Does Sunscreen Reduce Aging?

Sunscreen should be one of the first anti-aging products in your skincare routine. Wearing sunscreen on a daily basis has been proven to reduce wrinkles and other signs of aging on the skin.

Eighty-percent of skin aging is believed to be attributed to photoaging, which is sun damage that prematurely ages the skin. Along with wrinkles, photoaging is also characterized by rough skin, dry skin and the loss of volume and elasticity that causes sagging. Sun exposure without SPF also causes irregular pigmentation. Unprotected sun exposure can cause your skin to produce splotches of pigment, also known as sunspots. This is the skin’s attempt at protecting itself from damage. 

Sunspots are harmless, but they can be a sign that your skin hasn’t been getting enough sun protection. In addition to this, abnormal spots on the skin could be a sign of skin cancer. You should see a dermatologist if you notice a sunspot is itching, bleeding, scaly or changing shape over time. 

Staying consistent with applying your sunscreen is the key to proper protection. A four-and-a-half-year study concluded that people who wear broad-spectrum sunscreen every day experienced 24 percent less skin aging than those who only use it occasionally. All sunscreens protect your skin from UVB rays, but using a broad-spectrum sunscreen is ideal because it protects you from UVA rays as well. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin, causing wrinkles and other symptoms of long-term skin damage. 

That being said, wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day is a sure way to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy and youthful as the years go by.