Can you use vitamin C with sunscreen?
Yes, and it's a smart pairing. Vitamin C under a broad-spectrum sunscreen adds antioxidant support, but it doesn't replace sunscreen.
Why
Sunscreen filters UV light, while vitamin C works differently, by neutralizing some of the free radicals that UV light creates in skin. A human study of a vitamin C, E and ferulic acid serum concluded it should add to the protection sunscreen provides, and a review found that adding vitamins C and E to broad-spectrum sunscreen may further reduce UV-related changes in skin. Sunscreens are OTC drugs in the US, so the product label's directions come first.
How to use them
Apply vitamin C to clean skin in the morning, let it absorb, add moisturizer if you use one, and finish with broad-spectrum sunscreen as the last morning step. Reapply sunscreen as its label directs.
Sunscreen is regulated as an OTC drug in the US. The directions on the product's label come first, and Dermo doesn't recommend specific drug products.
Sources
- 1A topical antioxidant solution containing vitamins C and E stabilized by ferulic acid provides protection for human skin against damage caused by ultraviolet irradiation · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2008
- 2Non-sunscreen photoprotection: antioxidants add value to a sunscreen · Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings, 2009
- 3Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun · U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026
General cosmetic information, not medical advice. Written with AI assistance from the sources above; updated October 2026.