Fight Ageing with Sunscreen!

As much as it feels like a part of our Aussie DNA, we all know that we’re not meant to laze about all day in the sun, go tanning and lather our skin in oils to speed up the process anymore. The skin cancer ads have done their job.

But there’s another reason you should limit sun exposure to your skin. It prevents the signs of ageing! 

Basically, an Australian study conducted over 4 years found that regular & proper sunscreen use (applying multiple times a day including after swimming and exercise) protects the skin against photo-aging – the wrinkling, pigmentation and elasticity loss caused by the sun’s UV radiation. 

If you want to check out the Australian study in full, click here.

If you want a quick overview of the findings read on:

• Over the 4.5 years the study ran, the group regularly applying sunscreen showed significantly less (to almost no) signs of ageing.
• The skin of the group who sporadically applied sunscreen, showed various levels of “damage to the deeper skin, especially to the elastic fibres and collagen,” – Dr Adele Green, the study’s lead author.
• Certain types of sun radiation cause certain types of ageing: UV-B radiation is the cause of most cancers & sunburn, UV-A reduces the skin’s ability to hold its shape (collagen & elasticity) causing wrinkles, sunspots & freckles.

What kind of sunscreen to look for.

When choosing a sunscreen, look for broad spectrum which means it protects against both UVA & UVB rays. Decide on what ingredients you want in your sunscreen, either chemical or natural (like a zinc based sunscreen) and many now have beautiful hydrating natural ingredients that nourish your skin whilst protecting it.

There are also plenty of sunscreen options now that cater to specific skin types, so if you have oily skin for example, you no longer have to walk around looking like you’ve just stepped out of a greasy massage parlour!

Our current FAVE recommendation is the tinted Zinc by Yallingup Zinc - an Australian owned biz from WA who has created a beautiful, all natural product that comes in multiple shades. Click here to check it out.  

Finally, to really reap the anti-ageing benefits sunscreen can provide, you need to use it every day & multiple times a day, particularly if you are active. Even if the weather is cloudy, UV rays can make a dent in your skin, so lather up lovelies!