What can you not use with niacinamide

If you’re as skincare-obsessed as we are, you probably spend your evenings layering at least three different products on your face before you’ve even moisturised. If you don’t already layer your skincare, it’s a now’s the time to start. It’s a clever way of forcing ingredients into your skin and making each product work to its max. potential, especially if you’re using single-ingredient products from brands like The Ordinary and Skincare by BEAUTY BAY. But before you turn your bathroom into a laboratory, there are some need to know ingredients that don’t play well together…  

Can I use vitamin C with AHAs/BHAs?

Vitamin C is effectively an acid (it’s sometimes known as ascorbic acid), so layering it with AHAs and BHAs like glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids is a big no-no. It’s also really unstable, so any acids you layer it with will destabilise the pH balance and render it completely useless before it even has chance to work its magic.  

Can I use retinol with AHAs/BHAs?

Retinol doesn’t exfoliate like AHAs and BHAs do, but it is a peeling agent, so it does stimulate cell turnover to get rid of old and damaged skin cells. Mixing it with acids can cause dryness and irritation and damage the skin’s moisture barrier, and together they’ll also increase skin’s sensitivity to the sun, meaning you’re at a much higher risk of burning and UV damage. Use these ingredients on alternate days or weeks if you’re after the benefits of both. 

Can I use retinol with vitamin C?

Using retinol and Vitamin C together is yet another recipe for irritation, peeling, and redness since these are two very active ingredients. Best practice is to use retinol at night and Vitamin C by day.   

Can I use oil-based products with water-based products?

It’s basic high school-level science: oil and water don’t mix. In fact, oil actually repels water, so when it comes to your skincare, using an oil-based product will leave a film on your skin which prevents water-based formulas from absorbing. If you want to use both formulas in the same routine, apply your water-based products first, and oil-based products on top. 

Can I use glycolic acid with salicylic acid?

Both ingredients work by removing dead skin cells from the upper layers of your skin, but more is not always better! Glycolic acid and salicylic acid are great ingredients used separately (or in pre-formulated blends) but mixing the two yourself could cause a major reaction and compromise your skin barrier. One word: ouch.  

Can I use niacinamide with vitamin C?

Used separately, both ingredients are great for treating blemish-prone and scarred skin, and you’ll find they’re used together in some multi-ingredient serums. However, combining them DIY-style is potentially a recipe for disaster. Niacinamide can cancel out the good properties of vitamin C and turn it into a substance that causes redness and can trigger acne breakouts.  

Can I use niacinamide with AHAs/BHAs?

Both niacinamide and AHAs/BHAs (like glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids) can help to improve skin texture, pigmentation, acne, and signs of aging, but mixing or layering these ingredients won’t necessarily have any benefits. Acids have a low pH of 3-4, whereas niacinamide has a higher pH at around 5-7. If combined, the niacinamide will raise the pH of the acid meaning that it’s less effective and won’t absorb as well. This combo may also cause redness and flushing. 

Niacinamide might not get quite as much buzz as ingredients like retinol and vitamin C, but the skincare superstar is an unsung hero that deserves equal praise. It's the very definition of a multitasker, offering a litany of different benefits that make it a great pick for a wide variety of skin types and complexion concerns. But incorporating it into your already existing skincare routine isn't straightforward. Can you use niacinamide with vitamin C and/or retinol? What about hyaluronic acid? We asked experts to weigh in on everything you need to know about how to use niacinamide, and to share their favorite product picks.

What Is Niacinamide?

Simply put, it's a B vitamin, one of two forms of vitamin B3 that's involved in many important cellular functions of the skin, explains Gretchen Frieling, MD, a triple board-certified dermatopathologist in the Boston area.

What Benefits Does It Have for Skin?

Buckle up, because this is a lengthy list. Niacinamide is a great choice for those with acne-prone skin. "Niacinamide reduces sebum production, which can both help prevent acne and also diminish shine," says Kenneth Howe, MD, board-certified dermatologist of UnionDerm in New York City. The vitamin is also known for its anti-inflammatory effects, which are beneficial both when it comes to treating acne and conditions such as eczema, adds Dr. Frieling.

Niacinamide helps strengthen the skin barrier, another major boon for those with eczematic and sensitive skin, according to both experts. It's a choice brightening ingredient, too, combating hyperpigmentation by blocking the transfer of pigment from the pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) to the skin cells on the surface where discoloration is visible, says Dr. Howe.

As if all that weren't enough, there's also some data showing that niacinamide can help reduce wrinkling and photoaging, by ensuring cells function properly and helping repair DNA damage, says Dr. Howe. In short, there's really not much that niacinamide can't do.

