To Pair or Not to Pair: Vitamin C and Niacinamide in Your Skincare Routine

When it comes to skincare and especially face care products, we tend to leave no stone unturned to find the perfect combination of the best ingredients for our skin, and rightfully so! From seeking recommendations for the best facemasks for natural to oily skin to spending hours scrolling through the internet to find your bottle of natural face serum, the skincare game can get pretty overwhelming at times. On top of that, sometimes there arises a controversy or two on certain products/ingredients and the effect their combination has on the skin, which leaves the consumers more confused than before. 

Off-late, there has been a myth doing rounds about using Vitamin C with Niacinamide- arguably two of the best natural face care products. Consumers express their concern that the combination might be one of the causes of acne, skin breakouts, redness, and itching. 

Before we confirm or deny the same, let us go through what each of these offers to the skincare and wellness industry. 

Vitamin C

This power ingredient needs no introduction! From dealing with hyperpigmentation to evening the skin tone, brightening and hydrating it, and promoting collagen production, Vitamin C has many benefits for the skin. Therefore, it is no wonder that the ingredient is commonly found in many night creams, anti-aging creams, and other face creams for women. 

Niacinamide

Yet another crucial player in the beauty and wellness market, Niacinamide, is a form of Vitamin B-3. But when it comes to skincare, it mimics many benefits of Vitamin C, such as helping reduce wrinkles and fine lines, treating skin breakouts, protecting against harmful UV rays, etc. It also helps regulate the natural oils on the skin, making it smooth and keeping it moisturized.

Now, to answer the question of whether Vitamin C and Niacinamide can be paired together or not? The short answer is yes! Vitamin C and Niacinamide can very well be paired together and have many benefits to offer.  

The myth that has been doing rounds is said to be based on 60-year-old research where extremely concentrated Vitamin C and Niacinamide were used in high temperatures resulting in a negative outcome. This is irrelevant in a real case scenario because such concentrated amounts are not used in skincare or other face products. Many experiments have also been done ever since using much more advanced technology, and the results showed no harmful side effects of the combination. 

Many beauty and wellness brands combine the two ingredients in many of their natural skincare products for glowing skin, such as a night cream or an anti-aging cream, to help consumers achieve their perfect skin goals. 

Why Should You Combine Both?

We have established that pairing Vitamin C with Niacinamide is not harmful to your skin. But is doing the same beneficial? The answer is, again, yes! 

While both the ingredients have a similar effect on the skin, how they achieve the same is quite different. For instance, in acne breakouts, Niacinamide wards off the bacteria and soothes the inflammation owing to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. At the same time, Vitamin C helps clear the scars by boosting collagen production- a protein that is responsible for providing a structure to your skin. Therefore, a combination of the two fills the gaps of one another and amplifies the effect they have on the skin. In other words, combining them helps you fight your skin concerns much more efficiently. 

How Do You Use Them?

Many facial care beauty products come with both Vitamin C and Niacinamide in their list of ingredients. However, if your products do not contain the same or lack either of the two and you are seeking to include them in your regimen separately, we recommend that you follow these tips-

• Vitamin C Followed By Niacinamide

The reason we recommend that you use Vitamin C before Niacinamide is that our skin tends to absorb acidic products first, and Vitamin C is more acidic owing to its lower pH levels. 

Niacinamide, which has a more balanced pH level, can be topped over Vitamin C in this case for best absorption of both products.

• Lighter product first

We also recommend that you use a lighter product first and apply a heavier one on top of it. For instance, if your Niacinamide is water-based and more lightweight, you may use it first, followed by Vitamin C, if it is heavier or cream-based. Because of the density of the molecules, both the products will be easily absorbed by the skin and give you all the benefits they have to offer.

• Any time of the day is fine

Both the products can be used as part of your morning and evening skincare routines. However, if you are using them in the morning, do not forget to use some sunblock on top of the products.

On a side note, we insist that you never step during the day without applying a good quality sunblock. 

Something to Watch Out For

Although the two power ingredients work supremely well together, we cannot promise that they won’t have any reactions on your skin. You may be allergic to either of the ingredients, or the concentration may be simply too much for your skin to handle. 

Hence, we suggest that you experiment and do a small patch test before incorporating them into your skincare routine to avoid any harsh or unwanted reactions. Once your skin starts adjusting to the new introduction, the benefits you will reap out of them will be awe-inspiring.