Does Vitamin C Serum Enhances Sunscreen Protection? Interviewed in VeryWellHealth

This article at “We Asked a Dermatologist If Vitamin C Serum Enhances Sunscreen Protection” today features an interview with board-certified cosmetic dermatologist Michele Green about how vitamin C serum and sunscreen work together.

The key takeaways included how Vitamin C doesn’t increase sun sensitivity (“There is a misconception that topical vitamin C increases sun sensitivity”). Unlike retinoids, AHAs, and BHAs—which speed up cell turnover and thin the skin’s outer layer—vitamin C is an antioxidant with photoprotective properties that help neutralize UV-related oxidative damage while brightening skin. However, it works differently from sunscreen: vitamin C doesn’t block UV rays, so it’s meant to complement sunscreen, not replace it. Used together, they offer the best defense against UV-induced pigmentation, redness, and collagen breakdown.

Skipping sunscreen while using vitamin C isn’t directly harmful, but it leaves a serious protection gap, since your skin stays fully exposed to UVA/UVB rays that can cause DNA damage, photoaging, and increased skin cancer risk. The research supporting vitamin C’s benefits studies it alongside sunscreen, not as a substitute.

View the full interview featuring her at https://www.verywellhealth.com/vitamin-c-serum-extra-sun-protection-12024679