E Ferulic Be Used With A Retinoid Or Retinol
C E Ferulic should be the first step as part of your morning regimen while a retinol or retinoid should be used as one of the final steps of your nighttime regimen. There is no conflict or issue to use both within the same daily skincare regimen. Please consult your skincare physician with any questions.
Can You Use Vitamin C Serum With Retinol
Yes, you can use both vitamin C serum and retinol together. Combining the two is one of the best ways to maximize their benefits and enjoy beautiful skin, says Dr. Leslie Baumann, a board-certified dermatologist.
According to her, vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect your skin from free radicals that cause premature aging. It also reduces melanin production, which helps keep your skin clear and even-looking.
Retinol is also an antioxidant like vitamin C. However, unlike vitamin C, it also encourages cell growth and can help reduce aging signs by speeding up collagen production.
When combined properly, vitamin C and retinol complement each other very well. Retinol encourages cell turnover and collagen production, while vitamin C protects the cells from free radical damage.
Both ingredients are very effective in helping to reverse the signs of aging when used separately, but when combined they are even better.
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What Are Vitamin C And Retinol
Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a strong antioxidant. Smoke, pollution and the sun’s UV rays are all factorsthat can contribute to visible signs of aging.
When applied topically, some of the most noticeable vitamin C benefits for skin include:
- 1. Help improve the look of dark spots: Using vitamin C helps inhibit melanin formation, which means it may work to improvethe look of dark spots and even out skin tone.
- 2. Improve the look of sagging skin: Applying vitamin C topically may help fight signs of aging caused by the sun. Freeradicals can cause skin to loosen and sag, so giving your routine an antioxidant boost is a path to a complexion that looksand feels younger.
- 3. Brightening complexions: Free radicals can also cause skin to look dull, tired and lifeless. Applying vitamin C complementsthe skin’s natural turnover process for healthier-looking skin.
Retinol is just one of several kinds of retinoids a group of powerful vitamin A derivatives that can help fights signsof aging. Retinol and retinoids are often considered a holy grail wrinkle treatment, especially if you start using them inyour 30s to help improve the appearance of wrinkles.
What Are Essential Skincare Products For Any Routine
A healthy skin routine has a few key components. At Kiehls we recommend that you cleanse, tone, moisturize and apply sunscreen every day. For acne, dark spots and discolorations, fine lines and wrinkles and other concerns, apply targeted facial serums and treatments. Several times a week, treat your skin with a facial mask formulated to detoxify, hydrate or help firm skin.
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What Are Retinol And Vitamin C
What is retinol?Retinol is a hot topic in the skincare industryand even within that topic people debate retinoid vs retinol. Essentially all retinoids are vitamin A derivatives, they just come in a few different forms, from pure retinol to prescription-grade retinoids and gentler derivatives. Conventional cosmetics usually contain retinol esters called retinyl palmitate and tretinoin, explains Vanessa Thomas, cosmetic chemist and founder of Freelance Formulations . Your body converts these into an active form, retinoic acid, that can then be used by your skin cells.
What is vitamin C?In skincare, the main function of vitamin C is working as one of our most effective antioxidants. “Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that works to neutralize free radicals in the skin,” explains aesthetic practitioner and founder of Natali Kelly Clinic , Natali Kelly. “It aids in your skins natural regeneration process, which helps your body repair damaged skin cells.” This gives it powerful protective and restorative properties when applied to the skin.
Can You Use Retinol And Vitamin C Together Pros Weigh In
Vitamin C and retinol are both popular products on the skincare scene, especially when it comes to reducing dark spots and fine lines. You’ve probably seen plenty of videos on TikTok or Instagram touting the benefits of each. But positive effects aside, many people are still left with an important question: Can you use retinol and vitamin C together?
We checked in with leading dermatologists Azadeh Shirazi, MD, and Todd Minars, MD. With their expertise, we dive into everything there is to know about combining retinol and vitamin C.
Meet the Expert
- Todd Minars, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
- Azadeh Shirazi, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and host of the podcast “More Than a Pretty Face.”
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What Are The Key Ingredients In La Roche Posay Vitamin C Serum
As you can see from the name, vitamin C is one of the key ingredients in La Roche Posay Vitamin C Serum. Before we give you the details on how vitamin C may benefit your skin, we have to point out that the La Roche Posay Vitamin C Serum contains a very high concentration of denatured alcohol. It is the fifth highest concentration ingredient in this serum. So why is this a problem? Lets take a closer look at what high amounts of denatured alcohol will do to your skin.
