Too much sun exposure leads to premature aging of your skin.
We’ve all seen people with wrinkles and dark spots caused by photodamage.
The UV radiation injures the tissue, breaking down collagen and leaving the skin dehydrated.
But it’s easy to avoid these consequences if you use one of the best anti-aging sunscreens.
We’ll review the top anti-aging sun creams below.
Here’s the Best Anti Aging Sunscreens in 2024
Neutrogena Age Shield Face Lotion Sunscreen with Broad Spectrum SPF 110
Neutrogena gives you maximum protection for your face with their SPF 110 sunscreen.
It has Helioplex Technology that defends against UVA and UVB radiation six layers deep into the skin. This prevents wrinkle formation, age spots, and skin cancer caused by overexposure.
Meanwhile, skin conditioners avert dehydration without clogging pores.
The active ingredients include avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone.
Clinique Face Cream SPF 50 with Solar Smart
Clinique’s Solar Smart Face Cream both defends against sunburn and photoaging while it encourages the skin to repair itself.
It’s rich in antioxidants and free of artificial fragrances. In fact, dermatologists have tested it to be safe for delicate skin. Users say it doesn’t bother their eyes when they wear contacts.
DRMTLGY Anti-Aging Clear Face Sunscreen
DRMTLGY’s face sunscreen won’t give your face a white cast or feel sticky or greasy. It’s gentle enough for all skin types and free of artificial fragrances and parabens.
It provides broad-spectrum protection. Just as important, antioxidants in the formula defend against free radicals caused by both ultraviolet and infrared radiation.
While you wear it, hyaluronic acid attracts moisture to smooth and soften your skin. At the same time, niacinamide (which is Vitamin B3) helps to shrink pores and correct uneven skin tone.
The manufacturer offers a sixty-day satisfaction guarantee with the promise of a full refund if you’re not happy with their product.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Anti-Aging Primer with Sunscreen
La Roche-Posay is one of the top European brands sold in pharmacies. Their products aren’t cheap, but they consistently win awards. For example, the Anthelios sunscreen was honored by InStyle, Elle, and Totalbeauty.
Anthelios has a unique blend of UV filters and antioxidants called Cell-Ox Shield Technology. It corrects photodamage at the same time that it prevents it.
It’s lightweight and won’t cause breakouts. Plus, it has a blurring effect that disguises pores and fine lines. It’s perfect as a primer underneath makeup.
Finally, it’s fragrance-free and doesn’t have parabens either.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios AOX Face Sunscreen
This version of the Anthelios sunscreen is an anti-aging face serum. It won at the Women’s Health Beauty Awards in 2015.
While you wear it, it protects your skin and fades fine lines and dark spots. It’s ultra-lightweight and free of parabens and perfumes.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Sunscreen Milk SPF 60
Take this version of the Anthelios sunscreen to the beach or the pool. It’s for both your face and body and it’s water-resistant for eighty minutes.
If all you’ve ever used are thick and greasy creams, you’ll be impressed at how this one sinks into your skin. It leaves you feeling velvety soft and not sticky.
Again, it doesn’t contain parabens or perfumes, plus it’s been tested by dermatologists for delicate skin.
Supergoop! SPF 30 Anti-Aging City Sunscreen Serum
Supergoop’s City Sunscreen Serum is a primer for underneath your foundation and a moisturizer, too.
Some users wear it without makeup because it makes their skin look better all by itself. Vitamins E and B5 boost the skin’s radiance and leave it silky soft.
EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Facial Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 40
EltaMD offers both tinted and untinted versions of their face sunscreen. It’s ideal for wearing underneath makeup or on its own.
Also, take note that the Skin Cancer Foundation recognizes this product.
It contains hyaluronic acid that attracts up to a thousand times its own weight in water to hydrate thirsty skin. The result is smoother, plumper skin with fewer noticeable lines.
The sun protection comes from 9% transparent zinc oxide. Instead of absorbing UV radiation, it reflects it away from your skin.
Antioxidants then go to work stopping free radicals from wreaking havoc.
Paula’s Choice RESIST Skin Restoring Moisturizer SPF 50
When you pick up a bottle of Paula’s Choice sunscreen, go ahead and read the label. Every single component is explained. There’s no mystery as to what you’re buying.
The founder of this company, Paula Begoun, struggled with skin issues. She couldn’t find what she needed on the market, so she started her own product line that’s free of artificial fragrances and unnecessary ingredients.
