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Last Updated on September 17, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

can you use vitamin c and glycolic acid together

“I exfoliate with glycolic acid. Can I follow it up with vitamin C?,” I get this question all the time. Short answer: yes, you can. But that doesn’t mean that you should… Long answer: it’s complicated. You can use vitamin C and glycolic acid together, but it depends on your skin type, experience with acids, and how you layer them. Both work at a low pH, so they won’t cancel each other out. It’s just that using them together can be irritating since you’re combining two potent actives that both exfoliate and increase cell turnover. Here’s how to incorporate them both into your skincare routine to reap the maximum benefits without dryness and other side effects:

The Quick Answer

Can you use vitamin C and glycolic acid together? Yes.

Best way for most people: Use L-ascorbic acid in the morning and glycolic acid at night.

Can you use them in the same routine? You can, but only if your skin already tolerates both well. Using two potent actives together can increase the risk of irritation – and there’s no prize for making your face angry.

What Is L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)?

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. The pure form, the most effective for skin, is called L-Ascorbic Acid. Here’s what it does for skin: 

If you’re in your early ’20s and want to kickstart your antiaging journey, vitamin C is the perfect place to start. The catch? L-Ascorbic Acid can be harsh and irritating, so brands have started using derivatives, like, Magnesium Ascorbic Phosphate and Ascorbyl Glucoside, to name a few. They’re gentler on the ski, but less effective, so results are slower.

Because derivates are gentler and often, not pH dependant, they can be used with anything, including glycolic acid. So, for his post, I’ll cover just L-Ascorbic Acid. It’s the most pH dependent and it’s the one form people say you should never mix with a glycolic acid product. Put simply, pH dependant means it works better at a pH of 3.5 or lower.  FYI, that doesn’t mean that if you raise the pH to 3.6, L-Ascorbic Acid becomes useless. It’s just the higher up you go, the less effective it gets.

Best Picks:

  • MaeLove Glow Booster ($32.95): The cheapest Vitamin C serum in this list, it does everything the others do, but it contains a citrus extract that may be irritating for sensitive skin. Available at Maelove.
  • Paula’s Choice C15 Booster ($59.00): It’s enriched with Hyaluronic Acid and glycerin to deeply hydrate skin. Available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore, Paula’s Choice, Sephora, and SpaceNK.
  • Skinceuticals CE Ferulic ($185.00): The original Vitamin C serum, it costs an arm and a leg, but it works wonders and delivers what it promises. Available at Dermstore and Skinceuticals.

Related: Why You Should Add Vitamin C To Your Skincare Routine

Struggling to put together a skincare routine that minimises wrinkles, prevents premature aging, and gives your complexion a youthful glow? Download your FREE “Best Anti-Aging Skincare Routine” to get started (it features product recommendations + right application order):

drunk elephant c-firma day serum

What Is Glycolic Acid?

Glycolic acid is the best exfoliant for dry skin (if you a different skin type, you can stop reading now. You don’t need to mix glycolic acid with anything. Ha!). A member of the Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) family, glycolic acid dissolves the bonds that holds skin cells together so they can easily slough off.

Once those dead skin cells are off the skin’s surface, your complexion instantly looks better. Skin is softer to the touch. Fine lines look smoother and smaller. Light bounces off your skin to make it look a little radiant. Plus, exfoliation also helps reduce dullness and an uneven skin tone. That’s not all. Glycolic acid acts as a humectant: it attracts and binds water into the skin, helping to keep it hydrated. See why it’s so good for dry skin? I’m sure you’ve also heard that glycolic acid can boost collagen. That’s true – but only at 10%+ concentrations. Most topical skincare products don’t have that much. 🙁

Best Picks:

  • Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum ($90.00): This exfoliant contains two exfoliants. Glycolic Acid to fade away dark spots and Salicylic Acid to unclog pores. It has a slightly sticky texture. Available at Cult Beauty, Sephora and SpaceNK
  • Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA ($37.00): A wonderful low strength Glycolic Acid exfoliant that makes skin softer, smoother, and brighter. Available at Dermstore and Paula’s Choice 
  • The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution ($13.50): A gentle, no-frills Glycolic Acid exfoliant for people on a budget. Available at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, The Ordinary, and Ulta

