Spread the love
When it comes to anti-aging, you may think you have got the lot, all the day creams, the night creams, the eye creams, the serums; I could go on… am I right? But when it comes to your anti-aging skincare, quite frankly, without THIS, you might as well burn the lot…SUNSCREEN!!!.
Yes really! It is that important! Sunscreen and aging go hand in hand, and I’m going to tell you exactly why.
Most of your expensive skincare is working so hard for you to stimulate collagen and elastin production, which is so vital for maintaining a youthful appearance, but none of this is worth your while if you’re not going to protect it from the damaging and cumulative effects of the suns powerful aging UV rays.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If a purchase is made by clicking on some of the above links, I may make a small commission. Read the full disclosure.
B is for Burn A is for Aging
The sun produces Ultra Violet Alpha and Ultra Violet Beta rays, commonly known as UVA and UVB.
UVB rays are the lovely warm sunny rays we all know and love, but we also know to protect against them as they can burn our skin, they are short-wavelength light, and when they penetrate our skin, they convert light into heat which can then lead to sunburn. However, not many people are aware of the damaging effects of UVA radiation; this is a long-wavelength light that can penetrate much deeper into the skin, and it causes DNA damage with every cell that it makes contact with.
What is UVA doing to our skin?
UVA is also responsible for 80- 90% of skin aging and is significantly responsible for aging-related problems such as pigmentation or age spots, lines, and wrinkles.
Collagen and elastin are the support structures of our skin; they’re the proteins within our dermal layer that give our skin its elasticity, bounce, and resilience. We have more collagen than any other protein in our body, so you can imagine why it’s so important. We also have stem cells within this deeper layer which keep our cells looking young by replacing the old.
The sun’s UVA rays damage our beautiful collagen, elastin, and stem cells leading to significantly more lines and wrinkles than skin that is never exposed to these rays.
We can protect our wonderful collagen, elastin, and stem cells by wearing a daily broad-spectrum SPF.
What are age spots, and why do we get them?
Age spots are areas of pigmentation sometimes referred to as liver spots or sun spots and are much more common in people with paler complexions, especially in people over 50. They are caused by excessive exposure to the sun or, even worse, the use of tanning lamps or beds, and they are the skin’s natural way of trying to protect itself. The skins pigment cells become overactive and produce melanin in clumps and in high concentrations, leading to these unattractive spots. Avoid pigmentation or age spots by implementing an SPF into your daily skincare regimen.
When should you see a doctor?
If these spots are black, have an irregular border, bleed or change in size, you should always get them checked by a doctor as they could be a sign of melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer you do not want to ignore!
Sunscreen’s not just for sunny days.
UVA light is in equal measure during every second of daylight, meaning regardless of whether it’s a beautiful sunny day or a cold, dull cloudy winters day, you will still receive the same level of exposure to UVA light; this means it’s imperative that we wear a broad spectrum SPF every day.
UVA can even penetrate through glass. Broad-spectrum means it will protect your skin against UVA and UVB rays so against burning and aging.
Take a look at this picture to the left; it’s of a 69-year-old truck driver of 28 years. He drove his truck every day in The States. The left-hand side of his face has been exposed to years of harmful UV even through the window of his vehicle. Note the difference between both sides! Incredible, isn’t it!
This definitely illustrates the importance of wearing daily SPF to protect your skin from aging even when indoors or on dull cloudy days.
What else can we do?
Protect your skin as much as possible from harmful UV by wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a gorgeous pair of sunglasses. Seek shade whenever possible to avoid harmful UVB.
Free radicals
We also should be aware of free radical damage from the sun as this also has a dramatic effect on how our skin ages and is something we should protect against. The sun’s destructive UV rays produce free radicals, which our skin is exposed to every day of the year. These free radicals destroy the collagen in our skin, dramatically increasing our aging process.
A Good topical product with antioxidant properties will protect your skin from oxidative stress. Ingredients such as Vitamin C helps to counteract UV-free radical stress; applying Vitamin C to our skin can be 20 times more effective than taking it orally. Resveratrol protects skin from UVB damage; Niacinamide is known for its calming properties; therefore is a great one for redness, inflammation, brown spots, or pigmentation; make sure to add antioxidants to your skincare routine for daily protection.
Daily SPF
A daily broad-spectrum SPF is your most important tool when it comes to anti-aging, so make sure you add it to your regime today.
The most important thing to note when thinking about adding sunscreen to your skincare regime to prevent aging is to go for a broad spectrum to protect you from both UVA and UVB, but most importantly, to apply it every day as part of your morning skincare. It isn’t just for sunny days either or even if your going out, remember UVA penetrates glass and cloud! So even if you have a full day in the office, you’re still going to need it.
My recommendations
UV Bronze by Fillorga Visage anti-aging Sun Fluid
As a practitioner in medical aesthetics, I am very familiar with Fillorga’s products and have used them in my clinic and on my own skin with excellent results. Their products are of exceptional quality with years of clinically backed research, making this my number 1 choice! It not only protects from UV rays but has powerful antioxidant protection as well as treating dark spots, skin tone, lines, and wrinkles.
Here are some reviews
My next recommendation would be Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream sun defense.
This is specially formulated for the face and gives 8-hour protection; you can put it on under your makeup with no need to reapply, making this my second choice.
It also has some great reviews; here’s what people have said about it. Eclat’s mineral sunscreen
If you want a sunscreen that is 100% natural and also anti-aging, then I would recommend Eclat’s mineral sunscreen; it’s long-lasting. it protects against UVA and
UVB and full antioxidant protection. Its also eco-friendly and cooling. Mineral sunscreens are great! They contain no harsh chemicals and work by reflecting the sun rather than absorbing the rays keeping you cooler!
Remember, prevention is better than the cure when it comes to fighting the signs of aging, so the earlier in life you add a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your morning routine, the longer you will be able to delay those lines and wrinkles, avoid age spots, and sagging skin whilst safe in the knowledge you are always protected against deadly cancers too.
Live, laugh, wear sunscreen.
