Combining Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) and Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid)

It is possible to combine Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) and Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) in a cosmetic formulation, but simply mixing the powders and dissolving them in water without proper formulation techniques can lead to issues.

Historically, there was concern that mixing Niacinamide and L-ascorbic acid could cause them to react, forming Niacin (which can cause skin flushing) and dehydroascorbic acid, potentially reducing the effectiveness of both ingredients.

However, modern understanding shows that this reaction is highly dependent on the pH of the solution.

• Safe-B3™ (Niacinamide) is most stable and effective in a pH range of 3-8, with optimal performance between 4.0-7.0.
• Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) Ultra-Fine requires a low pH for stability and effectiveness, typically between 2.0-4.0 (with the FDA recommending a minimum of 3.5 for leave-on products). L-ascorbic acid is also inherently unstable when dissolved in water and can oxidize quickly.

When you dissolve L-ascorbic acid powder in water, it creates an acidic solution. If you then add Niacinamide to this acidic solution without carefully controlling and buffering the pH to a range where both ingredients are reasonably stable (which is a narrow overlap, if any, between their optimal ranges), you increase the risk of the reaction occurring.

Therefore, while mixing the dry powders is not an issue, dissolving them together in water without proper pH adjustment and stabilization techniques can:

• Reduce the effectiveness of both the Niacinamide and the L-ascorbic acid.
• Increase the potential for skin irritation (flushing) due to the formation of Niacin.
• Lead to rapid degradation of the L-ascorbic acid due to its instability in water, especially without proper antioxidants and pH control.

For best results and stability, combining these ingredients requires careful formulation, including pH buffering to a suitable range and potentially using stabilized forms of Vitamin C or specific formulation bases designed for compatibility. Simply mixing and dissolving powders is not recommended for creating a stable and effective product.