The high SPF ensures that you can wear this moisturizer all day without having to reapply.
It has niacinamide to improve skin tone and color plus licorice to calm irritation. After you apply it, it sets to a dewy finish.
MDSolarSciences Mineral Beauty Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 50
Pamper your face with this beauty balm. It has a powerful, a long-lasting mineral sunscreen plus skin rejuvenation benefits.
Niacinamide and caffeine minimize pores and alleviate redness. Along with that, Coenzyme Q10 and antioxidants smooth fine lines.
Since this is a lightweight moisturizer that sets to a matte finish, you can wear it underneath makeup.
Face Moisturizer with SPF 30 by Olay Total Effects
Olay offers seven benefits in this sunscreen moisturizer. It hydrates, brightens and improves tone, smoothes lines and wrinkles, minimizes pores, and makes the skin firmer.
On the bright side, it contains Vitamin C and E plus niacin to rejuvenate the skin. On the downside, it also has parabens and an artificial fragrance.
Anti-Aging Day Cream with SPF 25 Sunscreen by L’Oréal Paris
L’Oreal’s anti-aging moisturizer with sunscreen contains Pro-Retinol to erase wrinkles. Retinol is clinically proven to boost collagen production and firm the skin. It’s one of the best anti-aging ingredients available.
Within four weeks of daily use, you should see a definite difference in your appearance.
The formula also has Centella Asiatica, a traditional Chinese herb that improves moisture in the skin. It hydrates for up to twenty-four hours after you apply it.
Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Moisture Cream Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30
Elizabeth Arden’s moisturizer with sunscreen slows down the aging process with green tea and ingredients you’ve never heard of before.
The first is Idebenone ester, a time-released blend that neutralizes free radicals that age the skin.
The second is Thiotaine, an antioxidant that defends the surface of the skin.
The third is Lipochroman 6, yet another antioxidant that guards lipids in the skin’s natural barrier.
Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Leave-on Day Mask Face Lotion with SPF 30 Sunscreen
Aveeno solves three problems at once with this sunscreen/moisturizer/mask. Not only does it protect against sunburn and photoaging, but it also restores and repairs the skin.
Blackberries, green tea, and moringa nourish your complexion throughout the day. Moreover, you can wear it underneath makeup because this is a mask you don’t need to wipe off or rinse.
They promise you’ll notice better texture with fewer fine lines after only one week of using it.
Revitalift Face Moisturizer with SPF 30 by L’Oreal Paris
The Revitalift moisturizer with sunscreen comes with glycolic acid in it. It’s a mild exfoliant that reveals brighter skin.
It also contains Pro-Retinol to reduce wrinkles and correct uneven skin color.
Since both glycolic acid and retinol can make the skin more prone to issues from sunlight, the moisturizer features SPF 30 sunscreen.
RoC Multi Correxion 5-In-1 Anti-Aging Broad Spectrum SPF 30
RoC makes one of the best-selling anti-aging moisturizers with sunscreen. Anyone who wishes to avoid cosmetic procedures should consider using it.
Within four weeks of daily use, you’ll notice you have a smoother, more even-toned complexion. It fades dark spots and reduces wrinkles.
HEXINOL Technology protects against photoaging while making your skin look and feel younger.
Cetaphil Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 20
Many women in their 40s and 50s develop rosacea. Cetaphil’s moisturizer with sunscreen neutralizes red patches and calms the skin.
As is usual for Cetaphil, they don’t add artificial fragrances, parabens, or phthalates. We wouldn’t be surprised if your dermatologist recommended this sunscreen to you.
While licorice and allantoin soothe, caffeine firms and energizes your complexion.
Cotz Spf 40 UVB/UVA Sunscreen
Cotz is another top choice if you have delicate skin or just had microdermabrasion, a peel, or other cosmetic procedure done. Their sunscreen lacks irritants like preservatives, fragrances, oils, gluten, and phthalates.
The broad-spectrum protection lasts for up to forty minutes in the water. It’s based on 20% zinc oxide so it reflects UV rays. There are no chemical filters, so it’s photo-stable.
EltaMD UV Sport Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 50
You can put on this sport sunscreen whether your skin is wet or dry, and it keeps working for up to eighty minutes in the water.
The antioxidants inside battle premature aging caused by both infrared and ultraviolet radiation.
Furthermore, since it’s based on zinc oxide, there’s no concern about endocrine disruption like there might be with some chemical sunscreens (2).