The problem with this type of alcohol is that, at first, it seems like its benefitting the skin. Initially, alcohol gives products a quick-drying finish, immediately degreases the skin, and imparts a weightless feel. The La Roche Posay Vitamin C Serum also contains a high concentration of glycerin and several different silicones. Combining denatured alcohol with glycerin and silicones will provide an effect that disguises signs of aging. You see, alcohol tightens the skin, glycerin hydrates the skin and thereby plumps skin, and silicones form a thin, invisible film that can help disguise signs of aging. However, these effects are temporary and will disappear once you wash off the product.
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What’s The Best Way To Get Vitamin C And Retinols
Vitamin C is at its most potent when it’s stable packaging it in serum capsules protects it from exposure to light andair that would make it less effective. Retinols seem to be most effective when found in creams and serums just make surethe ingredient in the formula says retinol.
To give your routine an anti-aging one-two punch, try first applying a vitamin C serum in the morning. In your nighttimeroutine, use a layer of a hydrating, retinol-based cream or a lightweight retinol oil. One study found that subjects usingstabilized vitamin C in a moisturizer and a retinol as part of their face regimen saw improvements in the look of discolorationsin as little as four weeks.
Unfortunately, there’s no real-life fountain of youth but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your skin feeling fresh andnew.
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They May Not Dissolve Or Penetrate
The next thing to think about is whether the ingredients are oil-soluble or water-soluble.
- Retinol is oil-soluble, so it will only dissolve in oil.
- L-ascorbic acid is water-soluble, so it will only dissolve in water.
Oil and water don’t mix. So if you’re adding a water-soluble vitamin C into an oil-soluble retinol, it will not dissolve. That means it won’t penetrate your skin, and you won’t get any of the vitamin C’s benefits.
Another thing to keep in mind is that oils can create a barrier on the skin that blocks the absorption of water-based productsanother reason not to mix oil-based and water-based solutions.
Best Affordable Vitamin C: Mad Hippievitamin C Serum
- Not sold in many stores
This one is an automatic winner, thanks to the wonderful cocktail of ingredients. Vitamin C is accompanied by plumping hyaluronic acid as well as vitamin E, which works to stabilize the formula and hydrate the skin. If you’re looking to combine a few steps in your morning routine, definitely consider this serum from Mad Hippie.
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What Is Retinol And How Does It Work
Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A that’s often used in skincare products to stimulate collagen production and trigger cell turnover . By signaling cells to behave like younger cells, retinol can smooth fine lines and wrinkles, fade dark spots and hyperpigmentation, and improve skins tone and texture, explains Dr. Engelman.
Retinol is also a fantastic ingredient for treating acne, since it “works on a cellular level to help kickstart your cell turnover rate, reduce inflammation, and decrease oil productionall key functions for keeping pores clear and skin free of breakouts,” Dr. Marchbein has previously told Cosmo.
Retinol is available in various potencies either over-the-counter or via a prescription and is typically offered in the form of a face serum, gel, or night cream.
Can You Apply Retinol And Vitamin C At The Same Time
Adding both retinol and vitamin C to your skincare routine is unfortunately not as simple as layering one ingredient over the other, or just mixing them together.
In fact, doing either of those things could be a waste of your time and money.
If you’re going to get the most out of these ingredients, you NEED to be aware of two factors: pH and solubility.
Here’s what happens to them when you use retinol and vitamin C at the same time, and why it matters.
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Is It Bad To Use Retinol And Vitamin C Together
No, it isnt.You can use retinol and vitamin C serum together on your skin. Incorporating the two ingredients in your routine stands to benefit your skin greatly.
However, you have to learn to properly layer the two ingredients correctly. This is the only way to enjoy the benefits of both ingredients without irritating or damaging your skin.
How To Use Vitamin
- Wash your face, pat it dry and take 2-3 drops of the Clear Skin Serum on your fingertips.
- Apply the smooth serum evenly onto cleansed skin. And let it be absorbed by the skin.
- Use the serum as the step before applying moisturizer and using sunscreen is recommended after the application of the face serum.
P.S. Clear Skin Serum can be used during the day.
- For fruitful results, use Earth Rhythm’s Niacinamide Serum at night before bedtime.
- All serums from Earth Rhythm are for external use only.
Shop Now From Earth Rhythm, Explore the Exclusive Range of Face Serum, and Select According to Your Skin Type.
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Maximize Your Skincare Routine With Comfort Zone’s Vitamin C And Retinol Products
Your skincare routine should work for you. When you add powerful ingredients like vitamin C and retinol, you’re ensuring your skin is protected from environmental stressors, harmful UV rays, and the negative effects of free radicals.
All Comfort Zone products are vegan, cruelty free, and sustainable, so you can get skin you feel comfortable in without harming the planet.
