Niacinamide and Vitamin C: Can You Mix Them?

Why do some individuals suppose it’s unsafe to combine the 2?

Dr. Meena Singh, a board licensed dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon at KMC Hair Center, explains:

“This stems from outdated analysis utilizing pure types of niacinamide with ascorbic acid. They had been mixed at a really excessive temperature and proven to kind nicotinic acid, which may result in pores and skin irritation,” says Singh.

After all, because you’ll most likely be storing and utilizing your skincare merchandise at room temperature, you don’t actually run the danger of forming nicotinic acid if you mix them at residence.

You may completely use vitamin C and niacinamide collectively, Singh goes on to emphasise.

That stated, when you ever have any doubts as as to whether it’s protected to combine two skincare components, a dermatologist can all the time supply recommendation.

Now that you recognize it’s protected to make use of each components, you may wish to study extra about their precise advantages to your pores and skin.

Vitamin C

This highly effective antioxidant can benefit your skin by:

• Providing pro-aging assist. Vitamin C can increase collagen manufacturing, which will help agency up pores and skin and cut back the looks of effective strains and wrinkles.
• Brightening pores and skin. Vitamin C will help cut back hyperpigmentation, or darker areas of pores and skin, and enhance dullness, giving your pores and skin that glow you’re after.
• Decreasing irritation. Vitamin C also can assist relieve blotchy or infected patches of pores and skin — simply remember that it may really contribute to irritation in case you have delicate pores and skin.
• Decreasing the looks of scars. Vitamin C also can speed up wound therapeutic, so it may finally assist fade scars from pimples and different pores and skin harm.

Learn extra about the advantages of vitamin C to your pores and skin.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide, a type of vitamin B3, additionally presents several potential skin benefits, together with:

• Improved hydration. Niacinamide hydrates the pores and skin and helps strengthen your pores and skin barrier, which will help defend in opposition to water loss.
• Lowered hyperpigmentation. Like vitamin C, niacinamide will help even out pores and skin tone by decreasing areas of hyperpigmentation in your pores and skin.
• Ageing assist. Niacinamide also can assist cut back the looks of wrinkles, effective strains, and different indicators of pores and skin getting older.
• Shrink the looks of pores. You may’t actually shrink the scale of your pores, however topical niacinamide may assist make them look smaller.
• Lowered pimples. Looking for a brand new pimples remedy? Ask a dermatologist about making an attempt topical niacinamide, which will help regulate sebum manufacturing and result in fewer pimples breakouts. Plus, it could actually additionally assist enhance redness and swelling.
• Lowered facial redness. Niacinamide’s anti-inflammatory properties make it a useful ingredient for treating redness or discoloration, flushing, and irritation attributable to pores and skin circumstances like rosacea.

Be taught extra about the advantages of niacinamide to your pores and skin.

Questioning the right way to go about including these components to your skincare routine?

Singh recommends making use of merchandise containing these components earlier than you layer on moisturizer and sunscreen.

If one product has a thinner formulation, apply that one first — however it’s additionally potential to seek out some merchandise, like serums or masks, that include each elements.

Just a few issues to bear in mind when including new merchandise to your routine:

• Tempo your self. Begin with one new product at a time and wait a minimum of per week earlier than including one other product. When you have extra delicate pores and skin, think about ready an extra week or two earlier than including one thing new.
• Begin with one software per day, or each different day. Even when your pores and skin can tolerate something you strive pretty nicely, it’s by no means a nasty thought to begin utilizing new merchandise slowly — particularly when you already use a variety of merchandise. This can provide your pores and skin extra time to regulate.
• All the time do a patch check first. When contemplating a brand new facial product, strive it out on a small space of facial pores and skin first — behind your ear or alongside your jaw, for instance. Apply a small quantity of product and wait a minimum of 24 hours. In case you don’t discover any irritation, go forward and take a look at the product on the remainder of your face.
• Take into account protected storage. All the time verify product labels to learn the way to greatest retailer them. Singh notes that whereas most skincare merchandise use secure types of vitamin C as an alternative of ascorbic acid, which may change into unstable when uncovered to daylight and oxygen, you’ll nonetheless wish to preserve any merchandise containing vitamin C at room temperature, away from daylight.

There’s all the time an opportunity that skincare merchandise might not agree with your pores and skin, even when they include components — corresponding to vitamin C and niacinamide — usually recognized to supply pores and skin advantages.

Loads of various factors, together with your pores and skin kind, genes, and any present pores and skin circumstances, can all have an effect on whether or not a particular skincare product will be just right for you.

That’s why it’s important to do a patch check, to start with, but additionally take note of any indicators of a possible undesirable response. You won’t discover any opposed results immediately, however you may start to note elevated breakouts, or different irritation, just a few days or even weeks down the road.

Right here’s the right way to inform when you’re experiencing a breakout or pores and skin purging.

In keeping with Singh, pores and skin irritation is the commonest aspect impact individuals discover with each niacinamide and vitamin C.

Any redness or discoloration, itching, and stinging throughout your patch check means that the product almost definitely received’t play good along with your pores and skin.

In case you discover irritation after utilizing a skincare or magnificence product, it’s all the time greatest to cease utilizing it and verify with a dermatologist earlier than making an attempt it once more.

Need to give these skincare components a strive? Singh recommends the next merchandise:

Each vitamin C and niacinamide have the potential to profit your pores and skin in loads of methods. Mix these powerhouse components by layering them, or strive utilizing a product that comprises each — simply don’t overlook to do a patch check first.

Bear in mind, too, that it’s all the time greatest to verify with a dermatologist earlier than making an attempt new skincare components in case you have ultra-sensitive pores and skin or a pores and skin situation like rosacea or cystic pimples.

Steph Coelho is a contract author with persistent migraine who has a specific curiosity in well being and wellness. When she’s not click-clacking away on her keyboard, she’s most likely nose-deep in e-book.