Related: The Complete Guide To Glycolic Acid: What It Is, What It Does & How To Use It

Why You Can Use L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) And Glycolic Acid Together

Remember when I told you that critics say you can’t mix vitamin C with glycolic acid because they cancel each other out? They give us a reason that these ingredients work at different pHs. That’s not exactly true. As you know, L-Ascorbic Acid works best at a pH of 3.5 or lower. Some glycolic acid exfoliants on the market go above that. You can find some with a pH as high as… 4! Not much of a difference, is there? Truth is, pure vitamin C and glycolic acid work well at around the same pH.

They both like it low. But if you go too low, you can literally burn your skin! That’s why you’ll never find a glycolic acid or vitamin c product (or any other skincare product, for that matter!) with a pH of 2. As long as difference between pHs is so little, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Both glycolic acid and vitamin C will work at their best.

Sue Ann Wee, a dermatologist at the Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, agrees: “From a general chemistry compatibility point of view, vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid) can be combined in cosmetic formulations with hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, since both can maintain their efficacy in similar acidic pH ranges.”

Best Pick:

  • Skinceuticals C + AHA ($145.00): An exfoliating treatment with glycolic acid and vitamin C to brighten the complexion. Available at Dermstore and Skinceuticals
the ordinary glycolic acid toning solution

Why You Shouldn’t Use L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) And Glycolic Acid Together

You won’t compromise the effectiveness of L-Ascorbic Acid or glycolic acid if you use them together. So why do people keep advising you against this combination? Even I don’t like to use together, at the exact same time, simply because they can be too harsh for your skin all at once. Here’s the deal: both L-Ascorbic Acid and glycolic acid are powerful. In skincare, powerful often means irritating. Used alone, they can sting and irritate skin. Used together, you’re doubling the risk of irritation.

If you have resistant skin that can tolerate anything, then yes, you CAN use L-Ascorbic Acid and glycolic acid together. Exfoliate and then layer vitamin C on top. But if you have sensitive skin or are using these actives for the first time, don’t risk it. You can minimise the risk of irritation by using them at different times of the day.

That’s what I do. And my skin is pretty tough-like, I’ve tested SO many new products on my face over the years (hazard of the job lol). But even I don’t mess with using them together. I tried it once and woke up with my face tight, red, and angry at me. Not cute. Now I just don’t bother overdoing it. Too much of a good thing always backfires. I slap on my vitamin C in the morning (studies show it boosts your SPF anyway, especially when the serum contains ferulic acid and vitamin E – and the serums I gave you above do) and then use glycolic acid every other night. Way better results, zero drama.

How To Use Vitamin C And Glycolic Acid Together

You’ve got three ways to use L-ascorbic acid and glycolic acid together. Which one should you pick? Depends on how sensitive your skin is and how much it can tolerate before it rebels.

Option 1: Vitamin C In The Morning, Glycolic Acid At Night

This is my favourite way to use them – and the one I recommend to most people.

AM: Cleanser, L-ascorbic acid, (optional hyaluronic acid serum if your skin is dry), sunscreen.

PM on glycolic acid nights: Cleanser, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid serum, moisturiser

L-ascorbic acid is great in the morning because its antioxidant action helps neutralise free radicals and environmental damage (like UV exposure and pollution). No, that doesn’t mean you can skip sunscreen. Nice try.

Glycolic acid fits nicely into your evening routine because it exfoliates the surface of your skin. Keeping the two apart also lowers the chances of waking up red, tight, and wondering which bottle betrayed you. This is what I do: vitamin C in the morning and glycolic acid every other night. I still get the benefits of both without turning my skincare routine into an endurance test.

