The use of vitamin C serum and niacinamide is a growing trend in the skincare industry. But, what are their essential ingredients, and are they right for you?
In this blog, you'll learn everything you need to know about these popular ingredients as well as when and how to use them.
What Do Vitamin C and Niacinamide Do?
A vitamin C serum is a product that contains vitamin C, usually in an organic form, such as hyaluronic acid or sodium ascorbyl phosphate. These active ingredients boost collagen production, which can help improve the appearance of your skin.
Niacinamide and vitamin C also aid in restoring the natural barrier function of the skin, allowing your skin to heal itself. They also make fine lines less visible while giving your skin a younger and healthier-looking appearance.
Difference Between Vitamin C and Niacinamide
Vitamin C and niacinamide have similarities but they have small differences in terms of benefits. As a mild acid, Vitamin C is better for exfoliating and brightening skin than niacinamide. On the other hand, niacinamide is better for keeping skin moisturized.
So, when should you use a vitamin C serum and niacinamide?
When Should I Use Vitamin C Serum?
Whether you're a die-hard beauty enthusiast or are just beginning to explore the incredibly vast world of skincare, you've most likely heard about vitamin C serums. If you haven't tried one yet, it's probably because you aren’t familiar with its benefits and when to use it.
To help you out, here are three instances when you should apply this serum to your skin.
After Cleansing Your Face
A good time to use vitamin C is in the morning and evening.
Early in the morning, after cleansing your face with an exfoliating cleanser, you can apply it before your moisturizer if your skin is dry. To allow the serum to penetrate as deeply as possible into your pores, make sure that your face is free of makeup.
Great cleansers that go well with vitamin C are those formulated with AHA or BHA (alpha or beta hydroxy acids). These two ingredients help remove dead skin cells, encourage cellular turnover and collagen production, minimize breakouts, and brighten skin.
Organic cleansers like gentle foaming cleansers are also wonderful options for cleansing your skin since they too have the ability to remove dead skin cells from your skin’s topmost layer.
After Applying Sunscreen
If you use sunscreen, you should layer on your sunscreen first and then your serum. This is because sunscreen is more effective and better absorbed by the skin if it’s applied first. This vitamin C-sunscreen combo provides dual protection for your complexion and makes them more effective if applied consistently.
In time, you may notice that your acne scars and fine lines become less visible. You’ll also be protecting yourself against sun damage and sunburn.
Before Putting on Makeup
Putting vitamin C serum under your makeup helps condition your skin for the cosmetic products you’ll be applying on top. It can create a smoother, more even-toned, and dewy-looking finish, giving you a nicer canvas to work with.
Applying it next to the skin before your foundation, concealer, and finishing powder also allows it to permeate more deeply and work more intensively.
When Should I Use Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is one of the most commonly used and well-known forms of vitamin B3. It's used to treat many different skin conditions, including acne and rosacea. But when should you put it on?
After Cleansing Your Face
Niacinamide is a unique ingredient that can be used in the evening and morning. Use it after cleansing but before applying your preferred moisturizer. Make sure your skin is free of makeup or oils before layering it on your face so the product sinks deeper into your skin.
Is It Safe To Combine Vitamin C and Niacinamide?
Vitamin C and niacinamide are universally acknowledged as having immense benefits for the skin, however, many blogs and magazine articles have cautioned against using the two together. They claim that combining them will neutralize their active ingredients, reducing their effectiveness and may even cause irritation.
Is there any truth to this?
Thankfully, research has long since disproven this myth, and anything that says otherwise is based on outdated information. According to Dr. Meena Singh, a dermatologic surgeon from KMC, “This stems from outdated research using pure forms of niacinamide with ascorbic acid. They were combined at a very high temperature and shown to form nicotinic acid, which can lead to skin irritation.”
Nonetheless, if you have doubts about the safety of these products, you can introduce them to your skin gradually by applying one product at a time every other day, performing a patch test first, or consulting a dermatologist.
Conclusion
Vitamin C and niacinamide are great for achieving more youthful-looking skin. They can make your skin tone look more even by reducing the appearance of old scars, fine lines, and hyperpigmentation. They can even reduce pimples.
If you’re using them as serums, layer them on first on freshly cleansed skin to enjoy their maximum benefits.