Facts About
Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant—it’s actually one of the most powerful antioxidants in your skin. You see, our skin is constantly being bombarded by harmful elements in our environment, like pollution and UV rays. Skin-stressors like these can lead to the development of free radicals, which cause oxidative stress. And this can lead to accelerated skin damage and leave your skin with a lackluster appearance. Antioxidants, like vitamin C, neutralize free radicals.^1,2

To help ensure you’re getting the most out of your vitamin C skincare and any other products with antioxidants, be sure to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher during the day, and avoid direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is at its strongest.⁵ You can do just that with CeraVe Hydrating Sheer Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 for Face & Body, which blends the power and benefits of both mineral and chemical sunscreens, helping effectively reflect and absorb the sun's damaging rays.

Despite vitamin C being the most abundant antioxidant in our skin, we lack an enzyme that plants and some other animals use to synthesize it internally.² Hence, why we need to obtain it by eating fruits and vegetables, like citrus, leafy greens, broccoli, and strawberries, or apply it topically with vitamin C skincare. Topical use in particular is effective for fending off skin-damaging free radicals.⁴ When we have ample vitamin C levels in our skin, it helps neutralize oxidative stress caused by the sun’s harmful rays and pollution.²

To add this ingredient to your routine, consider using face creams with vitamin C or getting vitamin C serum benefits from the CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum.² Formulated with 10% pure vitamin C (also known as l-ascorbic acid), this potent yet gentle anti-aging serum helps brighten the appearance of your complexion and supports softer, more radiant, and healthier-looking skin.

Vitamin C is commonly obtained through eating, drinking, or supplements. But in dermatology, topical usage (like applying a vitamin C serum or vitamin C eye serum) is favored.⁴

Try a targeted formulation like CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum to introduce vitamin C benefits to your routine. After washing your face with a cleanser made for your skin type, apply the vitamin C skincare product, blending it evenly all over your neck and face. Be careful not to get it in your eyes.

Once the serum is fully absorbed, you can then layer any of your other favorite serums or products, and follow everything up with a moisturizer, like CeraVe Ultra Light Gel Moisturizer. This lightweight, oil-free facial gel, which features CeraVe’s three essential ceramides, provides much-needed hydration and leaves skin feeling soothed. Finish with a mineral or chemical sunscreen, and you’re good to go—just don’t forget to reapply your sunscreen throughout the day.

Vitamin C can play well with a range of other ingredients, such as retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic acid, and antioxidants.⁴ In fact, not only can vitamin C be used with other ingredients, but it should be. Vitamin C is only one part of a comprehensive skincare regimen. For instance, vitamin C is far from the only ingredient in the CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum. The formula also features hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and vitamin B5 (a.k.a. pantothenic acid)

We’re happy to report that you can safely reap the anti-aging, sun damage-, dark spot-, and discoloration-fighting benefits of vitamin C, while enjoying retinol’s ability to reduce the appearance of dark spots, enlarged pores, and fine lines over time.⁶ Just follow your vitamin C serum with a retinol of your choice. We like CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum and CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum, which each help to improve the appearance of dark spots, like post-acne marks, as well as pores and skin texture. They also contain niacinamide and ceramides and help lock in moisture and support your skin’s protective barrier.

Or, seeing as how it’s imperative to wear sunscreen every day—especially when using a vitamin C serum or retinol^4,6—try CeraVe Skin Renewing Day Cream. Formulated with a blend of UVA and UVB filters, encapsulated retinol, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides, this multitasking moisturizer helps reduce the look of fine lines and rough texture to leave your skin with a more radiant appearance. Bonus: It’s also non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog your pores.

Vitamin C products can be beneficial for those seeking to boost brightness, reduce the appearance of dark spots, and combat visible signs of aging. And since vitamin C skincare is generally considered safe to use on a daily basis and over long periods of time,⁴ this ingredient can typically be added to a skincare routine at any time.

You can start by incorporating CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum into your daily regimen—after cleansing, and before moisturizing—to help brighten your skin, smooth its texture, and visibly improve an uneven tone while helping to support your skin’s natural barrier. Then, follow it up with CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Eye Cream, which contains 5% pure vitamin C, ceramides, and caffeine and helps visibly smooth, brighten, and even out the skin around your eyes. The result: Less noticeable dark circles, under-eye puffiness, and fine lines.

If you aren’t sure whether vitamin C skincare is right for you, consult your dermatologist. They can help with personalized skincare recommendations and also answer questions about pairing vitamin C with other ingredients.

Many vitamin C eye creams can be used safely every day; however, you should always check your products’ unique usage directions. For instance, CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Eye Cream is formulated for not just once—but twice—daily application for best results.

1. What Can Vitamin C Do for Your Skin? Cleveland Clinic; December 12, 2022.
2. Al-Niaimi F, Chiang NYZ. Topical Vitamin C and the Skin: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017 Jul;10(7):14-17. Epub 2017 Jul 1.
3. Nathan N, Patel P. Why is topical vitamin C important for skin health? Harvard Health Publishing; November 10, 2012.
4. Telang PS. Vitamin C in dermatology. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2013 Apr;4(2):143-6.
5. Sunscreen FAQs. American Academy of Dermatology. Accessed August 15, 2024.
6. Retinol. Cleveland Clinic. Accessed August 15, 2024.