Can You use Retinol with Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid?

With the overwhelming amount of skincare products available enriched in retinol, hyaluronic acid or niacinamide, you’ll be hard pressed to have not used a product containing one of these ingredients, whether you realised it or not. The only problem is the amount of confusion that surrounds these ingredients and when exactly they need to be applied to the skin. 

Today we’ll be focusing on how you can use retinol, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid together and hopefully by the end of today’s blog post you’ll have a better understanding of how they work together and the results you can expect to see on your skin.

Can I mix hyaluronic acid with retinol and niacinamide?

When it comes to mixing skincare ingredients quite often there is the hazard of signs of irritation or allergic reaction. Luckily for us both niacinamide and hyaluronic acid work well with other ingredients, especially with retinol that has a reputation for causing some areas of dryness and flaking of the skin. This is perfectly normal and part of the process of introducing retinol into your routine and teaming it with humectant ingredients, such as niacinamide and hyaluronic acid will reduce the severity of dryness.

Retinol: A form of vitamin A and one of the most potent skincare ingredients, it needs to be added to your routine in the correct way to avoid any excessive dryness and skin irritation. It is a multitalented ingredient providing a selection of benefits to help combat breakouts, signs of ageing and uneven skin tone. It is able to do that by speeding up the skin cell renewal process making the complexion look youthful and full of bounce with fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots visibly reduced.

Niacinamide: Also known as B3 and is a highly effective skin-restoring ingredient. It can act as a humectant which results in water being drawn into the skin and locked into the surface keeping your face hydrated and moisturised throughout the day. It combats fine lines and wrinkles by ensuring the protective skin barrier is fully functioning with the correct levels of water. This will ensure the skin is able to protect itself from damage caused by exposure to pollution, the sun’s UV rays and other environmental aggressors.

Hyaluronic Acid: Naturally occurring in the body, hyaluronic acid is one of the most hydrating skincare ingredients with 1 gram having the ability to hold equivalent of 6 litre of water. With humectant traits the skin’s protective barrier remains fully functioning and able to repair any damage caused by free radicals and prevent any further damage occurring.

When it comes to mixing all three together, the best order to apply them is by starting with retinol, followed by hyaluronic acid, and finally niacinamide. By applying retinol first onto a fully cleansed skin the ingredient can penetrate into the lower layers. By following this with hyaluronic acid you’ll combat any dryness and irritation that is a common side effect when using retinol. Hyaluronic acid will keep the skin hydrated allowing niacinamide to then regulate the sebum production to help minimise the appearance of pores all whilst keeping moisture locked into the skin.

Can I use retinol after niacinamide?

As I have already mentioned to gain the optimal results it is best to first apply retinol and then niacinamide. This will help the ingredients target signs of ageing, such as fine lines and wrinkles and reduce any dark spots and hyperpigmentation whilst ensuring the skin remains healthy and moisturised. There is a bonus benefit of using these ingredients and that is there are some formulas available that combine both retinol and niacinamide in one product, this is an easier and more convenient way of reaping the rewards of both of these ingredients.

How long after using niacinamide can I apply retinol?

This may feel like a simple question, but one point to remember about using skincare products is the fact they vary with the levels of pH in the formulations. Quite often an imbalance in pH is usually the cause of skin irritation so ensuring the products you apply to the skin work well together and won’t disrupt the skin’s natural pH levels. When considering retinol these vary between 5.5 and 6 while niacinamide is most effective at 5.0 and 7.0 this means both are able to be applied together or with about 5 to 15 minutes delay between applications with the peace of mind there will be no disruption to the skin.

Can I use niacinamide with hyaluronic acid?

Yes, indeed you can, in fact, you’ll find the skin loves this hydrating duo! Due to the fact the skin is largest organ, but not a vital organ you will find that any amount of water you consume throughout the day makes it way to hydrate all your other organs before helping the skin. This often leads to it becoming dehydrated which is often mistaken as skin showing signs of ageing, such as fine lines and wrinkles appearing a lot more prominent on the surface of the skin with further damage occurring due to the barrier being compromised with the lack of correct water allowing it to function properly. This is when both hyaluronic acid and niacinamide step in to aid hydration keeping the skin at its healthiest state enabling it to protect itself and act similar to a damp sponge by fully absorbing any skincare formulations applied to the skin.

Should I use hyaluronic acid before or after retinol?

With hyaluronic acid delivering hydrating properties many find they receive optimal results once the ingredient is applied during the final steps of their routine. You will find that serums containing hyaluronic acid are best applied to the skin after retinol, this will help counteract any dryness caused from the potent form of vitamin A. After applying hyaluronic acid all form of moisture will be locked into the skin, keeping the barrier strong, healthy, and able to ward off long-term damage caused from exposure to free radicals. 

What goes first niacinamide or hyaluronic acid?

You know now that both of these ingredients are water based and have amazing humectant properties enabling the skin to remain constantly hydrated. When it comes to using them in your daily routine, I suggest first applying hyaluronic acid as this will replenish the water levels in the protective barrier aiding a hydrating boost. By following this with niacinamide you will find that the production of sebum in the skin is regulated helping keep it balanced with the microbiome remaining supple and healthy. If you are wanting to know more about how these humectants work together, check out our blog post about how to use hyaluronic acid and niacinamide together.

I hope that today has shed some light on mixing three of the most popular skincare ingredients together and what results you can expect to see, don’t forget to come and find us on Instagram for new product launches, exclusive giveaways and discount codes!