Whilst you can’t prevent getting older there are some big factors in skin aging that you can prevent. Skin aging is caused by a combination of factors, and one of the biggest is sun damage. So if you want the best skin care, sunscreen is a huge part of that, but only a part.

It is the ultraviolet component of sunlight, and in particular UVA and UVB, that are dangerous to your skin. UVB causes sunburn, so blocking UVB radiation will prevent sunburn, however there is far more to preventing skin sun damage than merely blocking UVB.

That’s because UVA, whilst not burning your skin, is primarily responsible for skin aging and the results thereof, such as wrinkles and sagging. And UVA, it is thought, is responsible for the worst skin cancers.

It is not well known but the FDA do not require labelling of sunscreens to indicate how much UVA protection is included. In the summer of 2008 only 29 percent of sunscreens on the market had a component of UVA protection. Fortunately that has increased to around 70 percent now, however this still means that some 30 percent of sunscreens do not prevent UVA exposure, and this can lead to excessive skin aging and skin cancer.

And as there is no requirement for labeling it is difficult to tell from the label how much protection your sunscreen really offers. If you have premature skin aging then sun damage from UVA exposure may well be the cause even if you have used sunscreen carefully.

On top of this there are various ingredients in sunscreens which may damage your health such as oxybenzone which has been shown to work as a hormone disruptor and is even considered likely to cause skin cancer. And worse, some of the ingredients in sunscreen products can cause the effectiveness of the product to fail.

Consumers ought to be able to expect that their sunscreen will prevent skin sun damage such as sunburn, premature skin aging and skin cancer, however that is currently not the case and you ought to choose your sunscreen extremely carefully.

Sun protection doesn’t just involve sunscreen. In fact sunscreen should be a last resort and used only where necessary, far better is to use a long sleeved shirt and a hat, or even better to stay out of the sun during the middle of the day, particularly in summer.

Many anti aging consumers are not aware that one of the major causes of skin aging, namely sun damage, is entirely preventable. From as young an age as possible, preferably starting today, promise to yourself that you will carefully prevent sun damage and you will also use the best anti aging products that are available. If you do that you’re well on your way to the best anti aging skin care that it’s possible to get.

Whilst anti aging products, well the good ones anyway, go a long way towards reversing aging of the skin, taking some proactive steps yourself to prevent skin sun damage is also part of a quality anti aging routine.