Vitamin C and niacinamide are two potent antioxidants with impressive benefits for your skin on their own. But, could using niacinamide and vitamin C together be twice as nice? We’ll dive into the benefits of niacinamide and vitamin C to explore whether they can be used in tandem to boost your beauty routine as we answer these questions:

• What does vitamin C do for skin?
• What does niacinamide do for skin?
• Can vitamin C and niacinamide be used together?
• How should I layer vitamin C and niacinamide?

The Skin Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps prevent premature signs of aging by neutralizing free radicals, which can damage your skin and lead to dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin C also helps boost the production of collagen and elastin, two key structures of skin that work to strengthen it in order to maintain a firm, youthful appearance. And the benefits don’t stop there! This powerful antioxidant can also help you achieve a more even skin tone. It does so by blocking the enzyme tyrosinase to hinder the production of melanin and ultimately brighten skin to address issues of discoloration, like age spots.

“Vitamin C is a powerful active ingredient in skin care, but not all vitamin C skin care products are created equal,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO, Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “Investing in a professional-grade vitamin C serum that contains ascorbic acid or L-ascorbic acid, the most potent and pure form of vitamin C, will maximize the potential benefits for your skin.”

One option is Obagi Professional-C 20%, a potent facial serum featuring 20% vitamin C in its formula to help smooth rough skin texture, defend against photoaging and lighten dark spots and hyperpigmentation.

LovelySkin Vita CE with Ferulic Acid from Dr. Schlessinger’s own skin care line is another fantastic choice. In this serum, 15% vitamin C in the form of L-ascorbic acid combines with 0.5% ferulic acid and 1% tocopherol to help reverse signs of aging by boosting collagen production to help lessen the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. It also contains an innovative octapeptide that is designed to help relax the facial muscles that can contribute to the formation of fine lines.

The Skin Benefits of Niacinamide

Niacinamide, also commonly referred to as niacin, is a form of vitamin B3 that, like vitamin C, can help fade dark spots. Thanks to its antioxidant properties, niacinamide works wonders for your skin in many different ways. It can protect your skin from free radical damage, help strengthen your skin barrier for increased moisture, and it’s great for acne-prone skin!

“Niacinamide has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe redness and irritation in skin,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “That’s one reason it’s often combined with exfoliating ingredients such as retinol or AHA—it soothes any minor irritation that may occur from exfoliation.”

One of Dr. Schlessinger’s favorite sunscreens for acne-prone skin, Elta MD UV Clear Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 46, contains niacinamide to help soothe existing blemishes and reduce future breakouts by balancing your skin’s oil production. If you struggle with skin discoloration, you might consider adding SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense to your routine. It combines 5% niacinamide with kojic acid and tranexamic acid to help acne scars, hyperpigmentation or brown patches on the skin disappear.

All products made by StriVectin feature NIA-114, the brand’s proprietary form of niacinamide that works to restore a compromised skin barrier to help skin look and feel healthier. StriVectin SD Advanced PLUS Intensive Moisturizing Concentrate combines NIA-114 with powerful hydrators, hyaluronic acid and glycerin, to help draw moisture into the skin to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Can You Mix Niacinamide and Vitamin C?

There has been some question as to whether using vitamin C and niacinamide together is a good idea in skin care. “Any doubts about mixing vitamin C and niacinamide dates back to a 1963 study that suggested the two ingredients could react and degrade when combined.” says Dr. Schlessinger. “However, this is a theory that no longer holds water. The forms of vitamin C and niacinamide in skin care products are stable and they really make a great pair when used together.”

How to Layer Vitamin C and Niacinamide

So now that you know it’s safe to use niacinamide and vitamin C together, you might be wondering what’s the best way to do so. As it turns out, how to layer vitamin C and niacinamide depends entirely on the type of skin care products you’re using. A good rule of thumb is to apply your products from the lightest formula to the heaviest, starting with toners and serums and before thicker creams and oils. If you’re using a vitamin C serum and a moisturizer with niacinamide, you would apply them in that order. Because moisturizers tend to form an occlusive barrier on the skin to help lock in moisture, it would be less effective to apply your facial serum on top since it would be less likely to get absorbed into your skin that way.

Try Vitamin C and Niacinamide Together in These Combo Products

Some products contain both vitamin C and niacinamide together in the same formula, which makes using this skin-care duo especially convenient. Here are three of our favorite niacinamide and vitamin C products.

Skin Inc My Daily Dose of Vitamins ABC+

This vitamin-packed serum delivers multiple benefits in just one step. Vitamin A, vitamin C and niacinamide all work in unison to help control oil, soften lines and wrinkles and promote cellular turnover for brighter-looking skin. Hydrating hyaluronic acid also helps skin look plumper and more youthful by drawing water into dehydrated cells.

Eminence Organics Sea Buckthorn Balancing Masque

If the skin on your face is feeling out of balance—either too dry or too oily—try this soothing face mask for relief. Niacinamide and vitamin C team up to stimulate collagen production and help soften wrinkles. Sea buckthorn, carrot juice, jojoba oil and calendula also deliver gentle moisture to your skin without clogging pores.

Dermalogica Age Reversal Eye Complex

Vitamin C and niacinamide are only two of the A-list ingredients powering this anti-aging eye cream. While they combine forces with retinol to reduce the appearance of crow’s feet, peptides also help smooth skin as caffeine works to ease under-eye puffiness and dark circles. But it doesn’t end there! Additionally, ash tree bark and hyaluronic acid provide hydration to the skin around your eye, helping it look plumper and more youthful.

Intrigued by the benefits that skin care ingredients like niacinamide and vitamin C can provide? Learn more about incorporating vitamins like vitamin C and niacinamide into your daily regimen with the best vitamin serums you need right now.