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Can You use Vitamin C & Retinol Together?

Loved by beauty experts and dermatologists alike, Vitamin C and Retinol are two of the most powerful ingredients you can add to your skincare routine. But, given their different effects on the skin, it is common to wonder whether vitamin C and retinol complement each other or should be used separately.

Can I Use Vitamin C With Retinol: Key takeaways

Vitamin C and retinol are two of the most popular and powerful ingredients used in skincare today. Both have anti-ageing and skin brightening properties, among other benefits.
Retinol is best known for its ability to promote collagen production and cell turnover. It can help to reduce the visible appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as help to even out areas with hyperpigmentation.
Vitamin C has powerful antioxidant qualities and can also help to promote collagen production and cell turnover, promoting youthful-looking skin.
Using retinol and vitamin C in the same skincare routine is not recommended. It is always best to use the ingredients at separate times of day. Vitamin C should be used in the morning, and retinol in the evening.

In this article, we will delve into the effects of vitamin C and retinol on the skin, looking at them individually before examining what happens when mixing retinol and vitamin C.

Promotional shot of Kiehl’s Powerful Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate with Vitamin C. Text reads: REDUCES FINE LINES.

Vitamin C benefits for skin

In many ways, it would be quicker to list what Vitamin C doesn’t help. A potent antioxidant, vitamin C is a great multitasker that not only helps to protect your skin but also repairs it. Vitamin C’s benefits for the skin include:

Offering antioxidant protection against environmental aggressors.
Boosting collagen production to help firm skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Anti-inflammatory properties that soothe redness and blemishes.
Brightening skin and helping to lessen the appearance of hyperpigmentation.
Improving the texture and suppleness of skin.

Vitamin C’s benefits for skin don’t stop there, either; you’ll find even more reasons to add Vitamin C serums to your skincare routine here.

Promotional shot showing Kiehl’s Retinol Skin Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum and Super Multi-Corrective Cream

Retinol: what does it do for skin

Retinol is a form of vitamin A and another hero ingredient that has anti-ageing benefits and helps to promote skin renewal. Available in gels, creams and liquid serums, it’s a popular staple in many nighttime skincare routines, and helps to encourage a smoother, more even and glowing complexion when you wake. Among the most common benefits of retinol for skin are:

Improving cell turnover, which in turn can smooth wrinkles and fine lines.
Boosting the skin’s brightness and lessening the effects of sun damage.
Helping to reduce the visible appearance of acne and pores.
Improving the texture and smoothness of skin.
Stimulating collagen production in the body.

Retinol’s benefits don’t stop there, though. Read on to find out more about how it can help your skin here.

Promotional shot showing Keihl’s Powerful Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate with Vitamin C on a bed of oranges

Vitamin C and retinol benefits

So, can you use retinol and vitamin C together?

Vitamin C and retinol should not be used in the same skincare routine, but given their benefits, this is actually quite beneficial.

Vitamin C is best suited to morning routines given the protection it can offer from environmental stressors, while retinol is best suited to working overnight to renew skin. For this reason, separate routines featuring the individual ingredients is the best way to use them and feel their combined benefits, including:

Firmer, tighter skin: Both vitamin C and retinol support collagen production in the body. With increased collagen production comes firmer-looking and plumper skin.
Improved skin texture: With vitamin C encouraging cell turnover, and retinol promoting collagen production, when using both, skin can look smoother and less wrinkled.
Reduced blemishes: Vitamin C and retinol work in different ways to reduce the appearance of blemishes on the face. Retinol promotes cell turnover, which helps to reduce the amount of sebum produced by the skin. Vitamin C, on the other hand, stops free radicals in your skin from oxidising sebum and causing clogged pores.
Reduced visible signs of ageing: Both vitamin C and retinol work to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation, promoting a younger-looking complexion.
Brightened skin: One of vitamin C’s key benefits for skin is that it helps to block the enzyme that causes dark spots, promoting a brighter complexion. Similarly, retinol promotes cell turnover, helping darker areas of skin appear brighter and more even.

How to combine Vitamin C and Retinol

As Retinol and Vitamin C serums operate best at different pH levels, using them at the same time can cause them to be less effective. It can also irritate your skin. Using vitamin C in your morning routine and retinol at night allows them to work at their correct pH and be most effective.

AM Skincare Routine

Ultra Facial Cleanser

A mild foaming cleanser for all skin types.

Old price New price £23.00

Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate

A potent anti-wrinkle serum formulated with 12.5% Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid.

Old price New price £75.00

Open jar of Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream with 4.5% Squalane and Glacial Glycoprotein, highlighting its 24-hour lightweight hydrating formula

Ultra Facial Cream

Discover our #1 face cream formulated for all skin types, even sensitive skin, to strengthen your skin's moisture barrier for softer, smoother skin and up to 72-hour hydration. Refill format available.

Old price New price £21.00

Better Screen™ UV Serum Sunscreen

A lightweight SPF50 serum with Collagen Peptide Fragments that helps protect against sun damage and helps visibly correct early signs of ageing

Old price New price £42.00

1. Start with a cleanse:

All good skincare routines start with a cleanse. Use our Ultra Facial Cleanser to remove dirt, debris, and impurities from your face and neck and prepare your skin for the products to be used on it.

2. Add a Vitamin C serum:

Next, apply a few drops of our Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate, a vitamin C serum that works to boost the radiance of your skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

TOP TIP: Always use vitamin C as part of your morning skincare routine. Vitamin C can offer antioxidant protection from environmental pollutants and help sunscreens to be more effective, making it a useful ingredient to start your day with.

3. Moisturise:

After using your serum, moisturise your face and neck with a daily use cream, like our Ultra Facial Cream. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream helps to further hydrate the skin and repair its skin barrier, helping your skin look happier and healthier.

4. Finish with SPF:

Regardless of the weather, all morning skincare routines should end with SPF. Add a layer of Better Screen™ UV Serum Sunscreen to your face, neck, and ither areas likely to be exposed to direct sunlight. Reapply sunscreen regularly throughout the day for best results.