This product actually makes your skin younger!

Spoiler: it’s sunscreen! I know – I hope – I’m speaking to the converted here. You all know you need sunscreen, right? Every day? Yes? But just in case any of you need further encouragement, here goes.

The stick? Or the carrot?

When it comes to changing our behaviours, we’re either motivated by a carrot (a tempting reward) or a stick (fear of punishment). When we’re talking sunscreen, the benefits are usually given as a lack of damage to the skin and reduced risk of future pigmentation problems or skin cancer. A rather intangible stick, if you like. So here’s the carrot, and it’s a juicy one: it makes your skin younger.

What’s the proof?

This conclusion comes from a randomised trial published in Annals of Internal Medicine, which looked at a group of 903 adults under the age of 55. It’s by no means a new study, but it’s key conclusion  – that the trial group that used daily sunscreen ‘showed no detectable increase in skin aging [sic] after 4.5 years’ – is a good one!

For the trial, there were four groups, one using broad-spectrum sunscreen every day, plus an antioxidant supplement; one using broad-spectrum sunscreen plus a placebo; one using sunscreen and the antioxidants at their discretion, i.e. whenever they felt like it, and one using sunscreen at their discretion, plus a placebo supplement. The supplement, in case you’re wondering, had no overall effect on skin ageing.

How does sunscreen make skin younger?

In a nutshell, it prevents sun damage to the skin, and that prevents skin ageing. Understanding how sunscreen can help keep your skin looking youthful is more than a cosmetic concern; it’s a health priority, especially in a country with variable but sometimes intense sunlight like the glorious days we saw in the UK last week.

Sunscreen prevents skin damage like this…

Often, when we think of sun damage, we think of sunburn (I’ve seen more than a few red shoulders and faces after last week) but sun damage is a long-term issue that accumulates over time. The sun emits various types of harmful rays, but the main culprits when it comes to skin damage are UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays, the ‘burning’ rays, are responsible for sunburn. UVA rays reach a bit deeper into the skin, leading to premature aging and, in some cases, DNA damage which can increase skin cancer risks.

Applying sunscreen daily helps filter these rays, which significantly reduces their penetration into the skin and reduces the risk of chronic damage.  So, regular use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen (that’s one that offers both UVA and UVB protection) not only stops existing wrinkles getting worse, but also helps maintain skin texture and firmness.

Choosing the right sunscreen

Skincare professionals will, like me, be happy with whatever you choose, sunscreen-wise, as long as you just wear the stuff. Find one you like, and make it part of your daily routine. If you need some guidance though, here are some sunscreens that I really rate.

The takeaway? SPF: Just wear it!

You know it makes sense…