### Can Vitamin C Be Combined with Azelaic Acid?
Yes, **vitamin C** and **azelaic acid** can be used together in your skincare routine, and they make a powerful combination! Both ingredients offer unique benefits for the skin, and when used correctly, they can complement each other in treating a variety of skin concerns, including **hyperpigmentation**, **uneven skin tone**, and **acne**.
Let’s explore why these two ingredients work well together, how to incorporate them into your routine, and things to watch out for.
### What Is Azelaic Acid?
Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring dicarboxylic acid found in grains like barley and wheat. It’s known for its **antibacterial, anti-inflammatory**, and **exfoliating** properties. Azelaic acid is widely used in skincare to treat:
– **Acne** and **rosacea** due to its ability to unclog pores and reduce inflammation.
– **Hyperpigmentation** and **dark spots**, as it helps to brighten the skin and even out skin tone.
– **Post-acne scarring**, where it helps to fade dark spots left behind by breakouts.
It is a gentle exfoliator, making it a great option for sensitive or reactive skin, as it is less likely to cause irritation compared to other acids like AHAs or BHAs.
### What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C, also known as **ascorbic acid**, is a potent antioxidant that plays a key role in fighting **free radical damage** from environmental stressors like pollution and UV exposure. In skincare, vitamin C is beloved for its ability to:
– **Brighten** the skin and reduce **dark spots** or **hyperpigmentation**.
– **Stimulate collagen production**, which can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
– Provide an overall **healthy glow** by neutralizing oxidative stress that can cause skin aging.
Vitamin C is often used in the morning to protect the skin from daily environmental damage, but it can also be used at night in some cases.
### Why Can Vitamin C and Azelaic Acid Be Combined?
Both **vitamin C** and **azelaic acid** offer significant benefits for reducing **hyperpigmentation** and promoting an even skin tone, which makes them a complementary pair. They both:
– **Target dark spots** and **uneven skin tone**: Vitamin C helps brighten the skin, while azelaic acid works to reduce pigmentation and prevent the formation of new spots.
– **Have antioxidant properties**: Both are antioxidants, helping to protect the skin from damage caused by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors.
– **Work well with sensitive skin**: Azelaic acid is known for being gentle, and vitamin C, while potentially irritating in some forms, can be well tolerated by most skin types when formulated properly.
### How to Use Vitamin C and Azelaic Acid Together
To get the most out of these two powerful ingredients, it’s important to use them correctly and ensure your skin builds tolerance to them. Here’s how to layer them in your skincare routine:
1. **Morning: Vitamin C**
Vitamin C is often used in the morning due to its antioxidant properties, which help protect the skin from environmental stressors throughout the day. Start with a **vitamin C serum** after cleansing and before applying sunscreen. This will help brighten your skin and protect it from UV damage.
2. **Evening: Azelaic Acid**
In the evening, apply **azelaic acid** after cleansing. Azelaic acid helps with acne, hyperpigmentation, and redness. You can use it as a serum or cream depending on your product’s formulation. It’s gentle enough for most skin types and can be used as a leave-on treatment overnight.
#### Tip: **Use at Different Times of Day**
To minimize any risk of irritation or potential interactions, consider using **vitamin C in the morning** and **azelaic acid in the evening**. This allows each ingredient to work without interfering with the other and helps your skin tolerate both better over time.
### What About Layering Vitamin C and Azelaic Acid at the Same Time?
Some people may prefer to layer **both ingredients together** in the same routine, and this is generally safe as long as your skin tolerates it. Here’s how to do it:
1. **Cleanse your skin** and apply **vitamin C serum**.
2. Let the vitamin C absorb for a minute or two.
3. Follow with **azelaic acid** (serum or cream) after the vitamin C has fully absorbed.
However, if you have **dry**, **sensitive**, or **reactive skin**, it’s best to **start slowly** and monitor your skin’s response. Using them at different times of day (morning for vitamin C, evening for azelaic acid) can be an easier way to integrate both into your routine without overwhelming your skin.
### Things to Keep in Mind
– **Start Slowly**: If both vitamin C and azelaic acid are new to your routine, **start slowly** to allow your skin to build tolerance. Introduce each ingredient one at a time, using it every other day to start, and gradually increase the frequency as your skin adjusts.
– **Patch Test**: As with any new skincare products, it’s important to do a **patch test** 24 hours before applying them to your face. This will help ensure that you don’t have an adverse reaction to either ingredient.
– **Hydrate Your Skin**: Both vitamin C and azelaic acid can be drying, especially if you have sensitive skin. Make sure to follow up with a **moisturizer** to keep your skin hydrated and prevent any dryness or irritation.
– **Sunscreen**: **Vitamin C** can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so always apply **broad-spectrum SPF** during the day. Azelaic acid can also be mildly irritating to some skin types when exposed to the sun, so sun protection is important.
### Conclusion: Is Vitamin C or Azelaic Acid Better?
Both **vitamin C** and **azelaic acid** are excellent skincare ingredients, but they work best in combination to tackle different skin concerns. If you’re looking to brighten your complexion, reduce hyperpigmentation, and protect your skin from environmental damage, **vitamin C** is a must-have, especially in the morning. **Azelaic acid**, on the other hand, is perfect for targeting acne, rosacea, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and works well at night.
While both ingredients have overlapping benefits, they are **not interchangeable**. The combination of the two can be particularly powerful, offering both immediate and long-term improvements in skin tone, texture, and clarity. For the best results, **use them at different times of day** and give your skin time to adjust.
In summary, yes, **vitamin C and azelaic acid can be combined**! Just make sure to introduce them gradually into your routine, use them at different times of day, and always apply sunscreen in the morning.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.