If you have been searching for proper skincare options, then the names that you are bound to stumble across are niacinamide, hyaluronic acid & vitamin C.
Now, obviously, all of these ingredients are good for your skin on their own. But how do they work together? Can you use niacinamide with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C?
To get straight into the answer, yes, you can use niacinamide with both hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. But there are certain steps and application processes that you will have to keep in mind.
Don’t worry, because, in this article, every detail that you will need to know about these skincare ingredients and how combining niacinamide with them will be beneficial for your skin.
- Overview
- Key Features & Benefits
- Pros & Cons of Using Niacinamide with Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin C
- Completes Your Skincare Routine
- The Best Treatment for Sensitive Skin
- Improves Sebum Production
- Exceptional Hydrating Benefits
- Easy to Obtain
- Downsides To Combining These Three Ingredients
- How to Optimally Apply Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin C to Skin?
- Combining All Three Ingredients
- Using Niacinamide with Hyaluronic Acid
- Mixing Vitamin C and Niacinamide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is there any difference between salicylic acid and niacinamide?
- Can you mix only vitamin C and hyaluronic acid?
- Conclusion
Overview

Mixing niacinamide with pure vitamin C or hyaluronic acid will offer a good amount of skin benefits. Understanding the key features of each ingredient will make your decision easier in picking which ingredient you want to mix with niacinamide.
And in this guide, we will go through the beneficial features of each ingredient, the proper way of applying them, the results, and the negatives that you might encounter on the way.
Niacinamide can be combined with both hyaluronic acid & vitamin C at the same time. Or you can mix niacinamide and vitamin c or niacinamide with hyaluronic acid. The steps for each mixing option will be explained thoroughly.
Key Features & Benefits
Now before we dive into how you can use nicotinic acid with hyaluronic acid or vitamin C. Let’s take at the key features of these skincare ingredients.
Niacinamide

Niacinamide or nicotinic acid is a form of vitamin B3 that acts as a nutrient for the skin. In the skincare world, niacinamide serum is mainly used to treat most skin conditions. This is due to the fact that this nutrient is usable on every skin type. Beneficial features of niacinamide include:
- Keratin Build Up
Nicotinic acid helps the skin to build up keratin. This allows the skin to be immune to most skin tone diseases and keeps the skin healthy even in a high-temperature environment.
- Triggers Ceramide Build Up
Ceramide or lipid barrier is the result of vitamin B3. So, if you take niacinamide, it will allow your skin to trigger lipid build-up. This lipid barrier will help the skin to retain moisture for every skin type out there.
- Cell Generation
Research shows that Niacinamide helps the skin to fight off sun damage, mainly the effects of ultraviolet sun rays. Regenerating damaged cells from sun rays has been noticed in peer-reviewed studies.
- A Powerful Antioxidant
Niacinamide also works as a potent antioxidant. Thus, it protects the skin cells from oxidates stress. Cosmetic chemists have also shown that it is greatly effective against stress caused by particulate matter and more effective than other antioxidants.
Hyaluronic Acid

For hydrating the skin and retaining moisture, there are hardly a few skincare products or serums that can work as effectively as hyaluronic acid serum. Beneficial features of hyaluronic acid contain:
- Hydrating Effects
Applying hyaluronic acid ensures that the skin will go through hydrating effects. This means excess water on the skin will be contained.
Due to this, the skin can keep its moisture. This also allows the skin to prevent aging wrinkles and dark spots at the same time. Also, it will increase the elasticity of the skin.
- Used in Water-Based Treatments
Peer-reviewed studies on Hyaluronic acid have shown that it contains all the active ingredients that are needed for any water-based skin treatment. That’s why any board-certified dermatologist prefers hyaluronic acid as their go-to solution for skin treatments.
Vitamin C

