Ask Dr. Schultz
Can retinol and Vitamin C be used at the same time?
Hi Mary, thanks for the great question. There is a lot of confusion about what you can use Retin-A and other retinoids with and what you cannot. The real issue here is the fragility or instability of retinoids; that instability means you cannot use those chemicals with acids, acids like glycolic acid or salicylic acid, both of which are used to treat acne and also for exfoliation. However, you can use retinol and other acids as long as you use them on opposite ends of the day.
But when it comes to antioxidants like Vitamin C and retinoids, there is no conflict in using both. They can be used together as long as they are layered properly, so they both can come into contact with the skin. I always tell my patients to exfoliate before applying their antioxidant, like BeautyRx’s Triple Vitamin C Serum. And do not forget one other thing: In order for antioxidants to work, they cannot be used in sunlight. So use your antioxidants at bedtime.