(Its fussy nature is why many vitamin C products skew on the pricier side it's a tough ingredient to formulate with.) Arch recommends using a stand-alone vitamin C product for all of the aforementioned reasons, though does note that other antioxidants, specifically vitamin E and ferulic acid, can actually enhance the efficacy and even stability of vitamin C. Plus, "generally speaking, vitamin C needs to be used at a low pH in order to be effective, while niacinamide works better at a higher/neutral pH," adds Romanowski.
![the ordinary vitamin c serum the ordinary vitamin c serum](https://bonita.vn/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/22455_xlarge.jpg)
That's simply because vitamin C is a notoriously unstable molecule, easily rendered inactive by exposure to sunlight, oxygen, and even other ingredients. "It's unlikely to be a problem in modern day formulations stored at room temperature." (Worth noting: Most skincare products use different, more stable forms of vitamin C such as ascorbyl palmitate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, rather than ascorbic acid.) It's also worth pointing out that vitamin C is naturally found in our skin: "If the two ingredients weren't compatible, we'd all suffer when using topical niacinamide," says Arch.Īs far as the exact way to use niacinamide and vitamin C together, you can either look for one product that contains both or layer them separately, though the experts we spoke with agree that layering is preferable. The big caveat? "That occurred when using pure ascorbic acid and niacinamide held at high temperatures," he continues. "Some research done in the 1960s showed a negative interaction and that the two could potentially react to produce nicotinic acid, which can cause redness and itching in the skin," explains Perry Romanowski, an independent cosmetic chemist. Anything you may have read that says otherwise is based on outdated research that doesn't translate to a real world scenario. The short answer to your question: yes, you can.
![the ordinary vitamin c serum the ordinary vitamin c serum](https://www.ubuy.com.ro/productimg/?image=aHR0cHM6Ly9tLm1lZGlhLWFtYXpvbi5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL0kvNjFLeUkxN3BGSkwuX1NMMTUwMF8uanBn.jpg)
![the ordinary vitamin c serum the ordinary vitamin c serum](https://i0.wp.com/beautyblogwales.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_4413-1.jpg)
So, can you use niacinamide and vitamin C together?