The Unexpected Benefits of Daily Sunscreen Use

Lots of us are on the look out for the next cream or treatment to knock years off our appearance. A good physical sunscreen is the best product for anti-aging. And since May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, we want to spotlight the many benefits of using sunscreen daily.

Anti-Aging

Dermatologists agree that sunscreen is the most effective anti-aging product you can buy. A recent study in Australia (the skin cancer capital of the world) discovered that daily sunscreen use helped decrease skin aging by 24% compared to those who used sunscreen sporadically (24%!!). This is because sunscreen helps protect you from UVA rays that damage collagen and elastin in the skin that help the skin to retain its firm, youthful look.

Hopefully that is motivation enough for you, but if not, check out the next reason for daily sunscreen use.

Cancer Prevention

Skin cancer is now the most common type of cancer in the US. If that doesn’t freak you out at least a little bit, we don’t know what will. Every time that you get a sunburn, you increase your risk for cancer.

It’s not just burning that you need to worry about though, UVA rays won’t give you a sunburn, but they penetrate deeply into the skin causing damage all of the way down to the cellular level. In addition to this, UVA rays can penetrate glass and clouds, making them especially dangerous, even while driving or inside buildings.

How to Apply Sunscreen

Applying sunscreen should become part of your morning routine. As you continue to apply it daily with your other beauty products, your brain will naturally lump it in with your other routines and it will become a habit faster.

You should apply one full ounce across your whole body (About the volume of a shot glass). Don't forget areas such as the back or your hands, neck, chest and arms. For your face, you should cleanse, moisturize and then put on your sunscreen.

In addition to these tips, it’s extra helpful if you also wear sunglasses and a hat. (This protects the eyes and the skin around the eyes from the damaging effects of the sun.)

And that’s it! Apply sunscreen every day and you get to protect against skin cancer while increasing the youthfulness of your skin.