Vitamin A, B3 and C: the skincare vitamins every routine needs
Believe in Beautiful Blog
If you’ve ever looked at a skincare shelf and felt overwhelmed, you’re not alone. There are hundreds of ingredients out there, but a handful have earned their place in professional skincare over many years. Three of the most useful are vitamins A, B3 and C.
Here’s what each one does, when to use it, and how to bring them together in a routine without overwhelming your skin.
Vitamin A: for texture and renewal
Vitamin A, often used in skincare as retinoids such as retinol, is one of the most researched ingredients around. It supports skin cell turnover, which can help skin look smoother and more even over time. That’s why it’s a favourite for concerns like uneven texture, fine lines, congestion and pigmentation.
Because it’s an active ingredient, vitamin A needs a little respect:
- Start slowly. Begin with a couple of nights a week and build up as your skin adjusts. Some dryness, flaking or sensitivity can happen at first.
- Use it at night. Vitamin A belongs in your evening routine.
- Wear SPF 50+ every day. Retinoids can make skin more sensitive to the sun.
- Avoid it in pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, avoid vitamin A skincare and check with your doctor.
- Check your medications. If you take isotretinoin or use a prescription retinoid, talk to your doctor and your therapist before adding vitamin A skincare.
- Pause before treatments. Stop vitamin A 3 to 5 days before a peel or skin needling, and follow your therapist’s aftercare advice before you restart.
Our Vitamin A Corrector ($99) is the vitamin A step in the Australian Skin Institute range.
Vitamin B3: the calming, balancing all-rounder
Vitamin B is a family of vitamins, and in skincare it’s vitamin B3, also known as niacinamide, that gets most of the attention. It helps support the skin barrier, can help balance oiliness and helps calm the look of redness. It’s generally well tolerated, which makes it a good fit for many skin types, including oily, combination and sensitive skin.
You can use B3 in the morning, at night or both, and it layers easily with other products. Our Vitamin B3 Complex ($89) brings vitamin B3 into your daily routine. If redness is your main concern, our guide to calming redness and rosacea has more ideas.
Vitamin C: your morning antioxidant
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. It helps defend skin against everyday environmental stress, such as UV exposure and pollution, and it’s known for helping skin look brighter and more even.
Use vitamin C in the morning, after cleansing and before moisturiser, and always follow with SPF 50+. Vitamin C works alongside sunscreen, never instead of it. Our Vitamin C Serum ($99) is the vitamin C step in our range.
If uneven tone and pigmentation are your main concern, vitamin C is a helpful part of homecare, but stubborn pigmentation usually needs professional treatment too. Read our guide to pigmentation, melasma and Cosmelan.
How to layer vitamins A, B3 and C
A simple rule: vitamin C in the morning, vitamin A at night, and B3 wherever it suits you. Apply your products from thinnest to thickest, starting with serums and finishing with moisturiser.
| Step | Morning | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleanse | Cleanse |
| 2 | Vitamin C Serum | Vitamin A Corrector (a couple of nights a week to start) |
| 3 | Vitamin B3 Complex (optional) | Vitamin B3 Complex (optional) |
| 4 | Day cream, such as All Day Hydration | Night treatment, such as Skin Renewal Hero |
| 5 | SPF 50+ | Rest |
Don’t introduce all three at once. Start with one, give your skin a few weeks to settle, then add the next. Keep exfoliating products such as AHA Power Exfoliant off your vitamin A nights unless your therapist advises otherwise. If your skin feels stingy, tight or red, scale back and check in with your therapist.
A few supporting players help these vitamins do their job: hydration from products like Pure Hydration Concentrate Serum, our Multi Peptide Serum, named for its peptides, gentle exfoliation as your therapist recommends and, above all, daily SPF.
Vitamins in clinic: programs and treatments
Skincare vitamins work best alongside professional treatments. The Rejuvenation & Firmness Program ($990, valued at $1,240, save 20%) is designed for long-term corrective results. Over 6 months you’ll have 2 LED treatments, 1 Micro Skin Treatment and 2 Skin Needling treatments, plus an ASI Vitamin A Corrector to use at home. Your therapist will guide you on when to pause it around your needling appointments.
In skin needling and nano infusion, we also use professional treatment serums such as The Original B, Anti-Ageing Peptide Serum and Depigmentation Serum, chosen to suit your skin. Learn more in skin needling vs dermal rollers and Radiance, Renewal and our Skin Programs explained.
Save on your vitamins with a Skin Club
If vitamins are going to be a permanent part of your routine, a Skin Club makes them more affordable. Radiance Club members ($135 a month, regular value $180) get 20% off Australian Skin Institute retail, and Renewal Club members ($220 a month, regular value $275) get 25% off. On a $99 Vitamin C Serum, that brings the price to $79.20 or $74.25. You also get one professional skin treatment every month, so your therapist can keep an eye on how your skin is responding. Both clubs have a 6-month minimum term. Compare every option on our memberships page.
Shopping online? Buy any four ASI products with code ASI3+1 and the lowest-priced item is free. Not sure which vitamins your skin needs? Start with a Skin Discovery Treatment ($180, or $99 for new clients) and leave with a homecare plan made for you.
Ready to book? Let’s build your vitamin routine together. Book online or visit one of our six Brisbane clinics.
