It’s well known that retinol (vitaminA) is one of the most effective tools in your skin-care arsenal to help boost collagen production, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve discoloration, and generally help improve and repair the signs of aging.  It has some limitations, however, and one of them is that it breaks down in sunlight. Not only is it markedly less effective used as a day treatment, but it can actually amplify the damaging effects of the sun.

The question is, what can you doto support retinol’s positive effects during the daylight hours, when you are spending most of your time out going about your business?  What options are out there that are useful for the two-thirds of your day that you’re not asleep?

The good news is that there are options.  One of the most effective ones is to use a retinol serum at night and a vitamin C serum during the daylight hours.

Vitamin C serum has a lot benefits similar to using products with retinol, and others that are unique to itself.  Vitamin C is unlikely to cause reactions for any but the most sensitive skin types, and it’s safe to use with products containing SPF, alpha hydroxyl acids, and retinoids.  It can help even out skin tone, reducing the appearance of most types of skin discoloration and generally brightening skin tone.  It can help reduce under-eye circles and stimulates collagen production, which in turn can improve skin’s elasticity and reduce sagging.  Unlike retinoids, it can help prevent and repair sun damage (although it does NOT replace sunscreen!), too.  Finally, it can even promote wound healing and help soothe sunburn.

Just like any other vitamin, vitamin C generally oxidizes when exposed to air, but scientist have found ways to stabilize them for use in skin-care products, minimizing degradation and keeping them as potent and effective as possible.  There are several derivatives of the vitamin that are used for cosmetic purposes, but they all function the same way, by penetrating the top layers of your skin and encouraging the cells to produce more collagen, and to replace themselves faster.

The best way to use a vitamin C serum is as part of your morning skin-care regimen.  Cleanse your face with a mild facial cleanser before using any other products.  If you use a toner on your skin, that should be the next step, and you should give it a minute or two to completely dry and set before applying a serum.  Serum should be applied after toner, but before any moisturizer.  The serum should be applied according to the directions on the package, and should be left to fully set for a couple of minutes before you continue with the rest of your normal routine.

Just as with retinol, the benefits of using vitamin C serums aren’t just hype.  The Mayo clinic and other respected medical research facilities agree that its benefits are scientifically verifiable.  Also similar to using a retinol serum, the key to getting good results is to use it regularly and consistently, and be a little patient, since getting results takes a little time. 

While vitamin C serum is safe to use twice a day, using it only in the morning, but paired with use of a retinol serum at night can give you the best of both worlds.  The Vitamin C will support collagen production, aid with hydration, and work at evening skin tone, while the retinol also supports collagen production, but adds the pore-clearing effects and offers more protection benefits for your skin.  Both vitamin A and vitamin C are necessary for healthy skin, and the two used together offer a set of mutually supporting and well-rounded benefits.