If we consider natural ingredients, then there are very few that can provide similar benefits to vitamin C when it comes to skincare. You can consume water-soluble vitamins through fruits and other natural resources.
And while pure forms of vitamin c are always recommended for your skincare routine, especially if it includes mixing, then going with vitamin c serum is always recommended. The important features of Vitamin C that are related to skincare are:
- Collagen Production
For removing age lines and wrinkles, there is no better alternative than collagen. Vitamin c serum acts as the collagen production center. This allows the skin to be wrinkle-free, fades dark spots, and gives us a plum youthful outlook.
- Provides Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
It also provides the body with magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, which is a variant of ascorbic acid. That helps with multiple skin-related issues like reducing hyperpigmentation, maintaining skin hydration, and stimulating overall collagen generation.
But the most important role that this form of ascorbic acid plays is that it protects our skin from the impacts of free radicals.
Pros & Cons of Using Niacinamide with Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin C
So, now that you know the key features and benefits of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid & vitamin C. Let’s take a look at the benefits that you will enjoy once you mix them up with each other.
Completes Your Skincare Routine
If you mix both niacinamide with vitamin c and hyaluronic acid, then you will get the perfect skincare routine for yourself.
Because this mix will cover all the basic problems regarding the skin and will provide the ultimate solution in one go. Meaning you won’t have to worry about skin irritation, dry skin, dark spots, enlarged pores, acne, redness, and other common issues.
The Best Treatment for Sensitive Skin
People with sensitive skin aren’t able to apply vitamin C as they encounter irritation and negative impacts instead of positive ones. But by mixing niacinamide and vitamin C that won’t be an issue.
So, you can finally get rid of that skin dryness and avoid irritation that you couldn’t due to having sensitive skin. Just add this to your morning routine, and you should be fine throughout the day.
Improves Sebum Production
Sebum is essential for water retention. It makes the skin look healthy and youthful but not too shiny at the same time. What this generally does is lubrication. This protects the skin and ensures cell growth.
While you can get a good sebum production using niacinamide, adding hyaluronic acid to the mix will give you double the effect. It also ensures that your skin looks and feels healthy all the time.
Exceptional Hydrating Benefits
Both hyaluronic and niacinamide play a vital role when it comes to hydrating effects. This is because hyaluronic boost the hydration process while niacinamide focuses on regulating the serum.
Thus, moisture retention is at its best and you end up with great-looking skin. This is what makes niacinamide and hyaluronic acid a great pair for your skin.
Easy to Obtain
It is quite easy to obtain and mix these ingredients. Many popular skincare products already come with either hyaluronic or vitamin C mixed with niacinamide. This way you can find niacinamide and stable forms of vitamin C without going through the hassle of looking for them yourself.
But if you don’t want to opt for individual skincare products, then there is no issue. You can just get all the serums by yourself and apply them yourself. But be careful of a few things like real-world storage of the ingredients, keeping the vitamin C serum at a low pH, examining patch test results, and a few more safety factors.
Downsides To Combining These Three Ingredients
As for the cons, there has been some outdated research that vitamin C and niacinamide don’t work together and cancel each other’s effects.
But this has been proven wrong on many occasions. But if you still have doubts, then you can just avoid ascorbic acid and pick any other form of vitamin c and there won’t be any other issues.
Topical Niacinamide May Irritate Skin
Topical niacinamide can have some negative effects but if applied topically niacinamide offers better results in some cases. This highly depends on the skin type and skincare products you have been using in the past.
So, contact a board-certified dermatologist to clear up this matter if you plan on going topical.
How to Optimally Apply Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin C to Skin?
Now that you understand the beneficial impact of mixing all of these ingredients together. You might be wondering, what is the most optimal way to combine them in your skincare routine?
Well, there are three ways you can use these ingredients together to make the perfect skincare solution. You can either use them all together or mix hyaluronic and niacinamide or combine vitamin c and niacinamide.
Combining All Three Ingredients
If you want to utilize the effects of all three ingredients, then you will have to do the following:
- Step 1: Apply Vitamin C
First, start with vitamin C. This will give your skin an early recovery boost and help with water movement. We recommend this earlier because this will give skin the time to settle, and also if you are using ascorbic acid then this also lowers the chances of something going wrong.
- Step 2: Layer with Hyaluronic Acid
Next, go with hyaluronic acid. This will work wonders on your skin because vitamin C would have already triggered water flow on your skin. And we know that hyaluronic acid water adds a more effective hydration effect.
Thus, this will make your skin hold moisture along with removing any bacteria from the skin.
- Step 3: Last, Apply Niacinamide
Finally, you should add niacinamide to your skin. As the two actives from vitamin C & hyaluronic acid are in full effect, having niacinamide in the mix will boost moisture retention along with sebum production.
Therefore, your skin will look plumper with a hydrated complexion. This is why going with all three of them at the same time is the best skincare routine one can opt for.
Using Niacinamide with Hyaluronic Acid
If you plan on using niacinamide with hyaluronic acid, then these are the steps you should follow:
- Step 1: Begin with Hyaluronic Acid
As they are both water-based, starting with either of them will be good, but we recommend you begin with hyaluronic acid. This will already start retaining moisture for niacinamide.
- Step 2: Next, Niacinamide
Once the acid is applied, proceed to add niacinamide, and it will trigger cell repair and superior moisture retention at the same time. This combination is best for those who are suffering from dry skin issues.
Mixing Vitamin C and Niacinamide
Last but not the least, if you want to combine niacinamide and vitamin C then these are the steps that you should follow:
- Step 1: First step, Vitamin C
Use vitamin C at first. This is because they are more watery and thicker compared to niacinamide. Also if you use vitamin C in the beginning, then it will reach the damaged and aged cells first and will start the repairing process. You should let the vitamin spread at least for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Step 2: Next, Niacinamide
After that, you should add niacinamide. This will boost the already existing restoring process of vitamin C. The humectant qualities of niacinamide will do the rest, and you will end up with plump, beautiful skin in no time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any difference between salicylic acid and niacinamide?
Yes, there is. Niacinamide is water-based, while salicylic acid is oil-based. But they both work to improve your skin. Just don’t apply them together.
Can you mix only vitamin C and hyaluronic acid?
Yes, you can. They actually work great with each other and offer your skin a lot of healthy benefits.
Conclusion
So, Can you use niacinamide with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C? Yes, you can, and now you know how.
So, use this blog as a guide if you are planning on mixing the mentioned ingredients, and best of luck!