Does Sunscreen Actually Save You From Skin Ageing?

We all know that sunscreen protects our skin from sunburn. But when it comes to skin damage due to the sun, like wrinkles and other signs of ageing, does sunscreen save you?

Yes, in the most basic sense. In addition to preventing sunburn and other sun damage, sunscreen can help your skin look young and healthy, including playing an essential role in wrinkle prevention. So, if you've been looking for a way to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your skin, sunscreen could be the answer.

In this guide, we'll answer the question, "Does sunscreen actually save you from skin ageing?" and discuss how the sun can accelerate facial ageing and how sunscreen can help protect your skin.  

The deep connection between sunscreen and skin ageing 

Wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher is one way to prevent wrinkles and other signs of photoaging (when your skin ages prematurely due to increased sun exposure). Photoaging can cause wrinkles, but it can also increase the formation of sunspots, reduce skin elasticity, and break capillaries around the nose and chest.

Through their sun-blocking techniques, mineral and chemical sunscreens can prevent photoaging symptoms from forming and wreaking havoc on your skin. Mineral sunscreens reflect harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, whereas chemical sunscreens absorb these rays and convert them to heat via a chemical reaction. In short, mineral sunscreen wins over chemical sunscreens.

How does the sun cause skin ageing? 

To better understand how the sun can harm your skin, you must first understand the various types of UV radiation emitted by the sun, i.e. UVA rays and UVB rays.

Photoaging is caused by primarily UVA rays, which can cause wrinkles, sun spots, and redness around the face. On the other hand, UVB rays directly cause sunburn and skin cancer. UVA rays penetrate your skin deeper than UVB rays, reaching and damaging essential fibres like collagen and elastin that keep your skin smooth, healthy, and young. As a result, your body may try to produce more elastin, which will also stimulate the production of metalloproteinase enzymes.

These enzymes may degrade collagen to restore and rebuild damaged collagen fibres, resulting in incorrectly repaired skin. The more this process occurs, the more likely you will develop wrinkles and other photoaging symptoms. Moreover, photoaging is responsible for 90% of visible skin changes, so it's critical to protect it with sunscreen.

Choosing the right sunscreen to avoid skin ageing 

So, does sunscreen help with wrinkles? Yes, the answer is yes. However, whether or not your sunscreen reduces the signs of ageing depends on the type of sunscreen you're wearing because not all sunblocks protect against UV-A rays, the UVs responsible for ageing skin. 

Does SPF help to prevent wrinkles? Not entirely, but it is a crucial component of a good, protective sunscreen. It is best to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, which prevents sunburns and improves the overall longevity of your skin.

Some sunscreens will also have a PA+ rating printed on the packaging. PA+ ratings function similarly to SPF ratings, but they assess how well the sunscreen protects against UVA rays. If you're looking for the best sunscreen, look for three-plus signs or more for maximum sun protection.

In selecting a broad-spectrum sunscreen, you should look beyond the SPF rating and read the product label. This is because mineral and chemical sunscreens are not created equal, and the latter may contain harmful ingredients to your body.

Mineral sunscreens, also known as physical sunscreens, contain only two main elements: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, both of which have been proven to be safe and effective.

Gladly, DeBelle Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+++ meets all the above criteria, making it an ideal sunscreen for preventing sunburns and skin ageing. It has an SPF of 50+++ and is enriched with Vitamin C and Zinc.

It is an oxybenzone-free, protective, broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects your skin from the sun's harsh UVA and UVB rays. This sunscreen blends in seamlessly, leaving no white cast. Its water-resistant formulation protects your skin in humid conditions.

Now that you know the answer to the question "does sunscreen prevent wrinkles?" you can use sunscreen to achieve healthier and more youthful skin. Skin can begin to age as early as your late twenties, so do this while you're still young. The first step in preventing skin ageing is to use sunscreen daily, and the second step is to apply it correctly.