Some of the most common requests for beautiful skin are for skin brightening, wrinkles, and overall skin health.
My top two key skin ingredients are Vitamin C and Retinol. Vitamin C is one of my favorite ingredients for skin brightening and retinol helps skin cells to turn over this naturally slows down with aging. This is a great combination when used properly.
Benefits of Retinol
Retinol is one of my go to ingredients for overall skin health. Retinol is a multitasking skincare ingredient. It can help with overall sun damage, skin texture and tone, and acne. Overtime and with continued use this Vitamin A derivative can help build collagen and elastin. Because it can be irritating, I advise to start slowly this helps to build up your skins tolerance. Start off by using retinol once or twice a week only at night and gradually increase to every other night as tolerated. You can also use a moisturizer before or after application. That does not decrease your retinol’s ability to work on the skin.
Benefits of Vitamin C
L-ascorbic acid, or pure vitamin C, is a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals and I personally always have one in my routine. This is one of the best ingredients for hyperpigmentation and dark spots, and helps to achieve a brighter complexion. I like to use this in some skin types as the morning moisturizer. After use apply your sunscreen, a good sunscreen that is broad spectrum is a great pairing with Vitamin C.
How To Use Retinol and Vitamin C in Your Skincare Routine
The first step is working with your dermatologist to pick the best products for your skin.
When it comes to selecting a retinol, there are prescription retinoids like retinoic acid or tretinoin and over the counter retinoids like retinol or retinyl palmitate. Both are effective and it really depends on your skin and what your dermatologist recommends. These products are used at night before bedtime to allow maximum time of skin exposure and without any sun exposure.
If you are going to add this to your skincare regimen a sunscreen is required during the daytime as this ingredient makes you sensitive to the sun.
For Vitamin C, I recommend picking high quality serum with stabilized concentrations of the ingredient. The percentages of the serum can vary, and some products may have other key ingredients like hyaluronic acid which is great for skin hydration.
Your vitamin C serum should be packaged a dark/opaque bottle not a clear one because this becomes less effective with exposure to light.
It is best to use your Vitamin C in the morning and then your sunscreen. Vitamin C in the morning helps stabilize retinol and enhances its effects on your skin.
This is a great skin combination both are highly effective and potent skincare ingredients. If you have sensitive skin or have any irritation, make sure to stagger the use of these ingredients and don’t forget your sunscreen.
For more tips follow my on Instagram @Houshmandmd
