Most of us are familiar with the benefits of Vitamin C vs Retinol vs Hyaluronic Acid for our skin. Nevertheless, many people would rather question how they differ and whether they can be combined into your skincare regimen. They are without a doubt some of the most popular names right now. 🙂
To make a better understanding of them, we’ll examine them, see their benefits, and explain whether you can combine them into your skincare routine.
Vitamin C on the face:
Vitamin C is among the most powerful anti-ageing ingredients available – and the key to maintaining a smooth, even, and glowing complexion.
Even though you probably consume vitamin C in your diet, there’s no guarantee it gets directly to your skin. You can get these benefits most directly by using topical serums and other products like masks.
Let’s look at the main benefits 🙂
Benefits
Besides, Vitamin C has been shown to improve wrinkles in a few clinical studies. For instance, using a vitamin C formulation daily for three months decreased the appearance of fine and coarse wrinkles on the face and neck.
We have seen on the list of benefits that vitamin C prevents the production of pigment in the skin, thereby reducing the appearance of dark spots. There are more studies to confirm that topical vitamin C is effective at lightening dark spots as compared to oral vitamin C, but more clinical trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness of vitamin C in lightening dark spots.
Aside from helping reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation, vitamin C can also help with acne.
Using Vitamin C on your face aids in strengthening the body’s natural defences against infection, as well as boosting the immune system. In addition to boosting collagen production, it can fade sunspots and even out dull skin.
Applying vitamin C together with broad-spectrum sunscreen is recommended, as UV rays can harm the skin. Also, combining vitamin C with other topical ingredients, such as vitamin E and ferulic acid, has been shown to reduce redness and prevent the damaging effects of long-term exposure to the sun.
As with everything, there is a downside. Let’s briefly examine what we need to consider.
What to be aware of?
*There has been no research done on vitamin C in children and it is not recommended.
*When purchasing vitamin C products, check the ingredients first.
*Do a patch test or consult your doctor if you have a known sensitivity or allergy to any of the ingredients.
*Consider using a formulation that also fights oils, or one that contains ingredients such as salicylic acid that prevent breakouts if you have oily or acne-prone skin.
For more information, please visit https://www.byrdie.com/vitamin-c-benefits#toc-other-forms
Retinol on the face:
Retinol is the anti-wrinkle, complexion-improving gold standard ingredient praised by dermatologists. A natural derivative of vitamin A, retinol is also known as retinyl acetate, retinyl palmitate, retinoic acid, and tretinoin.
Retinol is a form of vitamin A that turns into retinoic acid when it penetrates the skin. With its ability to change your skin at the cellular level, it treats a wide variety of skin conditions.
Benefits
A retinol prescription is most effective (that is Retin-A or retinoic acid), but it can be expensive and dry. In contrast, over-the-counter retinoids usually take 8 to 10 weeks to show results compared to prescription ones. They are often combined with anti-inflammatories to calm redness, peeling, and dryness.
When it comes to retinol, it’s better to use it soon rather than later. According to Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama, Corey L. Hartman, M.D., the founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology, retinol works best as a preventative measure.
It is important to introduce retinol gradually whenever you use it. As a beginner start applying it every other night. As your skin becomes accustomed to it, increase the daily application of retinol to two nights a week.
What to take into consideration?
Retinols are also thought to thin the skin, something that couldn’t be further from the truth. Increasing glycosaminoglycan production helps keep your skin taut, firm, and smooth.
During the first couple of weeks after starting retinol therapy, patients can experience redness, peeling, and dryness due to the exfoliation process, says Rita Linkner, M.D., founder of RVL Skincare.
In case your skin tends to be more dry than normal, it’s worth considering whether adding an extra boost before and after applying your retinol will minimize excessive peeling.
When using retinol-based products, avoid scrubs and AHA peels. Be sure to moisturize and use extra sunscreen for the first six months.
Hyaluronic acid on the face:
Hyaluronic acid is one of those essential skincare ingredients that are beneficial to nearly everyone. As the miracle hydrating molecule, hyaluronic acid can replenish dehydrated skin as well as give skin instant suppleness and plumpness.
The tiny molecule that is found on hyaluronic acid, functions as a lubricant for joints and as a humectant, or molecule which attracts and retains water. Because these molecules replenish skin with water so effectively, they are loved for their hydrating properties.
Its main function is to maintain the structure of your skin and give it a plump, hydrated appearance
Benefits
Research has shown that HA also has antioxidant effects on the skin. It serves as a shield to protect the skin from free radical damage – that is, daily assaults from the environment that ultimately dry out and prematurely age the skin.
HA can be found as an additional component in many skincare products such as cleansers, serums, lotions given its incredible benefits on the skin.
What to take into consideration?
When applying/using hyaluronic acid, it is extremely helpful to moisturise the skin to attract more water into the skin.
It is also important to note that hyaluronic acid does not exfoliate the skin. You should find an exfoliant like lactic acid that will gently remove dead skin cells.
Related:
*Salicylic Acid and Lactic Acid together is that possible?
Differences
Though it may appear like they have similar benefits for the skin, such as improving skin texture and appearance, these are what they do specifically:
Can you use them together?
Good news! Vitamin C, Retinol, and Hyaluronic Acid can be combined and used together in a skincare routine. 🙂
Individually, they are effective and when combined, they are even more powerful. For example, if you combine HA with ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C, you can create a skincare powerhouse.
As you age, your skin should be packed with active ingredients that boost moisture and clarity, from vitamins to moisture magnets, retinol, or hyaluronic acid. These last two work together in harmony. According to Hartman, retinol benefits can be achieved more effectively when combined with hyaluronic acid, which helps prevent retinol irritation.
In addition, they help improve the overall texture of the skin as well as fight fine lines.
What should be considered?
Skin experts suggest using Hyaluronic acid as a serum, which is often recommended to patients before using a retinol cream.
Hyaluronic acid plays well with most ingredients, but caution should be taken when using retinol with alpha-hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids, benzoyl peroxide, and some vitamins C.
Though hyaluronic acid and vitamin C can be combined, dermatologist Linkner advises against using vitamin C after hyaluronic acid. This is because it can exacerbate the irritation caused by ascorbic acid.
Vitamin C is known to be an effective skin healer on its own, but recent studies have shown that vitamins A, C, and E combined boost vitamin C’s skin-healing properties, which is good for your complexion. Therefore, retinol is a form of vitamin A that can be combined with it.
To determine how your skin will react to a product combination, it is always wise to conduct a patch test.
Quick-Step/Guide
The first step towards getting a good result is to cleanse, then apply Vitamin C in the morning, and apply retinol in the evening. The main reason you should use retinol in your evening routine is that once exposed to UV rays, the ingredient becomes ineffective.
The next step is to hydrate the skin by applying hyaluronic acid serum followed by moisturiser and of course do not forget sun protection SPF!
I would highly suggest you check out this website for a clearer guideline:
https://procoal.co.uk/blogs/beauty/how-to-combine-vitamin-c-retinol-and-hyaluronic-acid
“I have included referral links in this post, but it is not a sponsored post. See my Disclaimer for more information”.
To conclude, I would like to clarify that I am not a dermatologist. Skincare is one of my passions. I enjoy reading, researching, and learning about ingredients. I tend to experiment with new products every few weeks, mostly for you guys, and I’m sure I’ll try out the third combination -retinol.
My personal routine consists of cleansing, applying a serum, moisturise and of course SPF daily. The following are the products that I use: Cerave Hydrating Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid, Cerave Moisturising Cream, CeraVe Vitamin C Serum, La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 50 Sun Cream
So far, so good, but stay tuned for a future review of each of these products 😉
