Can you use hyaluronic acid and vitamin C together?
Yes. They're one of the best pairings in skincare.
Written by Jasmin | Years of skincare know-how & all things Dermaworks
6 min read
Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are two of the most-loved ingredients in skincare, and one of the questions we're asked most is whether you can use them together. The answer is a big yes: they're one of the best pairings you can choose. Vitamin C brightens, hyaluronic acid plumps and hydrates, and together they give you glowing, fresh, healthy-looking skin. Here's why they work so well, and exactly how to layer them.
Can you use hyaluronic acid and vitamin C together?
Yes. Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid do two different jobs, and each makes the other even better. Vitamin C brightens your skin, fades the look of dark spots and helps defend against daily damage. Hyaluronic acid holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water, flooding skin with moisture for a plumper, smoother, more comfortable feel.
They don't compete or cancel each other out, and you don't need to wait long between them. In fact, we believe in this pairing so much that our 20% Vitamin C Serum already contains hyaluronic acid, and our Hyaluronic Acid Serum contains vitamins C and E.
What is hyaluronic acid?
The hydration powerhouse everyone talks about. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in your skin and draws moisture in and holds it there, up to 1,000 times its own weight in water. The result is plumper, smoother, more supple-looking skin, with fine lines caused by dryness looking softer. Our natural levels fall as we age, which is one reason skin can start to feel drier.
What is vitamin C?
Skincare's favourite brightener. Vitamin C, in its pure form ascorbic acid, is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect skin from the free radicals created by UV and pollution. It brightens your complexion, fades the look of dark spots and pigmentation, and your skin needs it to make collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm and bouncy.
Why they work so well together
Bright and hydrated in one routine
Vitamin C works on radiance and even tone, while hyaluronic acid works on hydration. Together they tackle the two things that make skin look dull: an uneven tone and a lack of moisture.
Comfortable enough to use every day
Our high-strength vitamin C gets to work on your skin, and hyaluronic acid keeps it feeling soft and comfortable, never tight or dry. That makes it easy to use every single day, and consistency is what brings the results.
Instant plumping, lasting brightness
Hyaluronic acid makes skin look plumper and smoother straight away. Vitamin C builds brightness and fades the look of dark spots over the weeks that follow. You get a difference you can see today and one that keeps growing.
A double hit against the signs of ageing
Vitamin C supports collagen, which keeps skin firm, while hyaluronic acid keeps it hydrated and elastic. Together they tackle two of the biggest reasons skin starts to look older: loss of firmness and loss of moisture.
Hydrated skin glows
Well-hydrated skin has a smoother surface that reflects light more evenly. That's the healthy glow everyone wants, and it makes vitamin C's brightening effect even more visible.
How to layer vitamin C and hyaluronic acid
- Cleanse and pat your skin dry.
- Vitamin C first: 3–4 drops of our 20% Vitamin C Serum on your face, neck, décolletage and the backs of your hands. It works best on clean skin.
- Give it a minute to absorb.
- Then hyaluronic acid: 3–4 drops of our Hyaluronic Acid Serum, applied the same way, to lock in hydration.
- Moisturise with Pure Radiance or our Men's Daily Moisturiser, then finish with SPF in the morning.
Why this order? The rule is thinnest to thickest. Vitamin C goes on clean skin so nothing sits between it and your skin. Hyaluronic acid then draws in and holds hydration, and moisturiser seals it all in.
Better together
Get the pair
Mix & match and save up to 15%
Your morning and evening routine
Hyaluronic acid works morning and night. Vitamin C is best in the morning, which leaves your evening free for retinol, the anti-ageing powerhouse. Here's how your day looks:
Morning and evening
Your routine at a glance
Morning
- Cleanse
- Vitamin C Serum
- Hyaluronic Acid Serum
- Moisturiser
- SPF
Evening
- Cleanse
- 2.5% Retinol Serum (2–3 nights a week)
- Hyaluronic Acid Serum
- Moisturiser
When your skin needs this pairing most
This pairing really earns its place when the seasons change. After a summer of sun, vitamin C tackles dullness and uneven tone, while hyaluronic acid replenishes moisture as colder weather and central heating start to dry skin out. In winter, it's the easiest way to keep skin bright and comfortable at the same time.
And it works for everyone. Oily and combination skin get hydration without heaviness, while dry and sensitive skin get the comfort that makes a high-strength vitamin C easy to use every day.
Can you use them with other ingredients?
Yes. Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are two of the easiest ingredients to build a routine around.
- Retinol: use it in the evening with hyaluronic acid, and keep vitamin C for the morning.
- Niacinamide: works brilliantly with both. Our vitamin C serum already includes it.
- SPF: essential every morning. Vitamin C boosts your skin's defences, but it doesn't replace sunscreen.
- Exfoliating acids: if you use them, keep them to a different time of day from vitamin C to avoid overdoing it.
What to look for in each serum
We believe great skincare isn't about one hero ingredient. It's about a formula where every ingredient has a purpose, and that's exactly how we made both of ours.
In a vitamin C serum, look for pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid) at around 10–20%, a lightweight texture and protective packaging. Ours is a high-strength 20%, with niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and beta glucan, so it's gentle enough to use every day.
In a hyaluronic acid serum, look for a light, fast-absorbing texture that hydrates without feeling sticky. Ours pairs botanical hyaluronic acid with organic aloe vera and vitamins C and E.
Want the full routine? Our 3 Serum Gift Set brings vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and retinol together for £34.95, saving you £9.90 on buying them separately. Or mix and match our serums to save up to 15%.
Both serums are £14.95, made by us since 2014 and backed by our 60-day money-back guarantee.
FAQs
Your questions, answered
Which goes first, vitamin C or hyaluronic acid?
Can I use vitamin C and hyaluronic acid every day?
Are vitamin C and hyaluronic acid suitable for sensitive skin?
Do I still need hyaluronic acid if my vitamin C serum contains it?
Better together
Bright and hydrated,every single day.
Made by us, backed by our 60-day money-back guarantee.
5x award-winning · 100,000+ sold · Trusted since 2014
- Mix & match and save up to 15%
- Love it or your money back · 60 days*
*Conditions apply. See our money-back guarantee
