Serums in Winter: How to Use Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide and Vitamin C

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The short answer

Remember three rules for serums in winter. One, always put hyaluronic acid, such as The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, on slightly damp skin and cover it with moisturiser within a minute. Two, start niacinamide at 5% in winter, such as Minimalist Niacinamide 5% Face Serum, at night or in the morning. Three, use vitamin C in the morning, with moisturiser and sunscreen on top; for dry or sensitive skin the gentle Beauty of Joseon Light On Serum: Centella + Vita C is a good choice. Cut back on strong acids and nightly retinol in winter. Never more than two serums at a time.

Which serum to buy all year round is covered in our which serum is best guide. For the difference between a serum and a moisturiser, read serum vs moisturiser. This article only covers how serum use changes in winter.

Why the serum rules change in winter

In summer and monsoon, Bangladesh's air is humid. Then, skipping moisturiser after a serum does not cause much trouble. But from December to February the air turns dry. The northern wind, hot baths and dust together weaken the skin barrier. A weak barrier makes any active sting more, and a hydrating serum that is not sealed properly can actually dry the skin out.

So in winter, a serum's goal should be comfort and holding on to water. Goals such as fading marks or brightness stay, but slowly, according to what your skin can tolerate.

Hyaluronic acid: on damp skin, then seal it

Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which means it pulls in water and holds it. In humid air it even draws water from the air. In dry winter air there is little water to draw, so it pulls water up from the deeper layers of your skin, and without a cover on top that water evaporates. That is why many people say "my face feels tighter after hyaluronic acid".

The right method

1. Wash your face and pat it with a towel without drying it fully. Or splash a little water on your face.
2. Put two or three drops of The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 or Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum into your palm and press it onto your face.
3. Within a minute, apply moisturiser, such as Cerave Moisturizing Cream For Normal To Dry Skin.
4. In the morning, follow with sunscreen.

This "damp skin, then a lid" rule is the real trick with hyaluronic acid in winter. More detail is in our hyaluronic acid guide.

Niacinamide: start with 5% in winter

Niacinamide is a good winter companion because it supports the barrier, helps calm redness and works on both oil and marks. But niacinamide at 10% or more makes some people's dry, cracked skin itch or feel hot.

• Starting in winter: Choose 5%, such as Minimalist Niacinamide 5% Face Serum or Lilac 5% Niacinamide Serum.
• Already using 10% with no problem: Carry on, for example with The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. If it stings, use it every other day.
• When: Morning or night; once a day is enough.
• Amount: Two or three drops for the whole face.
• Pairs with: Hyaluronic acid, ceramide creams and sunscreen, without worry.

Vitamin C: in the morning, under sunscreen

Winter sun feels soft, but UVA rays are there all year. Dhaka's winter pollution is also heavier. As an antioxidant, vitamin C supports what your sunscreen does, so it is best in the morning.

• Dry or sensitive skin: Choose a gentle formula, such as Beauty of Joseon Light On Serum: Centella + Vita C or The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% Brightening Serum.
• Normal or oily skin, already used to it: A stronger formula can work, such as Minimalist Vitamin C+E+Ferulic-16% Face Serum or Deconstruct Vitamin C Ferulic Acid serum. If the corners of your nose or the skin beside your lips are cracked in winter, keep it off those areas.
• Order: Wash, vitamin C, moisturiser after a minute or two, then sunscreen such as Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+ PA++++.
• Storage: Somewhere cool and dark, cap closed tightly. If it turns dark orange or brown, replace it.

You can use niacinamide and vitamin C together; the idea that you cannot is an old myth. In winter, though, splitting them is more comfortable: vitamin C in the morning, niacinamide at night.

What to reduce or pause in winter

• Daily glycolic or AHA/BHA toner: Drop to one or two nights a week, and stop completely on cracked skin.
• Retinol every night: Two or three nights a week, sandwiched with moisturiser. Details are in our night cream in winter article.
• Peeling gels, scrubs and clay masks: The less the better in winter.
• Four or five serums at once: No more than two.
• Salicylic acid on dry areas: Only on spots, not on the whole face.

Layering order: morning and night

Morning

1. A gentle cleanser or just water, such as Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser Normal To Dry Skin.
2. Vitamin C serum, two or three drops.
3. Hyaluronic acid if you like, on slightly damp skin.
4. Moisturiser.
5. Sunscreen, two finger-lengths.

Night

1. Wash your face; if you wore makeup or sunscreen, use micellar water first.
2. Hyaluronic acid on slightly damp skin.
3. Niacinamide, or on retinol nights retinol instead (not both together when you are starting out).
4. Seal everything with a rich moisturiser.

Waiting about a minute between layers is enough; you do not need to sit for ten minutes.

Prices at a glance

Prices as of 23 October 2026, from our live catalogue; the product page shows the current price.

Common mistakes

• Putting hyaluronic acid on a dry face and not sealing it. This is the biggest winter mistake.
• Treating a serum as a replacement for moisturiser. In winter you need cream after the serum.
• Using vitamin C at night and skipping sunscreen in the morning. Vitamin C does not replace sunscreen.
• Pushing on through stinging because "it will settle". In winter, stinging means the barrier needs help; pause the active for a few days.
• Touching the dropper to your fingers or face. This spoils the serum faster.
• Stacking many actives to fade marks quickly. In winter, going slowly gets results faster.

The Bangladesh reality

Many people see serums online and buy three or four at once, then stop everything when their face turns red in winter. Start with one and watch it for two weeks. Dhaka's winter mornings bring fog and smoke, and if you travel by bike or rickshaw, dust settles on your face; so vitamin C and sunscreen in the morning and a proper face wash at night matter. At the village home or on a trip to Sylhet or Bandarban it is colder, so leave the actives behind and take only hyaluronic acid and a rich cream. A hot kitchen at home or a car heater also dries the face, so you can reapply cream once during the day.

Why authentic products matter

Serums are concentrated actives. A fake vitamin C or niacinamide may have the wrong strength, or unknown fragrance or alcohol, which makes weak winter skin sting more. TheSkinProof is an invoice-verified skincare marketplace. If a product is proven counterfeit, you get 2× your money back when you claim within 7 days of delivery. Delivery across Bangladesh, cash on delivery available.

A note on pregnancy

Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and vitamin C are commonly used during this time, but avoid retinol or retinoid serums and high-strength acids. Talk to your doctor before starting anything new.

When to see a doctor

• Your face keeps burning or stays swollen for three or four days after you stop the serum.
• Small fluid-filled bumps, swollen eyelids or difficulty breathing; this may be an allergy, so do not wait.
• Red, scaly patches on the face that do not settle after two weeks of moisturiser.
• During pregnancy, new large patches on the face or intense itching all over the body.

Read next

The full winter routine, from morning to night, is in our 24-hour winter skincare routine. Short answers to winter product questions are on our winter product questions page.