When to apply Vit C Serum?
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Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:11 pm

Do you apply your C Serum at night or in the morning? And why? If in the morning, how long do you wait before applying moisturizer or makeup? I'm currently doing C Serum at night and AHA in the morning but am wondering if I am doing it backwards? Thanks for you insight.

free skin care · Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:25 pm

I started recently applying my C serum at night. I have heard differing opinions on what time of day is best. I use at night because it makes my face a little red and dry.

You should wait a good 20 minutes before applying anything else.

erg

free skin care · Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:56 pm

I would switch the two. Apply your vitamin C serum in the morning (as it has photoprotection capabilities) and apply your AHAs at night (since they can cause sun sensitivity).

free skin care · Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:33 pm

Depends on what type of C is in the serum. LAA is better to apply at night, other types can be used during the day.

Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:24 am

I am using an LAA based C Serum, so I guess I'm doing it right. Thanks!

free skin care · Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:57 am

what about using vit. c serum and retin-A?
Should i do the vit. c serum in the morning and retin-a at night? Does anybody combine the two?

free skin care · Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:06 am

natefan87 wrote:

I would switch the two. Apply your vitamin C serum in the morning (as it has photoprotection capabilities) and apply your AHAs at night (since they can cause sun sensitivity).

There has been dispute as to whether LAA is actually photo-protective or pro-oxidative. It is confusing.

free skin care · Sun Jul 18, 2010 2:27 pm

I've changed my regime with pretty good results regarding C serum application.

I was using it 3 or 4 times per week in the A.M. Now I use it 3 or 4 times per week at night, and have switched to using a more potent antioxidant serum during the day. (I noticed improvement with my green tea spritz, so now I use a kicked up a notch DIY "Cell Stimulating Serum".)

Personally, I feel that the more antioxidants I can incorporate during the day to quelch the free radicals, the better my skin looks and feels. So my choice is to save the C for night time, in the hopes that it catches what my other goodies have missed... Laughing

So far, so good!

free skin care · Mon Jul 19, 2010 3:55 am

IMO, night time.

I don't know about other vitamin C serums but mine looks orangey in the bottle. I don't think it looks orange on however I don't have much time in the morning to experiment.

Vitamin C can increase your photosensitivity so doing it at night time helps your skin. Since vitamin C is healing, it makes sense that it would be best used at night when the rest of our bodies are resting and rejuvinating

free skin care · Mon Jul 19, 2010 4:56 am

I have been apply C before Retin A for months now. I think A and C work well together and I am more interested in collagen production than sun protection. I think the "best" time to use C depends on what you are using it for.

free skin care · Mon Jul 19, 2010 5:45 am

Riley,how long do you wait between the C and retin a ? Also are you still using the skin ceuticals C&E ? I use the A with the blender about 5 nights a week,any thoughts.

free skin care · Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:19 am

Leggy 61 wrote:

Riley,how long do you wait between the C and retin a ? Also are you still using the skin ceuticals C&E ? I use the A with the blender about 5 nights a week,any thoughts.

Hi, Leggy! I just wait about 3-5 minutes after the SC CEF and then I apply the RA. I think you would be using using the C before the RA/Blender combo, IMO!

free skin care · Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:27 am

Riley,I have never used the C at night and then the A,but am willing to give it a try,will let you know how it works for me.Thanks

free skin care · Thu Aug 11, 2011 2:57 am

So, is the consensus that Vit C is best used at night, and use other antioxidant serums at AM?

free skin care · Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:58 am

LondonJamie wrote:

So, is the consensus that Vit C is best used at night, and use other antioxidant serums at AM?

You can put it on in the AM as well, but it acts more of a sunscreen than it does as a collagen booster. If you are using an expensive vit c serum, then I'd suggest only using at night, but if it's cheap/DIY, then use it in the AM as well for that added protection

free skin care · Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:03 pm

^Yes, I think that's right. I just got in the habit of applying vit c in the morning, but I think I'll switch to nighttime. I'm not sure whether I want to apply it on the same nights as my tretinoin though, so I may alternate. Not sure yet though.

