When it comes to skin health, we pay homage to a few vitamins and minerals: vitamin D, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin E, and maybe selenium. But we don’t often associate two superstars with healthy skin.
Vitamin C and retinol are typically used separately for immune health and vision, respectively. Still, they’re also popular nutrients on the skincare scene, especially if you want to reduce dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Chances are you’ve seen Instagram and TikTok videos of the biggest influencers touting the benefits of these two anti-aging powerhouses. This might be the combo for you if you want to heal your skin from sun damage and aging and return that youthful glow.
But benefits aside, there’s still one question in many peoples’ minds: can you take vitamin C and retinol together?
As you might suspect, the answer is somewhat complicated, so we’ve done the research and are giving you the details on how you can safely take vitamin C and retinol without damaging your skin.
Hint: All you have to do is understand how they both work!
Vitamin C and Skin Health
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin best known for its role in immune health. As a powerful antioxidant and free-radical scavenger, vitamin C protects cells and prevents free radical damage and oxidative stress.
Because of these powerful properties, the role of vitamin C has expanded beyond that of the immune system. It has become a popular choice for anyone looking to improve the appearance of their skin.
Essentially, vitamin C floats around the skin and neutralizes free radicals to prevent them from damaging epithelial cells and increasing skin stress 1.
And with these powerful antioxidant properties also comes the ability of vitamin C to support the skin’s natural regenerative process and promote collagen production - the most abundant protein in the body that comprises virtually all tissues, including the skin.
It can improve several aspects of skin health, such as tone and texture, reduce the appearance of dark spots, promote collagen production, and brighten skin.
Retinol and Skin Health
You may have heard of retinol before, referred to as vitamin A - one of four fat-soluble vitamins with an important role in vision.
But apart from its role in eye health, retinol is commonly used in skincare products due to its ability to renew skin cells, protect collagen and promote collagen and elastin production, and plump up deep layers of the skin to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol is also sometimes used to treat acne and acne-related scarring.
And when used topically, it can have an exfoliating effect on the skin to improve texture and tone and remove dead skin cells from the surface.
But don’t confuse retinol with retinoids. Although retinol is a type of retinoid, you’ll find them in two forms:
- Retinoic acid (prescription-only)
- Retinol (OTC)
Retinoic acid is stronger than retinol, which is why it’s only available as a prescription.
Is It Safe To Take Vitamin C and Retinol Together?
It can be easy to think that because vitamin C and retinol both offer significant benefits for skin health, taking them together shouldn’t be a problem. Still, there’s a difference between taking vitamin C and concurrently versus simultaneously - and you also need to look at how you’re taking them.
For most people looking for their skin health benefits, topical applications of vitamin C and retinol are generally the preferred way.
But for those looking for an easy way to reap the benefits without having to do a whole skincare routine, supplementation might be their preference.
In either case, understanding how each of them works - and how they work together - is important to avoid any adverse reactions or effects. If you’re using vitamin C and retinol, you want to be mindful of when you’re using your products. It’s best to avoid using them together, as there is a potential risk of irritation. Keep in mind that these are for topical skincare products. Here’s why:
Change the pH
Water-based skincare products, also known as aqueous solutions, are formulated to elicit their effects at a specific pH. Skincare products that are not water-based - anhydrous solutions - don’t have a pH.
The pH of retinol ranges between 5.0 and 6.0, and research shows this is the pH at which it provides optimal benefits 8. The active form of vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, requires a pH of 3.5 or lower to effectively penetrate the skin and elicit its effects 1, 9.
Because retinol and vitamin C have such a wide gap in their pH, using them together will alter the pH of both substances; vitamin C’s pH will increase, and retinol’s will decrease.
As a result, retinol becomes less active, and vitamin C can’t effectively penetrate your skin.
Interferes with dissolving and penetrating
The other consideration for using retinol and vitamin C simultaneously is absorption and penetration. Retinol is a fat-soluble compound, which means it will only dissolve in fat, whereas vitamin C is a water-soluble compound and will only dissolve in water.
So, if you’re hoping to dissolve water-soluble vitamin C in fat-soluble retinol, it will not happen. As such, it won’t penetrate your skin, and you won’t receive any benefits vitamin C offers for skin health.
On top of that, you also have to consider that oil creates a barrier on the skin that blocks the absorption of water-based products.
The solution to the vitamin C and retinol conundrum is this:
- Use vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night
- Alternate usage (vitamin C one night, retinol the next)
- Use vitamin C and retinol at night but use 30 minutes apart
- Use a vitamin C derivative and retinol at night
Although there’s limited research on the benefits of combined or separate treatment using retinol and vitamin C, one study did show promising results for the stability of combined vitamin products 10.
Benefits Of Supplementing Vitamin C and Retinol
Combined or not, the benefits of vitamin C and retinol for skin health are worth it. Vitamin C serves to defend, protect, and support collagen production, while retinol helps to renew skin cells and stimulates collagen production. The result? Smoother, brighter, younger-looking skin.
Let’s dig into these benefits.