Can You Use Niacinamide With Retinol?

Yes! In fact, dermatologists say that retinol and niacinamide is a recommended combination for achieving quicker results. Niacinamide's calming benefits can also combat the negative side effects and irritation that often come alongside retinol's wrinkle-fighting magic.

Does It Work Well With Other Ingredients?

As a general rule of thumb, yes, which is why it's found in many skincare products and why it's pretty easy to incorporate into your existing routine. Per those acne-fighting benefits, niacinamide is often paired with salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid that's a mainstay in acne products, says Dr. Frieling. Combining niacinamide's oil-reducing prowess with salicylic acid's ability to dissolve excess oil is a great way to help keep pores clear and breakouts at bay.

Niacinamide's anti-inflammatory and skin barrier-strengthening effects also make it a good option to pair with alpha-hydroxy acids, chemical exfoliants that have the potential to cause some skin irritation. Combining these also increases the efficacy of the niacinamide, since the AHAs exfoliate the dead skin cells that could otherwise make it harder for the niacinamide to effectively penetrate, says Dr. Frieling. And finally, niacinamide is often paired with hyaluronic acid, given that both can help alleviate dryness, she adds.

The one ingredient where the jury is still out? Vitamin C. Our experts were split on this one. Dr. Howe says that Vitamin C can inactivate niacinamide and suggests separating the application by 15 minutes. While Dr. Frieling notes that there is a debate on the topic, she says that in order for the two to negatively interact, they'd have to be heated, and that more and more products are actually combining the two in skin-brightening formulations. The bottom line: If you're using a product that contains both vitamin C and niacinamide, it's likely been specially formulated so that they can work together. But if you're using two distinct products with these ingredients, wait 15 minutes between applications, or save one for morning use and the other for evening use.

Should I Be Using Niacinamide?

In a word, yes. One of the great things about niacinamide is not only the litany of benefits it delivers, but also the fact that it's relatively well tolerated, even for those with sensitive skin, says Dr. Howe. This makes it a nice alternative for those whose skin may not be able to handle more traditional acne or brightening ingredients, like benzoyl peroxide or retinoids.

Not sure where to start? Ahead, six dermatologist-approved niacinamide products worth trying.

A skin-saving mask: Drunk Elephant F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask

Swap your standard night cream for this overnight mask any time your skin needs a little extra TLC. "This ultra-soothing, moisturizing mask incorporates niacinamide into the mix for deep-level, anti-inflammatory effects," says Dr. Howe.

A spot-fading serum: SkinMedica's Lytera 2.0 Pigment Correcting Serum

Yes, it's expensive, but for fading discoloration, Dr. Howe says this potent option is well worth the price tag. Niacinamide not only works synergistically with tranexamic acid, a state-of-the-art lightening ingredient, but also helps to soothe and calm the skin simultaneously, he says.

An all-purpose moisturizer: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer

Dr. Frieling says this is an all-around great moisturizer, relying on niacinamide to help hydrate, strengthen, and repair the skin. It's especially choice for those with sensitive skin, given that it's free of potentially irritating ingredients such as synthetic fragrances and preservatives, she adds.

A blemish-busting treatment: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Battling breakouts? Reach for this powerful treatment. "This high-strength formula helps target sebum production to control oiliness and minimize pores," says Dr. Frieling (credit both namesake ingredients). She adds that it also has the added benefit of helping to fade discoloration, a good option if you're dealing with dark marks from old pimples.

A hydrating serum: Skin Inc. Supplement Bar Vitamin B3+ Serum

If your skin is dull and/or dry and/or moisturizer alone just doesn't seem to do much, Dr. Frieling suggests adding this serum to your routine. She lauds it for combining reparative niacinamide with hyaluronic acid and glycerin, both humectants that attract water to and hold it in the skin. It imparts plenty of hydration nearly instantly, and you also get to reap niacinamide's other benefits, namely those spot-fading and anti-inflammatory effects.

A multi-tasking sunscreen: Elta MD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 46

As Dr. Howe mentioned, niacinamide can help repair DNA damage to skin cells, so it makes perfect sense that it's often added to sunscreen formulations (after all, UV exposure is one of the main causes of said DNA damage). This is one of his top picks, a sensitive skin-safe option that relies on zinc oxide for sun protection and incorporates both niacinamide and antioxidants for a second layer of defense.

Can niacinamide be used with everything?

What should niacinamide be paired with?

What product works well with niacinamide?

Why can't you use vitamin C and niacinamide together?