Wellness Wire: Slow Skin Aging with Sunscreen

The fountain of youth may be inside your sunscreen bottle.

We often think of sunscreen as a tool to shield us from the sun, but new study shows that those who used sunscreen regularly had younger-looking skin with fewer wrinkles. In fact, the study done by Australian researchers revealed that those who used sunscreen more frequently slowed down skin aging by 24%. The study also showed that preventing progressive skin aging can also reduce your risk of skin cancer. That fact alone is worth slathering on the SPF. Dermatologists have always suspected these facts to be true, but it wasn’t until now that they had the science to prove their suspicions.

Since summer is upon us, now is a time to get into the habit of rubbing a dollop of sunscreen onto your skin, and not just when you plan on going to the beach. By the time summer is over your daily sunscreen addition will feel like a normal part of your life.

Here is how you can get started with your anti-aging routine:

1. Keep a bottle of sunscreen next to your toothbrush. Since brushing your teeth is a part of your morning habit (we hope!), having the visual reminder next to your toothbrush should help you more easily incorporate sunscreen into your day first thing.  
2. Remember that you are instantly protected after putting on sunscreen. It takes about 20 minutes before the SPF is absorbed into your skin. This is why we encourage you to put sunscreen on first thing in the morning.
3. If you are the type that gets ready on a strict schedule use cosmetic products that include SPF. You won’t have to add an additional task to your routine because you will already know you are covered.
4. Carry sunscreen in your purse. When it comes to most things in life we over indulge. But when it comes to sunscreen we definitely underestimate. Keeping an extra bottle of SPF on hand will remind you not to skimp and to reapply often.

The anti-aging process can never be stopped completely, but it doesn’t hurt to protect your skin the best way you can!

Will you start trying to slow skin aging with sunscreen? What tips do you have to increase your sunscreen habits?

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