Can you use Niacinamide and Vitamin C together in skincare?

Skincare was easier when it was limited to a cleanser and moisturizer. However, with so many skincare products and ingredients targeting multiple skin issues- it can be confusing to know which products you actually need that can help your skin. Of course, it’s a blessing that there’s an ingredient to target every skin issue, but if you have multiple skin concerns, using them properly does require some professional guidance.

That’s why dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe came up with the viral TikTok beauty trend of skin cycling. Dr. Bowe told Self, “People were adding layer after layer after layer onto their skincare routines and experimenting with ingredient combinations that were irritating and damaging their skin.” She added that people were using too many products, making their skin more sensitive and irritated. In skin cycling, you use chemical exfoliants on night one and retinoids on night two, as they’re both potent ingredients.

On the other hand, certain ingredients work better together, such as sunscreen and Vitamin C. Chicago-based dermatologist Steven Mandrea told Real Simple, “I usually recommend applying vitamin C serum in the morning under moisturizer and sunscreen, as it can then work to combat exposure to free radicals and ultraviolet light throughout the day.”