Does Using Vitamin C Boost Your Sunscreen?

To be clear, though vitamin C is a superpower antioxidant, it is not a replacement for sunscreen. For example, Dr. Robyn Gmyrek MD, board-certified dermatologist at Park View Laser Dermatology, specifically tested the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid, $166. It showed that the vitamin C provided a SPF of 8 after four applications and with continued use.

"This level of protection is helpful but is not nearly enough sun protection," she says. (And the same may not even be true about other vitamin C products.)

Gmyrek continues, "To truly protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun, SPF 30 or more is needed to protect yourself from ultraviolet B rays." Additionally, the sunscreen must be labelled "broad spectrum" protection to ensure you're getting protection from ultraviolet A rays (UVA) and ultraviolet B rays (UVB).

Having protection from UVA rays is critical because they penetrate even deeper than UVB rays. UVA rays can go through window glass and they contribute to premature skin aging and skin cancer, according to Gmyrek. UVB rays are the ones we most strongly associate with the sun because they burn skin.

Bottom line: "It's important to remember that vitamin C should not replace your sunscreen, but rather provides additional protection for your skin against ultraviolet damage when added to your regimen," says Lortscher.

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