Sunscreen Prevents Skin Aging

The daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen slows, and may even prevent, sags and wrinkles – the hallmarks of aging skin. Maria Celia B. Hughes, from the University of Queensland (Australia), and colleagues asked 903 Australian men and women , ages 55 years and younger, to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily, and/or to consume a dietary supplement of beta-carotene (30 mg) daily. Subjects were followed for a four-year period, with dermatological assessments conducted to analyze changes in skin appearance. The researchers found that the daily sunscreen group exhibited no detectable increases the aging at the end of the study term.  Further, the subjects who used sunscreen daily showed 24% less skin aging, as compared to those who used sunscreen periodically. No effect was seen for beta-carotene supplementation.