Well, when it comes right down to it, the choice is really in what you're looking to do for your skin. While vitamin C is incredible for the skin because of its ability to help brighten and improve hyperpigmentation, the best active ingredient for wrinkles is retinol.
While vitamin C is most notable for helping to brighten and improve hyperpigmentation, retinol is typically considered best-in-class for wrinkles and fine lines. And if you really want to give your skin a one-two punch to get noticeably healthier, you can certainly try incorporating both into your routine.
While vitamin C can be helpful for preventing future wrinkles, if you're dealing with lines that have already set in, a retinol eye cream may be a better option.
Vitamin C and Retinol can be an effective ingredient combination in your daily skincare routine, especially if you're looking to address multiple skin concerns like dark spots, uneven skin tone and fine lines, wrinkles and loss of firmness.
Also known as retinoic acid, tretinoin is about 20 times more potent than retinol. It's stronger because retinoic acid is a form of vitamin A that acts directly on the skin to boost cell renewal, turnover, and DNA damage repair.
Retinoids reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen. They also stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin, which improves skin color. Additional benefits include fading age spots and softening rough patches of skin.
Retinol serves an age reversing purpose, Koreans use ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, peptides, and antioxidants instead.
Using retinol and vitamin C together (this doesn't have to be at the same time) may result in smoother, brighter skin. "Vitamin C defends, protects and supports collagen production, while retinol renews skin cells and stimulates collagen," Shirazi says.
Adding Vitamin C (water-soluble) to retinol (oil-soluble) results in the non-absorption of Vitamin C, thus no skin benefits. So, you see how mixing the two is a waste of skincare products, money, and time.
Vitamin C: Key Differences. Both skincare ingredients improve skin tone, brighten the complexion, and enhance skin texture. However, vitamin C has other properties that retinol may not have, such as protection from harmful UV rays. Meanwhile, retinol is tricky to use.
A few clinical studies have demonstrated that vitamin C can improve wrinkles. One study showed that daily use of a vitamin C formulation for at least three months improved the appearance of fine and coarse wrinkles of the face and neck, as well as improved overall skin texture and appearance.
Vitamin C is a powerful ingredient in many anti-aging products. Some studies show that it can reduce the appearance of wrinkles when you use it for at least 12 weeks. A healthy diet that's high in this nutrient might help, too. Research suggests that people who eat more vitamin C have fewer wrinkles.
"If you're overusing your retinol, or if you're using a retinol that's too strong for you, it can lead to peeling, irritation, and excessive dryness, which may have led to retinol's association with skin thinning," says Dr. Icecreamwala. "This will make your skin look older and accentuate wrinkles."
To give your routine an anti-aging one-two punch, try first applying a vitamin C serum in the morning. In your nighttime routine, use a layer of a hydrating, retinol-based cream or a lightweight retinol oil.
Astaxanthin has been shown to be stronger than more well known antioxidants such as vitamin C, lutein, and beta-carotene. In fact, studies have shown that astaxanthin is almost 6000 times more powerful than the widely renowned vitamin C.
USE EACH INGREDIENT AT SEPARATE TIMES OF THE DAY
The first option you have to combine vitamin C and retinol is to use them at separate times of the day. Specifically, it's best to use vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night. The reason for that has a lot to do with how each ingredient works.
However, if you want specific treatment products like retinol to work to their full effect, it's better to use it before the moisturizer step than after, and if you want to reduce the strength of specific treatment products like retinol, It is better to use retinol after moisturizer.
In fact, retinoids work best if you use them daily. Specifically, try to use them at night because light and air deactivate some types. If you experience any side effects — like skin redness or dryness — then it's a good idea to back down to once every 2 or 3 nights.
You can combine hyaluronic acid with Vitamin C, AHAs, BHAs, and retinol. AHAs, BHAs, and retinol have micro-exfoliating properties – a combination of either of these with hyaluronic acid works well since it's a hydrating agent and repairs the skin.
Retinol has not been a widely popular ingredient in Korean skincare as it's often viewed as harsh and irritating.
Board-certified Korean dermatologist Choi Bo Youn supports Hong's statements, noting, that if you continually allow your skin to get dry, wrinkles are sure to appear. With that in mind, Koreans, again, constantly keep their skin hydrated and nourished in any way they can.
Korean ladies use facial massage to promote circulation and bring oxygen and nutrients to the skin's surface. It's an amazing way to boost skin's radiance and combat fine lines and wrinkles. Start with a dab of your favorite facial oil or moisturizer. You can add a bit of your favorite serum for an extra boost.