Can I Use a Benzoyl Peroxide Lotion then Use a Moisturizer with Vitamin C?

All three - vitamin C moisturizer, Retin A gel and benzoyl peroxide - can be drying and irritating to the skin. So incorporating all three into a skin care regimen may take a little time. It also depends on the reason you are using all three. I assume that if you are using benzoyl peroxide and Retin A gel, you are treating acne. What I wonder is what role is the vitamin C moisturizer playing here. If you are treating acne, you have to be careful about using... more

The Vitamin C cream would lose a good portion of its efficacy if they are combined. Vitamin C is a fussy molecule which demands a particular acidic pH to work. Benzoyl Peroxides tend to be at a higher pH, the change in the pH will eradicate much of the effectiveness of the Vitamin C cream. Furthermore, the main reason you are probably using Vitamin C is for its anti-oxidant effect. Well, what is Benzoyl Peroxide? It is a strong OXIDIZING agent. The two would probably negate each others... more