Can I use Retinol with Niacinamide?

Retinol and niacinamide are two ingredients that are both hugely popular in the beauty industry, each providing impressive results and helping to improve all manner of skin concerns, from blemishes, uneven skin tone and signs of premature ageing. You may already use either one of these powerhouse ingredients already in your daily skincare routine, but perhaps you have avoiding using them together. Your right to be cautious as there are a lot of products out there that don’t work well together, but is niacinamide and retinol two of them? Well, that is exactly what we are going to investigate today- let’s dive right in!

Can I use retinol with niacinamide?

You can indeed, in fact, many dermatologists suggest that teaming these two ingredients together will have an impressive result on the skin and its general health and appearance. Both of these clever ingredients target different areas of the skin, whilst retinol is combating any signs of ageing, areas of pigmentation and build-up of skin cells resulting in the complexion looking dull, niacinamide is drawing water in and locking it in place giving the face a plumped, hydrated and healthy finish.

What you may find surprising, is how applying retinol after niacinamide would result in it being able to deliver its results quicker than ever as the humectant niacinamide will promote the protective barrier that sits on the outer surface to become fully hydrated whilst repairing any free radical damage allowing retinol to absorb easily into the lower layers of the skin and get to work repairing the skin from sun damage, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and restoring glow back to the skin.

Should I use niacinamide before or after retinol?

There is really no right or wrong when it comes to applying niacinamide before or after retinol. As I have already shared, applying niacinamide before retinol will help it reach the areas of the skin it works on most effectively. The difference you will find when applying niacinamide after retinol is any common side effects such as severe dryness that can often lead to the skin feeling tight and uncomfortable, will be counteracted by the super hydrating properties of niacinamide leaving the skin comfortable. It is able to do this by stimulating the skin’s natural production of ceramides and mixture of fatty acids which has an all-over renewing benefit and helps retinol improve the look and feel the complexion. Whichever way you decide to use each product you’ll find the skin’s appearance is improved by reaping the rejuvenating rewards of this power couple of ingredients working their skin magic.

Can I use niacinamide with hyaluronic acid and retinol?

Yes you can! Applying all three of these ingredients to the skin may feel as though you are overloading the skin, but don’t be fooled- your skin will adore it! Not only will you have the anti-ageing benefits of retinol and double the amount of hydration with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide but there would be extra benefits you may not have originally anticipated, for example, both retinol and niacinamide do an amazing job at improving uneven skin tone and restores a healthy glowing finish to the complexion. Other common concerns such as enlarged pores are also targeted by both humectant ingredients, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide helping to keep the outer surface of the skin healthy whilst retinol works deep into the pores unclogging them of excess sebum, bacteria and impurities that lead to breakouts such as blackheads and active spots. The support in controlling the amount of excess oil on the skin and boost hydration results in the pores being able to function properly and become less noticeable over time adding to the overall improvement of the skin on your face.

Should you apply moisturiser after retinol?

Yes and no, there are some contrasting ideas behind whether you should apply moisturiser before or after retinol. This in the end boils down to which way works for you, your routine and your skin. When applying your moisturiser first it is considered the best way for those who are already prone to dryness but have been given the go ahead by a doctor or dermatologist to try introducing retinol slowly into their daily regime. You are able to create a hydrating barrier for the skin making it more tolerable for the effective, but very potent retinol to work at sloughing away the build-up of dead skin cells that can result in breakouts and signs of premature ageing, such as expression and fine lines.

Some feel that applying moisturiser before will not only cause a physical barrier for the retinol to combat, but will also prevent it from delivering the results it has gained its reputation for. Applying a moisturiser after retinol will allow the form of vitamin A to absorb into the lower layers of the skin but will counteract any dryness caused and protect the skin from further free radical damage that occurs after overexposure to UV rays, pollution and other environmental aggressors.

If you are finding it hard to pick which way would work best for you, there is a third option for you to give a go and that is applying a serum enriched in hyaluronic acid before your retinol then follow that with a nourishing moisturiser. Serums have a thinner consistency and work further in the skin than moisturisers making them super effective at helping any products containing active ingredients to absorb quickly and show results in rapid time. By applying a final layer of moisturiser to the skin will create a protective film over the skin allowing all the ingredients already applied to work away without being disrupted by any damage that could come into contact with the face throughout the day.

So, can I use retinol with niacinamide?

Absolutely, as we have already shared with you, there is are so many benefits you can expect to find when using retinol and niacinamide together. There should also be no worry of the skin feeling overloaded with too many products as they work on separate areas of the skin making them a perfect complimentary duo. If you are wanting to know more about retinol and niacinamide including how they are produced and their skin benefits you can check out the dedicated blog posts, not forgetting of course to get in touch with us over on our Instagram if you have any questions.

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