The inkey List Niacinamide PH LEVEL

Glycolic acid and niacinamide are two of the most popular active ingredients in skincare products right now. And its no wonder, since they promise to make your skin look smoother, brighter and more even [among many other benefits]. So why not incorporate both of them into your routine?

But thats where things can get tricky. Shouldyou mix them together, or look for both in one product? Is it better to apply them in layers? Which one goes on first? And will one inactivate the other?

If youve been pondering these questions, this tutorial is for you. Keep reading to learn what glycolic acid and niacinamide can do for your skin, why theyre better together, how to use both in one routine, and the best products to try.

What Does Glycolic Acid Do for Your Skin?

• Exfoliates dead skin:It breaks down the glue that holds dead skin cells together in the stratum corneum [the uppermost layer of our skin]. This allows them to be sloughed off, revealing the fresh new skin underneath.[1]
• Smooths texture: A study found that as little as 5% produced a significant improvement in general skin texture after three months.[2]
• Brightens and fades pigmentation: All hydroxy acids help with brightening by removing the old dead skin cells that contribute to dull-looking skin. Glycolic acid has also been shown to improve sun-induced discolourations and sallowness[2][3].
• Thickens and firms: By increasing collagen production,[4]glycolic acid can help skin to feel thicker and firmer. One study, using a 15% concentration, found that it increased epidermal thickness by 27% after six months.[5]
• Improves hydration: As a humectant, glycolic acid draws moisture into the skin. It also increases the skins hyaluronic acid content.[6]

What Does Niacinamide Do for Your Skin?

• Brightens and fades pigmentation:In addition to treating melasma,[7] it has been shown to significantly decrease hyperpigmentation.[8] One study found that, in combination with vitamins E and B5, it significantly improved skin tone evenness in only six weeks.[9]
• Strengthens the skin barrier: It improves the function of the skin barrier by reducing TEWL [transepidermal water loss][10] and increasing levels of ceramides and other barrier components.[11] This leads to a thicker, more resilient stratum corneum[12] that retains hydration[13] and is resistant to damage[10].
• Reduces wrinkles: Multiple studies demonstrated that niacinamide helps with fine lines and wrinkles. For example, a concentration of 5% significantly reduced wrinkles after 12 weeks,[14]while 4% improved eye-area wrinkles in just eight weeks.[15]
• Smooths texture: Both 4% and 5%also produce significant improvements in skin texture.[9][14]
• Reduces oil and clears acne: It can help to control excess oil by lowering the amount and rate of sebum excreted.[16] For mild to moderate acne, two studies have found niacinamide to be comparable in efficacy to clindamycin, a topical antibiotic.[17][18]
• Calms redness: Last but not least, it can also help with red, blotchy skin[14]and even rosacea.[19]

Should You Use Both Glycolic Acid and Niacinamide?

This is because glycolic acid is notoriously irritating, thanks to its low molecular weight. For many people, it can cause dry, flaky skin and even redness, stinging and inflammation, especially when first starting treatment. This is expected and usually improves as your skin gets used to the acid. However, its also important to choose an appropriate strength of glycolic acid, and use it only as often as your skin can tolerate.

Niacinamide can help to minimize these potential side effects by making your skin barrier stronger and thicker. It wont be as vulnerable to irritation, and will become better at holding onto moisture. It will also help to calm down any redness.

Best of all, by using these two ingredients, youll be getting double the benefits in terms of smoothing, brightening, fading pigmentation, firming and reducing wrinkles. Whats not to love about that?!

Can You Mix Glycolic Acid and Niacinamide?

Your Acid Wont Be Effective

Combining these ingredients is going to make your acid less effective. In order to do their jobs, hydroxy acids are formulated at a certain pH level. For glycolic acid, its typically between pH 3.0 and 4.0.

But niacinamide has a much higher pH, around 6.0. So if you mix the two ingredients together, the niacinamide is going to raise the pH of the glycolic acid, so it will no longer be acidic.

That means you wont get much [if any] benefit from using the acid. Onestudy compared the absorption of AHAs at pH 3.0 and 7.0, and found that the higher the pH, the less the skin absorbsand the less activity the AHAs have on the skin.[20]

You Can Trigger a Niacin Flush

Another problem with mixing glycolic acid and niacinamide is that it can cause redness and flushing. This is from the glycolic acid lowering the pH of the niacinamide below its optimal range.

