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You can use niacinamide and vitamin C together, but you need to pay attention to the order and pH environment since both are pretty active ingredients.
It works best if you apply vitamin C first (ideally in a serum with a lower pH), wait for it to absorb, and then apply the niacinamide product. Some people also swear by just using them in the same routine but at different times - so one in the morning, the other at night. The problem is that vitamin C works best in an acidic environment while niacinamide prefers a more neutral setting. In some product formulations they're already combined and stabilized though, so then you don't have to overthink it.
If your skin is sensitive or you're just starting out with active ingredients, take it slow. Don't use both at full concentration every day right away. Some people get irritation from it, others don't have any problems at all - you really have to see how your skin reacts. And if you notice it's getting to be too much, just split them up into morning and evening.
they actually work really well together, it's a classic duo! the only thing that matters is taking your vitamin C in the morning (it needs the acidity) and niacinamide more in the evening, then there won't be any issues with effectiveness. lots of people mix them directly together but that's unnecessary - just apply them at different times and you'll get the benefits of both without them getting in each other's way!
Don't use them together in the same application because vitamin C works in an acidic environment and niacinamide works in a neutral to slightly alkaline one - they affect each other and weaken the effectiveness. But you can definitely use them one after the other, like vitamin C in the morning and niacinamide in the evening, or apply them a few minutes apart once the first layer has absorbed. A lot of people have had good results with this and don't see any difference, but if you want to make sure both work properly, spacing them out time-wise is the safe bet.
Don't mix them in the same bottle or cream at all, because vitamin C actually works in an acidic range and niacinamide neutralizes that. The practical trick that a lot of people miss: if you use your vitamin C in the morning, just wait 15 - 20 minutes for it to sink in, then apply your niacinamide on top - that way they're not competing for the same pH level and both ingredients can work properly. In the evening you can combine them more loosely anyway, because your skin is less acid-sensitive at night.
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