Boost collagen synthesis
Antioxidant properties aside, collagen production is one of the most important functions of vitamin C. It acts as a co-factor for proline and lysine hydroxylases that are required to stabilize collagen structure and gene expression 1. Insufficient levels of vitamin C resulted in decreased total synthesis and decreased crosslinking of collagen.
Retinol also has a role in supporting collagen production. Tretinoin is one of the most well-studied retinoids that’s implicated in the treatment of aging skin.
One study found that pre-treatment with 0.1% tretinoin on photoaged skin blocks interstitial collagenase and gelatinase synthesis, thereby preventing collagen degradation 3.
Retinol also stimulates collagen fiber synthesis in fibroblasts, improves skin elasticity by removing degenerated elastin fibers, and promotes angiogenesis (forming new blood vessels) 4. Changes within collagen and elastin fibers have been linked to aging skin and lead to the development of wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity.
Protect the skin from free radical damage
The other essential role vitamin C plays in the skin is as a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes and removes oxidants, such as those from environmental pollutants and UV light exposure 1.
Although its antioxidant activity is important for the entire body, it’s especially critical in the epidermis, where vitamin C is concentrated.
However, vitamin C functions alongside other antioxidant superstars like catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and non-enzymatic molecules, such as vitamin E, glutathione, and carotenoids 1.
When left unchecked, free radical damage can throw a major wrench in the normal production of new skin cells and collagen in the dermis.
That said, vitamin C is particularly effective in reducing oxidative damage to the skin when it is used alongside vitamin E, as it helps to regenerate vitamin E after oxidation, thereby effectively recycling the lipid-soluble radical scavenger and mitigating oxidative damage to cell membranes 1.
Although there’s little available research on the antioxidant properties of retinol for skin health, studies suggest that it can offer protection against free-radical-induced photodamage 5, 6.
Promotes glowing skin
Slow cell regeneration leaves your skin looking dry, dull, and wrinkled - but with the simple addition of vitamin C and retinol to your skin routine, you can speed up cell turnover and promote faster cell production, thereby giving you fresher, smoother, more radiant skin faster.
Vitamin C plays a vital role in the differentiation of keratinocytes and the proliferation and migration of dermal fibroblasts, which is essential for wound healing and the skin’s barrier function; it enhances the production of barrier lipids, which protects against water loss 1. It also modulates cell signal pathways involved in cell growth and differentiation 2.
While there’s still a lot more research needed on the effect of vitamin C on skin rejuvenation, studies do support a beneficial role in supporting the integrity of the skin barrier, promoting proper function of the skin barrier, and preventing water loss, which can lead to the development of skin disorders.
Retinol, on the other hand, interacts with receptors inside keratinocytes to promote keratinocyte proliferation, strengthen the epidermal protective function, reduce water loss from the skin, and protect against collagen degradation 7.
Retinol and vitamin C provide many skin health benefits and can be effective for reversing aging damage when used together.
Our Best Tip For Healthy, Radiating Skin
Your diet and nutrient intake largely determine the health of your skin. That means it has to be done whether you’re providing nutrients through topical use or supplementation. But why risk irritation if you don’t have to?
Stock up on Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi and get everything you need for radiating skin in a single capsule.
Multi uses patented NutriGenesis technology to provide 17+ essential vitamins and minerals in their purest and most bioavailable form, including vitamin A (Retinol and Beta-Carotene) and vitamin C.
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References
- Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):866.
- Wang K, Jiang H, Li W, Qiang M, Dong T, Li H. Role of Vitamin C in Skin Diseases. Front Physiol. 2018;9:819.
- Fisher GJ, Datta SC, Talwar HS, et al. Molecular basis of sun-induced premature skin ageing and retinoid antagonism. Nature. 1996;379(6563):335-339.
- Geiger JM, Hommel L, Harms M, Saurat JH. Oral 13-cis retinoic acid is superior to 9-cis retinoic acid in sebosuppression in human beings. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1996;34(3):513-515.
- Palace VP, Khaper N, Qin Q, Singal PK. Antioxidant potentials of vitamin A and carotenoids and their relevance to heart disease. Free Radic Biol Med. 1999;26(5-6):746-761.
- Schagen SK, Zampeli VA, Makrantonaki E, Zouboulis CC. Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging. Dermatoendocrinol. 2012;4(3):298-307.
- Zasada M, Budzisz E. Retinoids: active molecules influencing skin structure formation in cosmetic and dermatological treatments. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2019;36(4):392-397.
- Törmä H, Vahlquist A. Vitamin A esterification in human epidermis: a relation to keratinocyte differentiation. J Invest Dermatol. 1990;94(1):132-138.
- Pinnell SR, Yang H, Omar M, et al. Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies. Dermatol Surg. 2001;27(2):137-142.
- Gianeti MD, Gaspar LR, Camargo FB Jr, Campos PM. Benefits of combinations of vitamin A, C and E derivatives in the stability of cosmetic formulations. Molecules. 2012;17(2):2219-2230.
