Can You Combine the Use of Vitamin A and Niacinamide?
Several ingredients become part of the dream team of skincare when incorporated into your routine. Niacinamide and vitamin A, also called retinol, are part of a dúo that can have a positive effect on the overall health and appearance of the skin. Today, we’ll explore the further steps to take in regards to utilizing vitamin A serum and niacinamide as part of a serum, I’m sure you’ll be fascinated by the results!
Let’s take a quick look at each ingredient and how it benefits the skin.
What are the advantages of Vitamin A, also called retinol?
Prevents the development of wrinkles and other aging signs, as well as reducing the presence of existing fine lines and wrinkles.
Increases the speed of the skin’s cell turnover, which results in a complexion that appears vibrant, glowing, and healthy.
Improves the cellulite by removing the dead skin cells and smoothing out the skin.
Facilitates the control of sebum production and reduces the frequency of breakouts.
Reduces the presence of dark spots, sunspots and over-exposure that results in a uniform skin tone.
If you desired to know more about retinol, please read this blog post located on the Beauty Insiders.
What are the advantages of Niacinamide?
Acts as a humectant, which means that it is capable of drawing moisture from the surrounding area and locking it into the skin. This promotes the skin’s hydration, plumpiness, and health.
Facilitates the control of the volume of oil excreted by the sebaceous glands, this maintains the skin’s balance.
shields the skin from the effects of oxidized stress caused by exposure to free radicals like smoke, pollution, harsh climates, and other environmental adversaries.
Targets dark spots and hyperpigmentation by éclairing the darker areas and increasing the production of collagen.
Maintains the barrier oflipid in the skin at its most healthy state, this prevents the skin from being adversely affected by environmental stimuli.
Minimizes the appearance of pores while still ensuring the pores are visible and have a smaller appearance over time.
There are more advantages to niacinamide that can be learned more about in our dedicated blog article.
After you’ve learned more about our skincare regimen, let’s move on to learning more about how to utilize vitamin A and niacinamide together.
What kind of serum can I imbibe with niacinamide?
The beauty of niacinamide is its versatility and compatibility with various skincare components. Even molecules as active as retinol, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid will have an advantage when applied alongside niacinamide. This is because of the humectant properties that allow it to seal moisture in the skin’s surface. This not only facilitates the maintenance of the lipid barrier, but also counteracts the drying effects that are common with ingredients like I mentioned previously.
You discover that there’s some mis confusion regarding the utilization of niacinamide and vitamin C together. This is caused by a misconception regarding the combination of both ingredients that is based on outdated information. The findings in the data are several years old; at some instances, vitamin C formulations were unstable due to the addition of other ingredients. It was believed that applying niacinamide to the top would lead to a negative result on the skin that would impede both ingredients’ ability to function and provide the most effective results.
Fast forward to more recent years and this is not the case with all formulas, but if you still care about layering the ingredients, wait for a minimum of 10 minutes between applications in order to avoid any associated negative effects.
What can’t you combine with the niacinamide serum?
As I’ve already mentioned, niacinamide is a versatile skincare component that is effective. However, there is still some confusion surrounding the proper way to utilize both niacinamide and vitamin C in your daily regimen.
Both ingredients are effective against the oxidizing effects of the sun and are both common in large quantities in skincare products. To maximize the benefits of these actives, there are several dos and don’ts, the following examples show how many people utilize niacinamide and vitamin C.
Ensure that you leave 10 minutes between uses of both ingredients in a consistent regimen. This facilitates the skin’s pH levels to return to a neutral state and prepare for the next step on the skin without the fear of a flare-up or irritation.
Attempt to apply vitamin C during the morning and niacinamide during the evening, this will lead to the combination of the benefits of both ingredients and their anti-oxidant properties. The vitamin C will defend you throughout the day, while the niacinamide will mend any harm that occurred during your evening regimen.
Is it possible to utilize vitamin A and niacinamide?
Yes, you can certainly combine the vitamin A and niacinamide. Combining the two promotes a healthy, balanced skin while also receiving two powerful ingredients that produce impressive results.
While the vitamin A is responsible for restoring the skin’s youth, it also helps to eliminate the dead skin cells, dirt, and bacteria that have accumulated over time. The niacinamide component of the formula is responsible for hydrating and combating the drying effects of the retinol. You can choose to utilize each ingredient individually or as part of a combined formula. Whatever you choose, I still suggest you talk to a doctor or dermatologist in regards to ensuring these ingredients are appropriate for your skin.
Is it better to take vitamin A or a supplement that contains niacinamide?
Despite providing the same benefits to the skin, retinol is more potent than niacinamide. However, this is accompanied by some side effects of dryness, irritation, and redness on the skin. It’s crucial to incorporate vitamin A (retinol) into your skincare regimen in order to avoid the skin being overzealous. Additionally, you will find that it’s only applied to the skin at night, as sunlight exposure will lead to the powerhouse’s potency being lost. This is another difference between the two; niacinamide is able to be used every day without the fear of depleting the effectiveness of the UV rays on the skin.
As I already mentioned, combining both ingredients together is considered a powerful skin revitalizing dúo, this can be accomplished with ease and without the fear of overloading or having a pH level imbalance in the skin.
Here you have a limited amount of information about vitamin A and niacinamide, don’t forget if you had any additional questions, you can find one of our experts in skincare on Instagram.
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.
