Summer Skin

Does Vitamin C Protect Your Skin From the Sun?

Vitamin C shows up in nearly every summer skincare conversation, usually with a big question attached: does it actually help with the sun? Here is the honest answer, and how to use it well.

Does vitamin C help with sun protection?

Vitamin C is not a replacement for sunscreen, and nothing about it lets you skip your SPF. Worn underneath your sunscreen, though, a vitamin C serum helps neutralize the free radicals that sun and pollution generate, and it supports your sunscreen as the day goes on. It is a defender working from below while your sunscreen shields from above.

How do vitamin C and sunscreen work together?

Sunscreen sits on the surface and blocks and absorbs rays. A vitamin C serum sits in the skin and helps mop up the free radical damage that gets through. Layer an antioxidant serum first and sunscreen on top, and your skin has its best possible chance of coming through a long day in the sun still looking bright and even.

What else does vitamin C do for your skin?

Beyond its antioxidant role, vitamin C is one of the best ingredients for summer skin in general. It evens pigmentation, brightens a dull complexion, and improves your skin's resilience and elasticity, which is exactly what tends to slip after weeks of sun, heat, and travel.

Joanna's vitamin C picks

Two easy places to start. The Vitamin C Face Wash uses antioxidant-rich acai, goji berry, and citrus to gently brighten as it cleanses, so your very first step is already working for you. Then the Rescue Serum, a concentrated vitamin C and squalane treatment, is her daytime antioxidant of choice under sunscreen.

When should you apply vitamin C?

In the morning, after cleansing and before your sunscreen. Store it somewhere dark, and choose a serum in opaque packaging with a pump or dropper, since vitamin C and other antioxidants lose their strength when exposed to light and air.