If there’s one ingredient that must be a constant in your self-care vanity, then it’s hands down a good vitamin C serum. Touted as one of the best skincare products in the market, this serum is your key to a smooth, even and glowing complexion. No matter how much you level up your vitamin C intake in your diet, there’s no way you can be rest assured that it goes straight to your skin. So, it’s only through its topical use that you can reap its benefits and get the best results. However, for most people, vitamin C serum is not the only magical potion they use on their skin.

People love to play and experiment with their skincare and combine the best available ingredients or products to see wonders happening in their skin. Little do we realize that sometimes our lack of knowledge can become the reason for harm to our skin. Vitamin C can not work best with any or every other product in our skincare ritual. It’s always best to keep away from certain ingredients or products while using it as you may then see side effects of vitamin C serum.

Health Shots reached out to skincare and wellness specialist Dr Kiran Sethi to know about the ingredients that should not be mixed with a vitamin C serum.

What products should I not use with vitamin C serum?

1. Avoid using a sunblock with vitamin C serum

The first thing you should not mix with your vitamin C is sunscreen. In the words of Dr Sethi, “Sunscreen agents, especially the chemical sunscreen agents, interact with vitamin C and can create compounds that are oxidative in nature. The more oxidative your skincare, the more damage your skin gets. So you would never want to mix your vitamin C with a sunblock.”

2. Ferrous or Ferric oxide is not to be mixed with vitamin C

The next thing you don’t want to combine with vitamin C serum ingredients is ferrous or ferric oxides that are sort of your BB cream ingredients. These ingredients combine with vitamin C to become salts that can be problematic for your skin. So, knowing how to use vitamin C serum the right way is important for you.

3. Retinol shouldn’t be used with vitamin C

You should refrain from combining your vitamin C with retinol. To this, Dr Sethi adds, “Vitamin C works best at a pH of around 3, while retinol works best at a pH of around 5 to 5.5, so there is no way both these ingredients can work comfortably on the skin.”

Also read: Prepare your own vitamin C serum at home for naturally glowing skin

4. Hyaluronic acid

As per Dr Sethi, hyaluronic acid also needs a pH of 5 and above, while your vitamin C needs a pH of 3. So, both these ingredients won’t benefit each other at all, so it’s best to not combine them.

Also read: Serum or moisturizer first? Learn to layer skincare correctly

Which skincare products work best with vitamin C serum?

Vitamin C is best combined with ferulic acid, vitamin E, lactic acid or glycolic acid to stabilize it. Always remember that your pH level should be around 3-3.5 for best results. These combinations can do wonders on skin issues such as dullness or pigmentation.

Consistency is the key to the best results on your skin, so remember to add vitamin C to your skincare in a way that best suits you.