USING RETINOL AND VITAMIN C IN YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE

As with any skincare product or ingredient, start off slowly. Integrate new ingredients progressively, and carefully observe how your skin reacts to each new addition.

Retinol and vitamin C are highly effective treatments, but they can be rather intense for those with sensitive skin. Integrating them into your skincare routine too quickly may cause your skin to become dry, flaky, red, or inflamed.

Depending on your skin type and tolerance, you may be able to use these products three times a week up to daily. Begin with a once-a-week routine. If you don't experience an adverse reaction, try slowly increasing your usage.

Sunscreen is a vital product for every skincare routine, no matter what skin type you have. Not only does sun exposure account for 90% of skin aging, but also about 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to UV radiation from the sun.

Retinol products thin the skin barrier and increase its sensitivity to the sun's UV rays, so it's important to wear sunscreen when using them. Although vitamin C's antioxidant properties support a healthy skin barrier, which protects the skin from UV rays, you should still add a layer of sunscreen for increased protection from sun damage. The American Academy of Dermatology advises that you apply sunscreen every day, no matter how cloudy or rainy. 

The active ingredient in retinol is retinoic acid, while the active ingredient in vitamin C is L-ascorbic acid. Active ingredients are ingredients which penetrate the skin, healing it on a cellular level. While active ingredients are excellent for your skin, they can also leave it irritated or inflamed if you overload your routine with them.

Many people already use products containing beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) in their daily skincare routine. AHAs (such as lactic acid and glycolic acid) and BHAs (like salicylic acid) act as natural skin exfoliants.

Each of these powerful ingredients (retinol, vitamin C, BHAs and AHAs) increases the skin's sensitivity, and using all of them together can irritate your skin. If you're using retinol or vitamin C with a natural acid, try alternating them to avoid skin irritation. For example, try applying a BHA or AHA to your skin in the morning and applying a natural retinol serum or vitamin C in your nighttime routine to avoid skin sensitivity from sun exposure. You could also try a staggered approach—use a BHA one night and retinol or vitamin C the next.

Retinol can have a considerable drying effect on the skin, especially when you first integrate it into your skincare routine. As your skin tries to adjust to this powerful ingredient, you may notice an increase in dry, flaky skin cells. Additionally, as retinol purges your skin of old skin cells to make way for new skin cells, these old skin cells start to flake away at the surface. Regardless of the skin type (dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, or combination skin) anyone can experience this dehydrated side effect.

Vitamin C is a proven, natural moisturizer that reduces water loss from our skin, but additional moisture is still necessary to keep your skin hydrated, particularly when first adding these ingredients to your routine.

One way to increase skin hydration is to add hyaluronic acid to your daily skincare routine. Hyaluronic acid is highly effective moisturizer that works wonders when combined with vitamin C and retinol. 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. After applying retinol, apply an additional moisturizing cream to seal in the underlying ingredients and prevent them from evaporating.

It takes time to see results from new skincare products. Many people grow impatient when trying out a new product and oust it from their routine before benefits take effect. However, dermatologists estimate that it can take up to 3 months for your skin to experience the full benefits of ingredients that alter cell behavior, like retinol and vitamin C. Commit to trying new products for at least 3 months before changing your skincare regimen to experience real benefit.

Using vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night provides your skin with the ultimate brightening and firming treatment.

Vitamin C visibly brightens your skin, so many people prefer to apply vitamin C in the morning—after all, who doesn't want to start the day off with visibly brighter skin? Vitamin C also creates a protective barrier that defends the skin from the sun's intense UV rays and the unpleasant photoaging effects they cause. Applying a vitamin C booster serum in the morning followed by a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 will preserve your skin's youth and improve the appearance of dark spots.

Dermatologists recommend you use retinol at night since it increases the skin's sensitivity, making it more susceptible to damage or irritation from heat and the sun's UV rays. At night, apply a natural retinol serum that will tighten the skin and mitigate wrinkles, fine lines, and other imperfections while you sleep.

Do you already love your morning skincare routine? Add vitamin C and retinol at night instead to reap the benefits without changing up what's already working well.

To reap the benefits of retinol and vitamin C without irritating or inflaming your skin, try using retinol one night and vitamin C the next. Over time, you'll start to notice radiant, firm skin from this nightly routine.

Your skincare routine should work for you. When you add powerful ingredients like vitamin C and retinol, you're ensuring your skin is protected from environmental stressors, harmful UV rays, and the negative effects of free radicals.

All Comfort Zone products are vegan, cruelty free, and sustainable, so you can get skin you feel comfortable in without harming the planet.