To layer vitamin C and hyaluronic acid serums, always apply vitamin C first to cleansed, dry skin. Be sure to leave time for your vitamin C to sink in, then follow up with your hyaluronic acid.
In order to get the most out of these two ingredients, it's important to apply them in the correct order. Vitamin C is sensitive to air, water, and light, so you want to apply it to clean, dry skin before using hyaluronic acid. Let it completely dry before moving on to the next product.
A thick moisturizer with hyaluronic acid would be applied after a vitamin C serum, but a hyaluronic acid serum will come before a face cream with vitamin C in its formula. In the case that you have two separate serums, it still comes down to thickness. Apply whichever is thinner first.
In the morning, after applying your vitamin C serum, follow it with a layer of hydrating hyaluronic acid. In your nightly routine, apply hyaluronic acid serum before retinol, as it can increase its effectiveness while also helping to lock moisture in for maximum hydration.
Hyaluronic acid should be the first serum you apply: To lock in that hydration, hyaluronic acid serums should be the first serum you apply in your skincare routine.
When applying these two ingredients separately instead of in a single serum, you'll want to first apply your vitamin C serum. After giving it time to absorb into the skin, hyaluronic acid goes on to help keep the product in the skin while also providing additional moisture to keep the skin hydrated.
Order Matters: Serums are applied after cleansing and toning and before your moisturizer. If you don't use toner, then apply serum directly after cleansing. Keep It Simple: It's best to layer no more than two serums at a time. Too many layers can possibly prevent the ingredients from absorbing as effectively.
Hyaluronic acid should be layered before retinol in case of dry or sensitive skin, as it helps create a barrier between retinol and your skin, offsetting irritation. Must-mention: let your hyaluronic acid serum dry before following with retinol as, if applied to damp skin, there's a higher risk of redness and dryness.
After applying vitamin C serum to your face, wait for it to be fully absorbed by your skin. It should take somewhere between one and two minutes to completely dry off. Then, go ahead and apply the hyaluronic acid serum.
“Hyaluronic acid plays well with most ingredients, while caution must be taken when using retinol in combination with alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids, benzoyl peroxide, and some types of vitamin C.” Linkner echoes the tip about avoiding vitamin C.
Vitamin C is effectively an acid (it's sometimes known as ascorbic acid), so layering it with AHAs and BHAs like glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids is a big no-no.
So you can apply your vitamin C first, let it dry completely, then apply your hyaluronic acid. Just remember to top everything off with a moisturizer—you still want to seal in the HA to lock in the hydration.
Hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin can be applied to skin both morning and night to keep skin hydrated around the clock. No matter what your skin type or concerns, it's an important step that will benefit everyone.
The ideal wait time is 5-10 minutes depending on how soon the product is absorbed.
If you apply a vitamin C serum and a resveratrol-infused moisturizer, the serum should be layered first. If both are in serums, you should layer vitamin C first, then follow with the resveratrol serum as what's fat-soluble goes after water-soluble molecules.
These popular serum ingredients can be layered or applied at different times of the day. If spacing apart, it's best to use Vitamin C in the morning, with hyaluronic acid at night. If layering, apply your antioxidant serum (Vitamin C) first for maximum protection.
We recommend that beauty lovers use our Vitamin C Serum after cleansing, exfoliating, masking, and/or toning — but always before moisturizing. All you have to do is apply a couple pumps of serum to clean fingers, and gently press the product evenly over damp skin.
You can — and should — combine all three skincare ingredients in your routine, Dr. Gilbert says. By using vitamin C, retinol and hyaluronic acid together, you'll receive all of the benefits detailed above. That being said, introducing new skincare products and ingredients into your routine isn't always easy.
Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C Serum for face offer similar skin benefits but have different effects. Hyaluronic Acid keeps skin feeling plumped and keeps it hydrated. Vitamin C works explicitly to protect skin from sun damage and reduce skin discoloration due to acne.
Step 4: Vitamin C Oil-Free Moisturizer
In a Vitamin C skincare routine, it's important to apply the moisturizer after the application of the serum. This is because the serum helps the moisturizer gets absorbed better, and the moisturizer helps seal the serum's nutrients within the skin so they can work all day.