How many times have we bugged our readers about using sunscreen? Every time we get the opportunity, we are reminding you to stick on the sunscreen, not only to protect your skin from UVAs, but it also helps with anti ageing.
And it’s now official, according to some excellent news from Allure…
A new study in the journal Dermatologic Surgery shows that sunscreen—yes, sunscreen—can not only protect your skin but also reverse common signs of photoaging, like wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.
The study showed improvements in the many signs of aging caused by the sun, such as texture, overall tone, and fine lines. With just a daily application of moisturiser with SPF 30, participants saw improvements of 52 percent in mottled pigmentation (a.k.a. sun spots), 40 percent in skin texture, and 41 percent in skin clarity after a year of use.
This is huge, in part because the daily moisturizer in question provided only hydration and sun protection—and zero anti-aging ingredients. How, exactly, such a straightforward formula (compared to other, active-ingredient-packed anti-agers out there) can give these results is still unclear. The most plausible answer has to do with skin’s innate regenerative properties. We know that skin turns over every 28 days. By preventing the continual accumulation of more and more damage, we allow the skin to heal on its own. The sunscreen gives your skin a chance to indulge in some R&R instead of constantly defending itself from UV exposure and repairing damage.
As long as it’s a photo-stable, broad-spectrum formula, the type of sunscreen you use—that is, whether it uses chemical filters, like avobenzone and oxtinoxate, or physical blockers, such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide—shouldn’t theoretically make a difference, notes Wang, although chemical filters were the ones used for this particular study.
If you’re already getting your SPF 30 on the daily, you’re ahead of the game. But the key word is “daily”: Participants used the moisturizer with SPF every single day for a year, showing that both compliance and consistency are essential to results like this. The upside? It was applied just once a day. So if you don’t happen to reapply your sunscreen at your desk (though you should do so for maximum sun protection), you’ll still reap its anti-aging benefits. Consider this additional proof that sunscreen is the real MVP of your skin-care routine.
Which is why we LOVE Biodroga Caviar & Radiance Anti-Age Day Care SPF15 has light-refracting pigments which mparts a delicate shimmer to skin. At the same time, light-protection filters protect skin against premature, UV-induced aging. The Bioactive Anti-Age Complex vitalises the skin stem cells, diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, improves the collagen synthesis and strengthens the extracellular matrix. Caviar extract stimulates the natural functions of skin while dragon fruit extract improves its youthful luminosity.