Actually I haven't been applying my vit c much at all lately. My skin all of a sudden started looking better, so I've kind of been forgetting. All I've been doing is spritzing green tea every morning and I recently switched from tretinoin .025 to .04. I almost don't want to risk messing with my regimen for a while!

free skin care · Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:34 am

For me, I prefer apply C at night.

Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:59 am

CBayne245 wrote:

Do you apply your C Serum at night or in the morning? And why? If in the morning, how long do you wait before applying moisturizer or makeup? I'm currently doing C Serum at night and AHA in the morning but am wondering if I am doing it backwards? Thanks for you insight.

Vitamin C should always be applied in the morning. It is an antioxidant, and will help to protect your skin's cells from oxidization. *You can use any other antioxidant as well though. Basically, the clusters of cells in your skin will start to break down (say from the sun exposure). So, instead of having a nice cluster of 20. Well 2 are damaged and fall off. Now your cell cluster will continue the regeneration process by copying itself (damaged). This is what leads to pigmentation/bumps/cancer/etc... IF you apply an antioxidant, then instead of regenerating a damaged cluster - the antioxidant actually fills in the missing part of the cluster so it can continue regenerating a NORMAL cell. It is amazing. Always use an antioxidant every day. I love to use our High Octane Vitamin C Serum each morning. **Vitamin C is also amazing for pigmentation and freckling. Thank you.

Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:14 pm

I would do it at night!!

free skin care · Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:04 pm

I am using Vit C serum at night- but only because the one I buy (neostrata 10% in the gold capsules), it does not go on nicely with makeup and looks bad with anything on top.

Also sometimes I use AHA at night.

For daytime I just like plain creams with just sunscreen in them. my skin does not react well to using very strong treatments day and night.

Fri Sep 09, 2011 12:02 am

I use my Vit C serum at night and use another antioxidant serum in the morning. According to the NY Dermatologist Dr. Neal Schultz, antioxidants breakdown/oxidizes in sunlight, he suggests to use antioxidants at night so that it can be absorbed into the skin and fight free radicals. He also said you can use antioxidants in daytime, but it won’t be absorbed into the skin coz it’d be broken down by sunlight, instead if used under sunscreen it’ll help enhance UV protection.

Fri Sep 09, 2011 10:50 am

kaloee wrote:

I use my Vit C serum at night and use another antioxidant serum in the morning. According to the NY Dermatologist Dr. Neal Schultz, antioxidants breakdown/oxidizes in sunlight, he suggests to use antioxidants at night so that it can be absorbed into the skin and fight free radicals. He also said you can use antioxidants in daytime, but it won’t be absorbed into the skin coz it’d be broken down by sunlight, instead if used under sunscreen it’ll help enhance UV protection.

Very interesting. Opposite of what I have always been taught, but definitely seems viable. Hmmmmm.

Sat Sep 10, 2011 6:56 am

Vitamin C serum should be applied during the day and AHA at night, also be sure that your vitamin c serum comes in a air tight container best one is made by ASAP once the c serum is exposed to air it loses it purpose and wont do anything for your skin. Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:12 am

rileygirl wrote:

Leggy 61 wrote:

Riley,how long do you wait between the C and retin a ? Also are you still using the skin ceuticals C&E ? I use the A with the blender about 5 nights a week,any thoughts.

Hi, Leggy! I just wait about 3-5 minutes after the SC CEF and then I apply the RA. I think you would be using using the C before the RA/Blender combo, IMO!

Hi rileygirl - do you follow this up with a moisturizer? If so, which one? Thanks.

free skin care · Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:46 pm

Platinumskincare wrote:

kaloee wrote:

I use my Vit C serum at night and use another antioxidant serum in the morning. According to the NY Dermatologist Dr. Neal Schultz, antioxidants breakdown/oxidizes in sunlight, he suggests to use antioxidants at night so that it can be absorbed into the skin and fight free radicals. He also said you can use antioxidants in daytime, but it won’t be absorbed into the skin coz it’d be broken down by sunlight, instead if used under sunscreen it’ll help enhance UV protection.

Very interesting. Opposite of what I have always been taught, but definitely seems viable. Hmmmmm.

Does this mean that Vit C can be used both night and morning (if under sun screen)? And if so, what's the correct, safe and effective way to layer Vit C with AHA?

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