COOLA Organic Unscented Sport Sunscreen Spray
Coola’s spray won an award from Redbook for Best Natural Sunscreen 2014. It provides SPF 50 and comes in both unscented and naturally scented types.
Part of its charm is the selection of organic ingredients like cucumber, strawberry, and red raspberry seed oil. They provide vitamins and antioxidants to avert premature aging. There are also algae to detox and hydrate the skin.
What Too Many People Don’t Know about Sunscreen
Do you know what “broad-spectrum protection” means?
Sunscreen that defends against both UVA and UVB radiation carries that label.
UVA
UVA rays cause the skin to age faster. They are less intense than UVB, but they reach deeper into the skin.
They can penetrate through windows and clouds and are present all year long. UVA damages tissue in a way that leads to wrinkles and discoloration.
Cumulative exposure to UVA is linked to skin cancer in the base layer of the epidermis. And UVA is what causes the skin to tan to protect itself.
UVB
UVB rays are what cause sunburn. They are strongest between 10 AM and 4 PM in the summer. They cannot go through glass. But the rays reflect off surfaces like snow and water.
How Much SPF Is Enough?
How long does it take you to get sunburned? People with light-colored skin might start to burn within 10 to 20 minutes in the summer.
If a person with fair skin applies SPF 15 sunscreen, they will take about 15 times longer to sunburn, or 150 to 300 minutes.
That may seem like a long time, but there’s a catch.
SPF 15 only prevents 93% of the UV radiation from damaging your skin. Meanwhile, SPF 30 screens 97%.
To mount a better defense, apply SPF 50 which filters 98% of the rays (1).
How Much Sunscreen Should You Apply?
For your face, you’ll need a quarter to a half teaspoon. Or apply enough that you can see the layer before you massage it into the skin.
For your entire body, use 1 ounce, which equates to about a shot glass or 6 teaspoons. (That’s 1 teaspoon per arm, etc.)
Put it on at least fifteen minutes before you go outside.
Many sunscreens have instructions that say to reapply every two hours. But that’s annoying if you’re wearing makeup.
Solve the problem by using a sunscreen with SPF 30 or 50. Those are the best sunblocks for face recommended by dermatologists.
Remember the rule about multiplying how long it takes you to burn by the sun protection factor? Thirty or fifty times twenty minutes gives you six hundred to one thousand minutes or up to 16 hours.
Chemical sunscreens degrade (intentionally) when they are exposed to sunlight. If you spend time in the shade instead of the direct sun, your sunscreen will last longer.
Water-resistant sunscreens really do need to be reapplied, though, if you spend time in the pool or you’re sweating.
What Makes a Sunscreen Anti-Aging?
Technically, every sunscreen is anti-aging.
But those with antioxidants and moisturizers promote healthier, younger-looking skin.
Conclusion
Avoid the immediate problem of sunburn as well as long-term consequences like premature aging. Invest in your well-being by using an anti-aging sunscreen.
If we helped you find your new favorite sunscreen, let us know in the comments below.
Other Articles You Might Like:
- Best Sunscreens for Tanning in general
- Best After Tan Moisturizer Lotions
- https://momcurls.com/best-sunscreen-acne-prone-skin
- https://momcurls.com/best-sunscreens-sensitive-skin/
Resources:
1. https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/uv-radiation/ published on May 24, 2013, updated on September 20, 2017, accessed on June 5, 2019
2. https://blog.skincancer.org/2018/06/06/sunscreen-safety/?utm_source=skincancer.org&utm_campaign=sunscreen_page by Julie Bain , published June 6, 2018, accessed June 05, 2019
Related Articles
14
Jan
Can I Use Sunscreen as a Moisturizer?
No one, absolutely no one, wants sun damage. That's why we always have a bottle of sunscreen when heading to the beach. If it's broad-spectrum, it protects you from two types of UV light that are UVA and UVB rays.[...]
14
Jan
When Can You Put Sunscreen on a Tattoo?
We all love to show off our tattoos. No one gets a new tattoo with the intention of hiding that art form from the world. We all love to show off the tattoos on our hands, legs, shoulders... That’s why[...]
14
Jan
Is Blue Lizard Sunscreen Safe to Use?
There are obvious immediate benefits of sunscreen, such as healthy, hydrated skin. Then there are long-term gains that you'll notice years after you start using sunscreen regularly. But, both short and long-term gains depend on the brand you choose. If[...]
Categories: Sunscreen, Mature Skin