Option 2: Use Them On Alternate Days

If your skin is sensitive, dry, new to acids, or already dealing with other strong actives, give it a bit more breathing room. Use vitamin C one day and glycolic acid the next, or use vitamin C most mornings and glycolic acid only once or twice a week to start.

Then watch your skin. If everything feels fine, you can slowly increase how often you exfoliate. If you start getting burning, peeling, stinging, or that horrible tight feeling, back off. That’s irritation. Not “purging.” Not “the actives working.” Stop using them immediately and, once your skin heals, slowly reintroduce them lowering the frequency of application.

Option 3: Use Them In The Same Routine

If your skin already tolerates both ingredients well on their own, you can use them together. Apply glycolic acid first, then L-ascorbic acid, then moisturiser. Chemically, the pairing isn’t the disaster the internet sometimes makes it out to be. Both ingredients are happy in acidic conditions, so glycolic acid isn’t going to stroll in and deactivate your vitamin C for fun.

The real problem is irritation. Both ingredients can sting and irritate skin on their own. Stack them together and you’re asking your skin barrier to do more work for absolutely no guaranteed extra payoff. I tried it. My skin responded with tightness, redness, and a very clear “absolutely not.” So now I separate them. Much less drama. Same ingredients. Happier face. 

So this combination is only for people with resistant skin who can tolerate it. If that’s not you, don’t worry. You’re not getting less benefits because you can’t use them together every day. Using something that irritates you means you need to eventually stop until your skin heals, which can take weeks. Slow and steady always win the race in skincare.

FAQs

Can I use vitamin C and glycolic acid together if I have acne-prone skin?

You could, but I don’t recommend it. L-ascorbic acid can actually make some people break out worse (I’ve seen it happen with a bunch of my clients). Plus if you have acne, you should be using salicylic acid anyway – that’s the only thing that actually gets into your pores and unclogs them. Glycolic acid just sits on the surface. So save yourself the irritation and stick with what actually works for acne.

Related: AHAs VS BHA: Which One Should You Use?

How long should I wait between applying glycolic acid and vitamin C?

If you’re gonna use them in the same routine (which, again, I wouldn’t), wait a couple minutes between each one. Let the first one sink in completely before slapping on the next. But honestly? Just use them at different times. So much easier and your skin won’t hate you.

Will using them together make my skin more sensitive to the sun?

Glycolic acid makes you way more sensitive to the sun (that’s just what chemical exfoliants do). Vitamin C actually helps protect you from sun damage. But listen – wear a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 either way. Every. Single. Day. Not optional.

What if I’m already using retinol? Can I add both vitamin C and glycolic acid?

Okay pump the brakes! Retinol is a powerful active ingredient to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkle and prevent aging, but it can be irritating. And that’s way too many actives to use all at once. If retinol’s already in your routine, do vitamin C in the morning and save glycolic for the nights you skip retinol. If you’re just starting out, pick one ingredient, use it for. month and, if you don’t experience side effects, slowly add more. Just never use retinol and glycolic acid on the same night. And don’t use all three at once unless you want your face to stage a rebellion.

Do I need to use high concentrations of both to see results?

Nah. More isn’t better, it’s just more irritating. Like 5-7% glycolic acid and 10-15% vitamin C is totally enough. You don’t need to nuke your face to get good skin.

Can I use Vitamin C with Lactic Acid?

Lactic acid belongs to the same exfoliating family as glycolic acid, but it’s gentler, so I see where the temptation comes from. While you can (and if you do, I stil encourage you to do it in the same way as using Vitamin C and glycolic acid together), I don’t recommend it. Here’s why: lactic acid has less potency than glycolic acid, so it works more slowly. This is why I only recommend it for sensitive skin. And if your skin is sensitive, adding a L-Ascorbic Acid formula to the mix can be way too much. For sensitive skin, using a Vitamin C derivative in the morning and lactic acid two nights a week is actually the safest recommendation.

The Bottom Line

You can totally use L-Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) and glycolic acid together without making them ineffective. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. For some people, this combo is too harsh. If that’s you, use them at different times of the day.