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Is It Safe To Use Vitamin C And Retinol Together?

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Beautiful skin is always in, and we go to great lengths in the quest to get that. With new and innovative ingredients making their way to the skincare aisles, it’s easy to give in to the temptation to buy everything that promises us flawless, younger-looking skin, but without enough proof, adding random skincare products to our routine could harm our skin more than benefit it. No one can argue the importance of sunscreen and its benefits for skin health, for instance, and two other super popular ingredients are retinol and vitamin c because of the magical effects they can have on our skin.
In fact, Amanda von dem Hagen, a licensed esthetician and regional education specialist for Skinbetter Science, told Today, “Retinol is a gold-standard ingredient in skincare because it alters the behavior of aged cells, so they act in a more youthful manner. It smooths and refines skin’s texture, enhances skin radiance, and treats aging.” Retinol stimulates collagen production and is a great anti-aging ingredient; plus, it can delay premature signs of aging.
On the other hand, vitamin C is the ultimate skin brightener. “The antioxidant activity of vitamin C protects against UV-induced damage caused by free radicals, which will prevent accelerated aging and skin cancer,” board-certified dermatologist Tiffany Libby told InStyle. Dr. Libby added that it also increases collagen production and skin firmness and lightens dark spots. Since both are anti-aging ingredients, you’d think using them together could double the benefit, but here’s what dermatologists have to say about it.
What dermatologists say about using vitamin C and retinol together
Retinol and vitamin c help boost collagen production, improve the appearance of your skin, and have wonderful anti-aging benefits, so you’d think it’d make sense to use them together, but that’s not the case. Since both ingredients can irritate your skin, it might not be a good idea to use them together. Plus, there’s a possibility of their efficacy being “compromised,” per The…