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HOW TO PAIR NIACINAMIDE & RETINOL IN YOUR ROUTINE

Article Overview

Individually, niacinamide and retinol are heralded in the world of skincare for their compelling benefits on mature and mild acne-prone skin. However, while each ingredient has many advantages, no ingredient can stand alone in addressing every skin concern. So, in the process of curating your most effective skincare regime, you might ask, can you use niacinamide with retinol? While some skincare ingredients have complementary benefits when layered together in a skincare routine, others may be incompatible and thus compromise the skin’s moisture barrier. Before you begin integrating retinol and niacinamide into your skincare routine, SkinCeuticals has examined how these powerful ingredients interact on the skin and what you might expect from this potent duo.

NIACINAMIDE VS RETINOL

Before exploring the advantages of using retinol and niacinamide together, there is great value in understanding what each ingredient can do for your skin. Both ingredients feature prominently in a range of concentrations and products to target visible signs of ageing like the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation and uneven skin tone, caused by UV damage. People with skin blemishes, enlarged pores and excess oil may also experience the benefits of retinol and niacinamide. Let’s investigate the properties of these ingredients in greater depth.

WHAT IS NIACINAMIDE?

As a form of vitamin B3, niacinamide is a water-soluble ingredient designed to and support the skin and improve skin moisture barrier function, making it suitable even for sensitive skin types. Niacinamide acts as an antioxidant that helps improve the appearance of mature skin concerns including fine lines and wrinkles, discolouration and dark spots. This ingredient is also favoured among those with mild acne-prone skin since it may help excess sebum production, help to unclog and diminish the size of pores, and reduce visible redness associated with blemishes.

WHAT IS RETINOL?

Retinol is a vitamin A derivative and highly revered antioxidant skincare ingredient that promotes skin cell turnover, regulates excess sebum production, evens out skin tone and helps stimulates collagen synthesis. These skin-renewing properties make retinol an efficacious ingredient in anti-ageing, oily skin and mild acne-prone skincare routines. Retinol is incredibly potent and can cause dryness, sensitisation and increased photosensitivity. With this in mind, retinol users should be conscious of the concentration in the products, the frequency of application, and how this ingredient interacts with other powerful skincare ingredients.

CAN YOU USE RETINOL AND NIACINAMIDE TOGETHER?

Since one of the chief benefits of niacinamide is its ability to strengthen the moisture skin barrier, this makes for a persuasive argument as to why retinol and niacinamide can be used in conjunction with one another. Retinol has the capacity to be drying on the skin initially, but niacinamide may help to minimise some of this sensitivity, allowing your skin to acclimate to retinol and enjoy its positive impacts on skin cell turnover. While both ingredients boast anti-ageing properties, it’s the comforting qualities of niacinamide that make it a synergistic partner for retinol.

HOW TO USE NIACINAMIDE WITH RETINOL

Although it has been established that niacinamide and retinol can be used harmoniously, proper skin layering is essential for sustained efficacy of these ingredients. In the below section, SkinCeuticals will answer the common question, ‘is niacinamide or retinol first?’, as well as the different types of niacinamide and retinol-based products you can introduce into your skincare routine based on your skin type and concerns.

RETINOL AND NIACINAMIDE ORDER

When layering retinol and niacinamide, it must be noted that retinol should always be applied first to clean, dry skin. For this reason, it should be the first product you apply after cleansing. As mentioned above, retinol – even lower concentrations – can increase photosensitivity. Therefore, retinol is best applied in the evening only. First-time retinol users will need time to adapt to its potency, so begin with application 2-3 times per week before gradually increasing to daily use. Conversely, niacinamide can be used morning and night. Apply niacinamide after your retinol has completely settled into the skin (at night) and before moisturiser. Your morning skincare regime should always conclude with a broad-spectrum sunscreen.

BUILDING YOUR RETINOL AND NIACINAMIDE ROUTINE

To establish your niacinamide and retinol routine, first determine which concentrate of retinol is right for your skin type.

More tolerant skin types like oily or normal can typically manage a high concentration like the SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 Anti-Ageing Night Cream.
Ageing and mild acne-prone skin may benefit from Retinol 0.5 Anti-Ageing Night Cream before graduating to 1.0 strength.
First-time retinol users can begin with Retinol 0.3 Anti-Ageing Night Cream, a low potency designed for all skin types to curb initial retinol side effects until tolerance is established.

Niacinamide can be applied in serum concentrate form or as a niacinamide-rich moisturiser for added nourishment. The SkinCeuticals Metacell Renewal Skin Tightening Cream delivers a high concentration of 5% niacinamide to help reinforce the skin moisture barrier, promote skin cell turnover, even skin tone and improve fine lines and surface elasticity. Apply 1-2 pumps morning and night, massaging into the face, neck and chest.

Now that you understand how to use niacinamide and retinol together in your skincare routine, discover how you can pair hyaluronic acid vs retinol for anti-ageing benefits.