Skin Care Glycolic Acid And Niacinamide: Let’s Understand The Benefits Of Pairing These Active Ingredients

Using active ingredients in your skincare routine has become a trend today. Women are getting more and more aware each day when it comes to adding active ingredients in their skincare routine. However, there’s still some confusion when it comes to pairing those active ingredients. For instance, let’s talk about Glycolic acid and Niacinamide. These are two of the most active ingredients and time and again, these ingredients have proven that they can make the skin look brighter and smoother. Now the questions that you should consider asking here - can you pair Glycolic acid and Niacinamide together? Should you combine them or look for both in one product? Is it recommended to use glycolic acid and niacinamide in layers? Which one should be put on first? Keep reading as we’re about to answer all these questions for you and more.

Benefits of glycolic acid

Glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that comes from sugarcane. Its ability to exfoliate the skin by breaking down dead skin cells on the skin's surface makes it a prominent ingredient in many skincare products. This mild exfoliator can help to improve the texture of the skin and brighten the skin's look. Glycolic acid can also aid in the formation of collagen, which can help to minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time.

Benefits of niacinamide

Niacinamide, often known as vitamin B3, is another effective skincare ingredient. It has been revealed to improve skin hydration and skin tone, and prevent itchiness. Niacinamide can help to manage oil production, which is particularly beneficial for women with oily or acne-prone skin.

Can glycolic acid be used with niacinamide?

There are several active ingredients that can be paired together and are beneficial for your skin. However, glycolic acid and niacinamide cannot be used together at the same time. This is because mixing these two ingredients can make your acids less effective. The pH level of glycolic acid is between pH 3.0 and 4.0; whereas niacinamide has a much higher pH, approximately around pH 6.0. If you mix glycolic acid with niacinamide, the later will increase the pH level of glycolic acid and it will no longer be acidic. Using these two ingredients together at the same time can cause redness and itchiness on your skin. Having said that, there are different ways of pairing them.

How to use glycolic acid with niacinamide?

There are multiple ways to pair glycolic acid with niacinamide. Both these ingredients are effective in improving the appearance of your skin. However, as mentioned above if glycolic acid and niacinamide are not paired with proper precautions, they can harm your skin and cause itchiness. Here are some ways to pair glycolic acid with niacinamide.

  1. Use products that have glycolic acid and niacinamide together:

    2. Instead of pairing glycolic acid and niacinamide separately and risking your skin from getting damaged, we recommend using skincare products that are already infused with these two ingredients. This is because, these products are formulated by experts and have kept a balance between their pH levels.

    The L’Oréal Paris Glycolic Bright range has multiple skincare products that are enriched with glycolic acid and niacinamide. The Glycolic Bright Glowing Daily Cleanser Foam is an effective exfoliator that cleanses your skin and removes all impurities trapped at the surface of your skin. The Glycolic Bright Skin Brightening Serum on the other hand, penetrates deep into your skin, evens out your skin and stimulates cell renewal. You can also use a day cream and a night cream from this range to add nourishment to your skin.

    L’Oréal Paris Glycolic Bright Skin Brightening Serum, 15ml

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  2. Use them on alternate days:

    3. Instead of incorporating glycolic acid and niacinamide on the same day, use them on alternate days in your skincare routine. For example, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you can use glycolic acid, and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, you can use niacinamide. This will help your skin get the benefits of both these ingredients without causing any irritation.

  3. Use these ingredients 30 minutes apart:

    4. You can layer glycolic acid with niacinamide but maintain a gap of at least 30 minutes between the application of the two ingredients. You should use the ingredient with lower pH level first and then layer it with the one that has a higher pH level. Here, glycolic acid should be used first. You can use it in the form of an exfoliator, serum or even a moisturiser. Let it penetrate in your skin for 30 minutes and then use a product that has niacinamide. We recommend using a sunscreen enriched with niacinamide to complete your skincare routine. The L’Oreal Paris UV Defender Serum Protector is infused with niacinamide and protects your skin from sun damage. It has a non-greasy formula with a powerful combination of SPF 50+ PA++++ broad spectrum protection against UVA, UVB and Long-Range UV, which prevents dark spots, fine lines and dullness.

    UV Defender Serum Protector Sunscreen Bright and Clear 50ml

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  4. Apply them at two different times of the day

    5. If you think you will forget using these two ingredients on alternate days, you should use them at two different times of the day. This will also save your time of waiting for 30 minutes to pair these ingredients. For instance, use a product enriched with niacinamide during the daytime and use one with glycolic acid at night before sleeping.

    We also recommend doing a patch test before using any active ingredients. Do a patch test on a small area and leave it for a day to see if it has any side effects on your skin.

By following these above-mentioned tips, you can easily pair glycolic acid with niacinamide together. Explore the wide range of L’Oréal Paris Glycolic Bright range to use these two ingredients. To see which products suit you the best, use the skin genius tool that analyses your skin and helps you choose the right products.