Can I Use Niacinamide And Vitamin C Together? – Here’s What To Know

In the world of skincare, having a knowledge of ingredients-compatibility should be a priority. This will help you make the best choice of ingredients to use together towards achieving your skin goal.

Here on BeautySparkReview, we’ve put up well-detailed quality contents on couple-ingredients to use together such as niacinamide and lactic acid, niacinamide and azelaic acid alpha arbutin and tranexamic acid, tretinoin and azelaic acid and the rest of them.

In this particular post, we’re going to discuss the compatibility of niacinamide and vitamin C together.  And when we talk about vitamin C, we mean the pure form of vitamin C — L-ascorbic acid (or ascorbic acid), and not the vitamin C derivatives, as vitamin C derivatives are ingredients-friendly which makes them compatible with niacinamide and other skincare ingredients because of their non-exfoliating and non-acidic attributes.

Therefore, if you’ve been seeking for the best answer regarding the synergy of using niacinamide and vitamin C together, stick to this content, because you’re definitely on the right page. But before we kick-start, let’s know more about these ingredients, and their benefits to the skin.

What Is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide is a type of vitamin B3 and a water-soluble vitamin that helps reduce redness, helps control excessive oil production, minimize large pores, Improve skin barrier function and improve overall skin tone which is very beneficial for all skin types, but mostly for individuals with oily skin. Individuals with oily skin are very much vulnerable to acne breakouts due to excessive oil (sebum) production which can lead to clogged pores, so to regulate oil production you have to incorporate niacinamide into your skincare routine.

Main Skin Benefits Of Niacinamide.

• Reduces redness.

• Helps treat acne.

• Regulates sebum (oil) production.

• Improves skin barrier function.

• Reduces the looks of large pores.

• Smoothes skin texture which improves the looks of wrinkles.

What Is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant vitamin which helps improve the appearance of the skin, potentially reducing pigmentation, dullness, neutralizing free radicals and environmental aggressors and helps stimulate collagen production.

A daily application of vitamin C will help reverse sun damages (which helps potentiates your sunscreen), boost collagen production and also address minor hyperpigmentation, which leaves the skin with a wonderful glow and with improved skin texture.

Main Skin Benefits Of Vitamin C.

• Reduces the appearance of dark spots and pigmentation.

• Reduces the looks of wrinkles by stimulating collagen production.

• Powerful antioxidants that fend-off free radicals and environmental aggressors.

• Improves the appearance of red marks left on the skin from spots and breakouts.

• Builds skin resilience to UV exposure making it able to protect itself better from the sun.

Can Niacinamide And Vitamin C Be Used Together?

The short answer is yes, niacinamide and vitamin C can be used together, without any of them conflicting with each other, or causing negative reactions.  

Although there have been fears that L-ascorbic acid vitamin C and niacinamide can’t be used together as they can cancel each other out and render each other useless. Well, that research study was done 40 years ago, that means more research has been performed since then.

A research study done in the 1960s showed a negative interaction and that the two (niacinamide and vitamin C) could potentially react to produce nicotinic acid, which can cause redness and itching in the skin. Yes, but that’s pretty outdated and does no longer translate to a real world scenario.

New research now has it that L-ascorbic acid vitamin C  (and other forms of vitamin C) and niacinamide can be used together.

It’s important to remember that niacinamide is actually an incredibly tough ingredient—heat and other environmental factors don’t have as much of an impact on it as they would on more delicate ingredients. Which makes it synergetic with the acidic form of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid).

Additionally, studies on niacinamide’s conversion to nicotinic acid show that it only converts under extreme heat for extended periods of time, and only small amounts of the product actually change over. This conversion can easily be reduced by keeping your product with niacinamide out of direct sunlight and in a cooler, more stable environment.

Plus Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, also suggests that it’s completely fine to “layer your niacinamide-containing product along with your vitamin C serum since the ingredients complement each other by improving skin radiance and evening skin tone and texture”.

Therefore, If you have heard or read otherwise about the incompatibility of niacinamide and vitamin C together, then it’s based on outdated research.

My Honest Experience With Niacinamide And Vitamin C Together.

My love for vitamin C is unmatched, therefore, I take my application of vitamin C serum like a daily ritual that I must perform everyday in the morning hours, and believe me when I say I have been enjoying vitamin C’s impact on my skin, and you know what’s more better? The inclusion of niacinamide.

At first, I limited the application of niacinamide at night-time only in my nightly skincare routine due to the fact I use tretinoin at night, and with the inclusion of niacinamide makes tretinoin works better on the skin, as niacinamide helps soothes inflammatory-irritation associated with tretinoin (or retinoids) use, and improves skin barrier function, making it receptive to tretinoin (or retinoids).

But on the second thought, I thought about also including niacinamide in my day-time skincare routine alongside vitamin C to help strengthen my skin barrier function towards vitamin C, because L-ascorbic acid vitamin C is also notorious for inducing inflammatory-irritation due to its acidic and exfoliating nature, and you know what? Things turned out even better.

After two (2) weeks of dedicatedly using these duo-actives on my skin, I can confidently say my skin complexion and texture greatly enhanced.

Both ingredients blend in smoothly on my skin and absorbed quickly. I used the Timeless 10% Vitamin C Serum and The Ordinary 10% Niacinamide + Zinc Serum, and the product combination has been exceptional on my skin. Not only does my skin glow, like the early morning rising sun, but also smooth like an egg, all thanks to this couple-ingredients.

You can see for yourself.

In Conclusion. 

Niacinamide and L-ascorbic acid vitamin C complements each other towards improving skin radiance and evening skin tone and texture. Infact, both duo-ingredients are regarded as a winning couple-ingredient. Therefore if you want to enjoy that vitamin C glow, coupled with the impact of niacinamide on skin texture, regulation of sebum production and minimization of inflammatory-irritation, then go ahead and include both skincare products in your skincare routine. Your skin will definitely thank you for it.

Possible Questions & Answers.

Q: How did you layer niacinamide and vitamin C together?

A: To get the most out of niacinamide and vitamin C together, it’s best to go for the serums. Serums are known to be more potent as they are concentrated thus more effective.

So, below is how to layer both niacinamide and vitamin C together.

• Step 1: Cleanse your skin with a skin-suitable facial cleanser.

• Step 2: Apply a hydrating toner.

• Step 3: Following the skincare-layering-rule, “thinnest to the thickest“. When layering these powerful ingredients, apply vitamin C serum first, allow it to completely absorb into the skin, this will give the skin enough time to return back to its normal pH and remain comfortable, then move ahead to layering niacinamide serum. It’s best recommended to apply 3-4 drops of each serums.

• Step 4: Seal in moisture by applying a skin-suitable moisturizer. (Recommended: CeraVe daily Moisturizing Lotion or Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser).

• Step 5:  Layer your sunscreen to protect skin from UV rays exposure. Read how to apply sunscreen correctly.

Q: Did you experience any irritation while using niacinamide and vitamin C together?

A: While using niacinamide and vitamin C together in the same skincare routine, I didn’t encounter any sort of irritation, negative reaction or breakouts. I used a 10% vitamin C serum in combination with a 10% niacinamide serum.

However, this is a personal experience with niacinamide and vitamin C together, my experience with these actives may be different from yours because of the difference in skin types. So, I advise you to perform a patch test prior to commencing both-products application, and also do well to wear your sunscreen daily before exploring your outdoor activities.

Disclaimer: This is a personal experience with the combination of niacinamide and vitamin C in the same skincare routine, using Timeless 10% vitamin C serum and The Ordinary 10% Niacinamide serum. You may have a whole different experience as skin type differs, so as result differs too.

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