What Each Ingredient Does
There are very few tried and true skincare ingredients that are as well studied and proven as Vitamin C and retinoids.
We've published deep guides on both ingredients — check them out below:
Maelove's Deep Guide to Retinoids — How and Why They Work
Maelove's Deep Guide to Vitamin C — How and Why It Works
What the Studies Show
There have been clinical studies where both ingredients were used together in a skincare routine — and the results were positive.
Study 1: Herndon et al., 2016 — Journal of Drugs in Dermatology
44 testers with hyperpigmented and photodamaged skin used a 30% Vitamin C product and a 0.5% retinol product for 12 weeks. By weeks 8 and 12, researchers found significant improvements in skin clarity and evenness, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and skin smoothness — all clinician-graded.
As for side effects, researchers noticed increased skin dryness at weeks 4 and 8, which is not surprising since 0.5% retinol is quite concentrated. But by week 12, dryness was back to baseline — typical as skin gets used to the retinoid.
This study had no placebo control, so it isn't designed to prove the combo outperforms each ingredient alone. But it does show that testers using these two together saw real benefits without unusual side effects.
Study 2: Seite et al., 2005 — Skin Pharmacology and Physiology
This double-blind study explored whether you could still see benefits from retinol and Vitamin C together in smaller amounts. They conducted two trials, both in postmenopausal women:
At Maelove, we recommend a minimum of 0.1% retinol and 10% Vitamin C for effectiveness — so both studies used pretty diluted formulas. Yet even at low doses, the combo produced measurable skin improvements. That's a strong signal for sensitive skin types who can't tolerate stronger concentrations.
What we can learn from these studies is that you can use Vitamin C and retinoids together and get great results even in low doses. So even if your sensitive skin can't tolerate stronger formulas, try a gentler approach instead of giving up on these amazing, highly proven active ingredients.
Why Maelove Formulates Them Separately
At Maelove, we formulate these two ingredients in separate products — and here's why:
How to Use Them Together
The simple rule of light to heavy works here. Apply toners and lightweight, water-based serums first. Then thicker serums. Then creams. Give a minute or more between steps to let the skin fully absorb each product.
Ascorbic acid (the most studied form of Vitamin C) is water-soluble, which is why Vitamin C serums are very light. Apply it first, wait a minute, then apply your retinoid — retinoids are oil-soluble and typically come in thicker serums or cream formulas.
Thanks and see you again soon!
Written by our senior scientist Sunbin Song, PhD, and edited for clarity by Bradley Yim, our Head of Formulation. You can read more about them on our Team Page.
- Seité S, Bredoux C, Compan D, Zucchi H, Lombard D, Medaisko C, Fourtanier A. Histological evaluation of a topically applied retinol-vitamin C combination. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2005 Mar-Apr;18(2):81-7. doi: 10.1159/000083708. PMID: 15767769.
- Herndon JH Jr, Jiang LI, Kononov T, Fox T. An Open Label Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Tolerance of a Retinol and Vitamin C Facial Regimen in Women With Mild-to-Moderate Hyperpigmentation and Photodamaged Facial Skin. J Drugs Dermatol. 2016 Apr;15(4):476-82. PMID: 27050703.
