A study from Australia shows that daily use of sunscreen (even in middle age) can result in better looking and less sagging skin. It may be the strongest evidence yet that regularly slathering on sunscreen not only protects your skin from cancer, it can also dramatically slow the nasty effects the sun can have on aging and sagging skin.
To perform the study, researchers made casts of people’s hands to record the fine lines and wrinkles in their skin. They then divided the group of 900 people into those who would use sunscreen every day and those who would use it only when they thought it was necessary.
4 ½ years later they found that those who used sunscreen daily had skin that looked 24% younger compared to those who used it only occasionally. These results are predictable, as using sunscreen reduces the skin’s exposure to UV rays which, in turn, harms elasticity which can result in sagging skin.
Add this to the fact that it’s well known that using sunscreen reduces the chances of getting skin cancer, and daily sunscreen use becomes a no-branier. At Reflections, we recommend using sunscreen daily, summer and winter. It should also be reapplied after swimming or sweating.
