Two strong active ingredients in the same care sounds like too much at first. With retinol and vitamin C, the answer is yes, if each gets its own time of day. Here you can read what this looks like with products from three brands and what is normal in the first weeks.
The key points in brief
- Retinol and vitamin C fit into one routine: the vitamin C in the morning, the retinol in the evening.
- Stay within one brand; for the sun protection at the end, you can also use Colorescience.
- Redness and slight flaking in the first weeks come from the retinol and are expected.
- In the morning, sun protection with sun protection factor (SPF) 30 or higher belongs on the skin.
Why vitamin C in the morning and retinol in the evening?
For 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating and the Retinol+ Emulsion, it is stated in the product information: vitamin C in the morning, retinol in the evening. We recommend this split for all three routines below. Do not use AOX Ferulic in the evening together with a retinol product, because this can irritate the skin too much.
In the morning, vitamin C neutralises free radicals. These are aggressive particles that form in the skin through sun exposure. You can read more about this in our guide Vitamin C. Which product suits which time is covered in Vitamin C serum: morning or evening?.
Retinol is a form of vitamin A. For all three retinol products below, the warning reads: "Retinol increases the skin's sensitivity to light." It goes on the skin in the evening, and sun protection follows the next morning. How to start with retinol is explained in our retinol guide.
Three example routines
The care systems from ZO Skin Health, iS Clinical and mesoestetic each stand on their own. We do not mix them in one routine. As the last step in the morning, sun protection from Colorescience suits all three.
ZO Skin Health
The products from ZO Skin Health are intended for a protocol, that is, a care plan of several steps. But you can also start with two products:
- In the morning after cleansing: a small amount of 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating on your face and neck, as the last serum before sun protection.
- In the evening after cleansing: a retinol from ZO Skin Health on dry skin, for example Radical Night Repair. Leave out the eye area.
We recommend applying the retinol every evening from the start, but starting slowly works too. If your skin is sensitive, start more gently. If you use the vitamin C without retinol, it goes on the skin morning and evening.
Which retinol from ZO Skin Health suits your skin is shown by our free skin analysis and the care plans from ZO Skin Health.
iS Clinical
- In the morning: 3 to 5 drops of Super Serum Advance+ on your face, neck and décolleté, then moisturiser and sun protection, such as Extreme Protect SPF 40.
- In the evening: 2 to 3 pumps of Retinol+ Emulsion on clean, dry skin of the face and neck.
With the Retinol+ Emulsion, you start slowly. At the beginning, you use it on 2 to 3 evenings a week and increase if your skin tolerates it well. Which iS Clinical product suits your skin concern is shown in our overview of iS Clinical.
mesoestetic
- In the morning: put a few drops of AOX Ferulic into the palm of your hand, gently pat onto your face and neck, and finally sun protection.
- In the evening: a small amount of Skinretin in the entry strength on clean, dry skin of the face and neck, avoiding the eye area.
You use Skinretin every other evening for the first 2 weeks, then daily if your skin tolerates it well. If you already use another serum with vitamin C, AOX Ferulic on top is too much: the skin can become irritated and red.
The first weeks: what is normal
For Radical Night Repair, Retinol+ Emulsion and Skinretin, the warning reads: "Redness, flaking, dryness or a slight burning sensation are normal initial reactions to retinol."
This reaction is not an allergy. It is expected and depends on how much retinol your skin receives. The more consistently you stick with it, the better.
On days with a reaction, add a soothing cream, with ZO Skin Health for example the Hydrating Crème. If your skin reacts to the vitamin C in the morning, use it less often or pause it, as stated in the warnings.
Plan for three to four skin cycles, each lasting about six weeks. Once you have reached your goal, you can reduce the amount to maintain it.
What studies have observed
In a study, women with mild to moderate pigmentation spots and signs of sun used two products for 12 weeks: one with retinol, and a cream with a form of vitamin C. 44 women stayed until the end. After 8 and 12 weeks, the researchers observed better values than at the start for all skin characteristics examined.
The skin became drier in weeks 4 and 8, but no longer in week 12. Other reactions did not increase measurably. There was no comparison group without active ingredients.
In a smaller study, 11 women after menopause received care on their face twice a day for 6 months. Some used care with retinol and vitamin C, the others care without active ingredients. In skin samples from the group with active ingredients, the researchers saw that traces of sun partly receded.
There, both substances were in the same care product. With two separate products, what is stated in their information applies: separated by time of day. Each result applies only to the care tested.
In our shop
You can find products with vitamin C in the Vitamin C collection, products with retinol in the Retinol collection. These five fit the routines above:
- 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating from ZO Skin Health: two forms of vitamin C for a fresher-looking complexion.
- Radical Night Repair from ZO Skin Health: retinol for the evening that is released gradually over the night.
- Super Serum Advance+ from iS Clinical: vitamin C with hyaluronic acid, which binds moisture, for a smoother-looking complexion in the morning.
- AOX Ferulic from mesoestetic: serum for the morning with vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid, which keeps the vitamin C more stable.
- Face Shield Flex SPF 50 from Colorescience: mineral sun protection whose tint adapts to your skin tone.
Frequently asked questions
Can you combine vitamin A and C?
Yes. Retinol is a form of vitamin A. Both fit into one routine if you spread them over the day: vitamin C in the morning, retinol in the evening. This is what is stated in the information for all three example routines above.
What should you not combine with retinol?
Do not use 10 % Vitamin C Self-Activating at the same time as retinol, and do not use AOX Ferulic in the evening together with a retinol product. For Radical Night Repair, the warning states a break of 3 to 4 days before a peel, a light treatment (IPL) or microneedling, that is, a treatment with fine needles.
Are retinol and vitamin C allowed during pregnancy?
For Radical Night Repair, Retinol+ Emulsion and Skinretin, the warning reads: "Use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 12 years is not recommended." For all other products in this article: please consult your doctor.
Sources
- Herndon JH Jr, Jiang LI, Kononov T, Fox T (2016): An Open Label Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Tolerance of a Retinol and Vitamin C Facial Regimen in Women With Mild-to-Moderate Hyperpigmentation and Photodamaged Facial Skin. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology 15(4):476-482. PMID 27050703.
- Seité S, Bredoux C, Compan D et al. (2005): Histological evaluation of a topically applied retinol-vitamin C combination. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology 18(2):81-87. DOI 10.1159/000083708, PMID 15767769.
