Did I destroy my skin using Vitamin C and tretinoin together?
May 28, 2018
Asked By:Wolff589 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
I've read a lot about layering skincare this week and since around February (it's May now) I've been using tretinoin almost immediately after my Vitamin C serum. I haven't had irritation but I'm wondering if this combo caused some permanent damage in my skin? I read that it is advised to wait 30-40 minutes after applying Vitamin C. Also, would it be advisable to use AHA/BHA's in the morning, and tretinoin at night? Or AHA/BHA's twice a week and tretinoin for the days not using the acids?
Answers (2)
From board-certified doctors and trusted medical professionals
Yes, artificial light does breakdown Retin-A. I would suggest putting it on just before going to bed. If the TV is across the room, I wouldn't worry too much about it breaking the Retin-A down, but if you're using a device (phone, computer, tablet) in close proximity to your face, I would wait...
You definitely don't want to use a Retinol on your skin right after any kind of procedure. I would wait 2 weeks or until the Dr give you the go ahead. While the skin is still raw, you will want to use Vaseline to protect the skin. As soon as it starts to heal (aka not raw) you will want to make...
When using a Retin-A, you want to give it about 20-30 min to settle into the skin before applying anything else on top. As long as you have waited that amount of time, you can apply any moisturizers you would like. I would suggest applying the aloe vera before the moisturizer, if using them both.