Can You Use Vitamin C With AHA?
Separate or space out
With care.
Two low-pH actives at once push the skin's surface acidity well below its comfort range, producing a sharp sting and lingering redness on most skin types.
How to use Vitamin C and AHA
Use them on alternate days, or keep vitamin C for the morning and acids for the evening.
General guidance from common dermatological advice, not medical advice. If you use a prescription treatment, follow your prescriber’s instructions.
In the catalog
Products that already contain both
A single formula that combines the two has been balanced by the brand, which is not the same as layering two separate treatments.
Layering
Related pairings
- Retinol with AHADo not combine
- Tretinoin with AHADo not combine
- Adapalene with AHADo not combine
- Retinol with Vitamin CSeparate or space out
- Vitamin C with BHASeparate or space out
- AHA with BHASeparate or space out
- AHA with Benzoyl PeroxideSeparate or space out
- Benzoyl Peroxide with Vitamin CSeparate or space out
- Peptides with AHASeparate or space out
- Peptides with Vitamin CSeparate or space out
- Vitamin C with NiacinamideWorks well together
- Ceramides with AHAWorks well together
Check your actual products
The Routine Check reads the actives in each product you add, flags every clash between your morning and evening steps, and puts them in the order to apply them.
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