Starting your day with a mildly acidic cleanser is a great choice. But what should you do next.
Step 1: Tone Your Skin After cleansing, the first step in your skincare routine should be to use a toner. Toning helps to further cleanse your skin and quickly restore its slightly acidic pH balance, especially if you’ve used an alkaline cleanser. When your skin returns to a slightly acidic state, it means it’s better protected and more balanced.
Step 2: Antioxidant Protection Remember your morning antioxidant routine That’s right—Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Vitamin C is best absorbed when your skin’s pH is slightly acidic, which is why toning first is important.
Step 3: Hydrate Next, it's crucial to moisturize. Use a moisturizer that contains ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids (your skin’s natural barrier trio). Vitamin C can sometimes feel a bit tight on your skin, so make sure to let it fully absorb before applying your moisturizer.
Bonus Tip: Peptides For an extra boost, incorporate peptides (like Matrixyl) into your routine. Peptides can enhance the effects of Vitamin C, helping to wake up your cells and smooth out wrinkles.
Step 4: Sun Protection Always apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside to protect your skin from UV damage, especially after applying Vitamin C.
Be Cautious of These Combinations
There are a few ingredients that shouldn’t be mixed with Vitamin C:
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Collagen: These two can interfere with each other.
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AHA/BHA: Using these exfoliants with Vitamin C can increase skin sensitivity and irritation. AHA removes surface dead skin cells, while BHA (salicylic acid) goes deeper into the pores to clear out excess oil.
Evening Routine
At night, you often hear the recommendation to use retinol. Vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night are a powerful duo, but they shouldn’t be used together as they can be too harsh on your skin.
Niacinamide is another great ingredient. It’s best absorbed at a skin pH of around 5.5 and works well with ingredients like arbutin and retinol. Niacinamide helps prevent the spread of melanin, reduces inflammation, calms the skin, and improves acne and redness. It pairs effectively with BHA to remove blackheads and whiteheads.
Key Skincare Tips
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Patience is Key: After applying each product, wait for at least a minute and gently press it into your skin with clean hands until fully absorbed.
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Anti-Aging Essentials: To keep your skin youthful, use Vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night, followed by a moisturizer with ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. Finish with a peptide product.
Follow these steps for beautiful, glowing skin!