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Can I use vitamin C with sunscreen?

All ingredients & pairings
vitamin Csunscreen
Limited pairing evidencelimited evidence

Evidence for this pairing is limited.

Sunscreen blocks only part of UV-induced free-radical formation. In a swine-skin model — animal data, not a human trial — Darr et al. found vitamin C alone gave additive protection against UVB-induced sunburn-cell formation when combined with a UVB sunscreen, and vitamin C combined with a UVA sunscreen (oxybenzone) showed more-than-additive protection: a topical vitamin C serum complements sunscreen rather than replacing it.

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1 source
  1. Darr D et al. Effectiveness of antioxidants (vitamin C and E) with and without sunscreens as topical photoprotectants. Acta Derm Venereol 1996

This describes a general ingredient interaction backed by the cited research below, not a diagnosis or a personalized skincare plan. Individual skin varies — introduce new actives gradually and talk to a dermatologist about your own routine.