While niacinamide is meant to be around pH 6.0, acidic conditions can trigger its conversion into niacin, another form of vitamin B3.[21]

If youve ever taken an oral niacin supplement, then you may have experienced the infamous niacin flush. Although harmless, it temporarily makes your skin red, hot and flushed [due to the release of prostaglandin D2].[22]

Now, imagine the same thing, but concentrated on your face. Ive tested this out myself, and it's no joke. I looked like a lobster, felt very uncomfortable, and the effect lasted one to two hours. Makeup cant even cover it up!

I believe this is why some people think they cant tolerate niacinamide, even though it is one of the gentlest and most non-toxic ingredients in skincare. If youre incorrectly combining it with an acid, it can appear to cause irritation, even though its just this niacin flush.

How to Use Glycolic Acid and Niacinamide Together

1. Apply Them in a Single Product

While its not advisable to play chemist and mix two separate products, you can use a pre-made product that includes both glycolic acid and niacinamide together. This is because it will be expertly formulated to remain stable and effective at a certain pH level.

The trade-off for the convenience of an all-in-one product is that it wont be as potent. Since glycolic acid and niacinamide dont play well together, a combination formula will not contain the high concentrations that you can get when using them individually, nor will it be at the optimal pH.

If this is a compromise that youre willing to make, try one of the following:

2. Apply Them at Different Times of Day

If youve decided that two separate products are the way to go, the easiest way to use them is atdifferent times of day.What you use when is totally up to you, but my recommendation is to apply your niacinamide in the morning and your glycolic acid at night.

First of all, this will save time if your mornings are rushed. Since niacinamide is non-acidic, you can put it under products with a similar pHlike your hydrating serum, moisturizer and/or sunscreenwithout having to wait in between layers.

Glycolic acid, on the other hand, needs to be separated from higher-pH products by about 30 minutes, to give it time to work at its acidic pH. Most of us have more time to incorporate this waiting period when were doing our nighttime skincare routines.

Another reason to use your glycolic acid at night is because it can make your skin more sun-sensitive.[23]However, if you do decide to use it in the morning, be sure to follow with a good mineral sunscreen, about 30 minutes after the acid.

3. Apply Them on Alternate Mornings or Nights

Another option is to apply your glycolic acid and niacinamide on alternate mornings or nights.So, one night you could apply your glycolic acid after cleansing, and the next night, you could use your niacinamide. Or, this could happen in the mornings, if you prefer.

Again, the one caveat here is that you need to be mindful of pH levels if you plan to layer other skincare products on top. My general rule is that any products that are more than about 1.0 to 2.0 apart need to be separated by a 30-minute waiting period. Always apply your products in order of lowest to highest pH.

4. Apply Them 30 Minutes Apart

For those of us with complicated routines, who like usingall the skincare, theres one more way you can use these two ingredients. You can actually layer your glycolic acid and niacinamide together, at the same time of dayjust 30 minutes apart.

When layering products, start with the one that has the lowest pH first. This will be your glycolic acid, which youll apply straight after cleansing. Leave it on your skin to do its thing for a good 30 minutes.

The 30 minutes will give it enough time to perform its functions, and then allows your skins pH to return from an acidic state back to normal [about pH 5.5]. When the time is up, you can proceed with the niacinamide, without having to worry about changing its pH and triggering a flush. Finish with your hydrators and/or sunscreen.

You can do this as often as once or twice a day, depending on how well your skin tolerates the glycolic acid.

The Best Glycolic Acids to Try

The Best Niacinamide Serums to Try

Conclusion + Further Reading

If youve ever wondered whether you can use both glycolic acid and niacinamide in one skincare routine, rest assuredyou definitely can.

Although there are a few glycolic acid-based exfoliants out there that also contain niacinamide [likeCOSRX and Versed], I suggest investing in two separate treatments if you want to see the best results.

Glycolic acid is the most effective when its formulated at a low pH [around 3.0 to 4.0], and in a concentration of at least 8%. Most of the studies on niacinamide used concentrations of 4-5% to obtain significant improvements in texture, pigmentation, fine lines and more.

The key is to make sure you use them at the right time, in the right order, to keep their pH levels as intendedand to avoid the dreaded red flush!

Further Reading

If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. See our Disclosure for more information.