Duo of horror: Why you should never apply vitamin C and retinol at the same time

Anyone who deals with the topic of anti-aging will not be able to ignore the active ingredients vitamin C and retinol. Both promise a visible rejuvenating effect and are considered the Holy Grail in the beauty world. It’s clear that many women rely on these two ingredients to visibly rejuvenate their skin. But be careful! Many experts advise against combining vitamin C and retinol – we’ll explain why!

Hands off! Why you shouldn’t combine vitamin C & retinol

As well as Vitamin C as well as Retinol are effective anti-aging ingredients. But many experts recommend combining the two wrinkle killers at the same time. There is a good reason for this! The skin can be overwhelmed by the concentrated power, which in the worst case can cause irritation – but these are not the only reasons.

  • Skin irritations & overstimulation: Retinol (vitamin A) and vitamin C are both very powerful, active ingredients. Concomitant use can cause redness, flaking, dryness and inflammation, especially in sensitive skin.
  • Neutralization of the effect: Vitamin C, often contained in serums in the form of ascorbic acid, requires a low (acidic) pH value to work optimally. Retinol, however, prefers a different pH value. If the two are mixed, they can weaken or cancel out each other’s effects.
  • Instability of Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a relatively unstable active ingredient. If it is combined with other acids or active ingredients, its effectiveness can quickly decrease.
  • Different solubility: Vitamin C is often water soluble, while retinol is oil soluble. This may affect absorption into the skin if they are layered directly on top of each other.

AM/PM rule: This way vitamin C and retinol don’t get in each other’s way

If you still want to continue to rely on the full power of the active ingredients, that’s no problem. Stick to the AM/PM rule, where you use vitamin C and retinol at different times of the day.

  1. As an antioxidant you should Vitamin C in the morning Use to protect your skin from free radicals and environmental influences.
  2. Wear Retinol in the evening because this anti-aging booster stimulates cell renewal – and this takes place at night.

Important: If you tolerate both active ingredients well, you should Always apply sunscreen in the morningas the skin becomes more sensitive to light.

These vitamin C and retinol serums are very good

So that you have the best anti-aging boosters with vitamin C and retinol at hand, we present our must-haves here.

1.”colibri skin care Vitamin C15 booster”

The “Vitamin C Serum” by colibri skin care contains 15% real vitamin C, which is one of the highest concentrations on the market. The serum is an antioxidant and supports the development of Collagen. In addition to pure ascorbic acid, the anti-aging serum also contains Hyaluronicwhich has a skin-tightening effect Reduce wrinkles can. The naturally derived propanediol provides the skin with intensive moisture at the same time.

2.”Satin natural Retinol serum”

The “Retinol Serum” by Satin natural is also one of our favorites. The high-dose retinol supports cell renewalhas a visible effect on fine lines and wrinkles and ensures a smoother complexion. Hyaluron provides intensive moisture while Niacinamide has a pore-refining effect and evens out skin tone. The anti-aging serum is rounded off with aloe vera, which soothes and hydrates the skin.

Sources used: Refinery24, Cosphera



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