Have you already tried a million anti-aging serums, oils and creams, but even though they promise only the best, you're still not satisfied with the results? So you may have forgotten the simplest but most effective anti-aging product of all: good old sunscreen.
As we've already mentioned in our last blog posts, sunscreen should be an important part of your skincare routine - and not just in summer, but all year round. Sunscreen products protect the skin against the harmful effects of the sun, prevent burns, minimize the risk of skin cancer and significantly reduce premature aging of the skin.
If you want to know what the sun has to do with your wrinkles, how sunscreen products work as anti-aging products, and how to use them correctly to get the best results, you've come to the right place.
How the sun's rays contribute to premature aging
There are many causes of premature aging of the skin, but the first among them is the sun and its two types of ultraviolet rays, also known as UVA and UVB, both of which contribute to the formation premature wrinkles. UVA in particular plays an important role, as it penetrates deep into the skin and causes damage to collagen and elastin fibers, which are responsible for the skin's elasticity, strength and suppleness.
Collagen and elastin are both naturally present in the skin, but the former decreases over time as we age. The sun, with its skin-damaging UV rays, can further accentuate this process and thus cause premature signs of skin aging such as sagging skin, fine lines and wrinkles.
In short, damage to the skin from UVA rays leads to wrinkles, skin thinning, and other signs of premature aging. Along with this, it also increases the number of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable atoms that damage healthy cells and thus cause further damage to collagen and our skin cells.
The fact is: Although there are a million anti-aging products out there that claim to act like magic pills, UVA damage to the skin is irreversible. This makes sunscreen an essential part of your bathroom cabinet and places it at the top of your anti-aging list.
Another thing to consider: UVA rays aren't just summer guests! They are present all year round and can even penetrate our skin through thick clouds or thick glass. What do I mean by that? We are much more vulnerable to sun damage than we think or even realize. The bottom line is that UVA rays don't cause sunburn like UVB rays, which often makes the problem harder to detect.
Protect your skin from a young age and preferably daily
As we have already mentioned, there is a direct link between sun exposure and premature aging of the skin. In addition, we must keep in mind that sun damage is cumulative, that is, every day we do not protect our skin we increase the risk of developing skin cancer and symptoms of premature aging.
It's not for nothing that our mothers bothered us with sunscreen when we were little, and I must admit that as soon as I left the house, I stopped using sunscreen at all, because I didn't like the feeling it left on my skin. Thank goodness I'm writing this blog post and I know better from today.
So if you want to jump on the anti-aging bandwagon, you definitely need to use sunscreen in your daily skincare, regardless of the season and whether you're indoors or outdoors.
How sunscreen helps your skin stay young and radiant
Sunscreen products actually act as fighters against harmful UV rays. They not only protect you from premature aging of the skin, but also from tanning and sunburn, fade facial spots, improve the overall health of the skin and reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Apart from using sunscreen, it is also advisable to avoid the sun as much as possible, wear natural and protective clothing and stay in the shade to keep your skin young and glowing for as long as possible.
Choosing the right sunscreen product for your skin
The next step is to choose the right sunscreen product, the one that suits your skin and skin type.
We recommend using a broad spectrum sunscreen product with very high UVA/UVB protection, for example SPF 50+. The term "broad spectrum" basically refers to the fact that the sunscreen product protects your skin from both UVA and UVB rays. This is important for reducing early signs of skin aging such as pigmentation, age spots and wrinkles. The level of sun protection factor (SPF) is also important and, in general, you should not choose a product with a SPF lower than 30 if you want to guarantee total protection for your skin.
You must also pay attention to the nature of the product you choose: primary or secondary. The difference is this: a primary product serves to protect your skin against UV rays and is therefore different from secondary products. The latter refers to makeup and other cosmetic products that only contain a certain sun protection factor, but do not completely protect against UVA and UVB rays. To completely protect your skin, you must therefore use a primary sun protection product daily.
We also recommend using sunscreen that is light and pleasant on the skin, so you can easily apply it every day. As I already mentioned above, I stopped for a while because I couldn't find a product that I felt comfortable with. If you have sensitive skin, you should stick to a product that is specifically designed for your skin type and is free of perfume or hypoallergenic fragrance substances.
Proper use for maximum results
To achieve the best anti-aging results, you should use sunscreen every day and make it an integral part of your daily skin care. In addition, it must be applied correctly for it to be fully effective. Here are some things you should pay attention to.
Use enough sunscreen. Experts recommend applying one teaspoon to the face and neck, and one teaspoon to each arm, leg, front and back of the torso. Of course, your body should be as well protected as your face when exposed to the sun.
Don't forget to regularly apply a new layer of cream! This should be done approximately every two hours. Especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors, sweat, or have been in water.
Water, perspiration and time reduce the protective layer on the skin, so reapplication is necessary to ensure long-lasting protection. Speaking of the protective layer, sunscreen products should also be the last products you use in your daily routine. However, they should be applied before makeup, if you decide to wear one.
If you want to delve deeper into the topic of makeup and sunscreen and know how to avoid all the possible mistakes that occur - most often unconsciously - when applying sunscreen, do not hesitate to check out our blog at this subject.
Oh, and one more thing: apply sunscreen at least 15 to 20 minutes before going out, because it needs some time to deploy its full protection mechanism.
So simple and so effective: here's how to keep skin radiantly beautiful and youthful.
If you're looking for other anti-aging alternatives that really work, we have something for you. The Anti-Aging Patch , with its microneedling technology, is truly an all-purpose product. The patch hydrates, plumps and reduces expression lines and fine lines from the first application - and all this while you sleep, without you having to do anything! The patented combination of active substances, namely pure, cross-linked hyaluronic acid and the anti-aging peptide AHP-8, makes it a highly effective and efficient weapon for preventing and reducing fine lines. Best of all, the patch is dermatologically approved and clinically tested, so it really works.
Sources: CNN Health , VeryWellHealth , NCBI , LaRochePosay , Byrdie