Sun and skin aging

Over the years, repeated exposure to the sun has effects on the health and beauty of the skin. Does the sun age the skin? 1st factor of skin aging, the sun is the cause of wrinkles and fine lines when the skin is not effectively protected. In the long term, UVB and UVA rays, but also infrared, visible light and the entire solar spectrum are responsible for premature skin aging and the appearance of certain skin cancers. Protecting your skin from the sun is essential to preserve its youth.

The sun is the primary cause of skin aging: the skin becomes more sensitive, weakens and thins, the tissues relax, brown spots, wrinkles and fine lines appear... The best way to avoid the effects of the sun and of aging skin is to expose yourself by taking all the right precautions to protect your skin.

The causes of skin aging

The sun is the primary cause of skin aging. For what? The different elements that make up the solar spectrum each have different effects.

- UVB rays, which cause tanning, affect the superficial layers of the skin and cause “sunburn” which manifests itself in redness that can cause peeling of the skin.

- UVA ultraviolet rays reach the skin deep down to the dermis, even in the shade, under clouds or behind glass. When they penetrate the skin layer, they act on cell components and DNA chains. The oxidative stress caused slows down the renewal of skin cells and prevents damaged ones from regenerating.

UVA/UVB rays accelerate the aging process of the skin, leading to the appearance of the first wrinkles and age spots. Their consequences can appear 10 to 20 years after the first exposure to the sun.

- Infrared gives off heat, unlike UVA/UVB. They also penetrate deep into the skin, damaging collagen, elastin and generating large amounts of free radicals.

- Visible light is also a cell oxidation factor and plays an important role in skin aging.

UVA and UVB what are we talking about?

The solar spectrum consists of 90% infrared and visible light and 10% UVA and UVB. For a long time, sun protection focused mainly on UVB rays.

• UVB rays only represent 5% of UV rays and remain on the surface of the epidermis, but they are almost all absorbed by the epidermis.
• About 20% of UVA manage to penetrate to the dermis and cause significant long-term damage.
• Infrared and visible light, very numerous, also have a long range and reach the deep layers of the skin.

To limit their impact on the aging of the skin, effective sun protection must take all these components into account. This is precisely the role of the Cellular Protection Institut Esthederm patent. Its unique formula can cover the entire solar spectrum and thus provide maximum antioxidant protection against skin aging. The active ingredients contained in the Cellular Protection Patent neutralize free radicals responsible for oxidative stress, prevent inflammation and protect DNA.

Sun and skin ageing: what are the visible signs?

Over the years, repeated exposures cause premature skin aging which manifests itself in different ways:

• Refined skin
• Distended tissues
• Skin dryness
• Appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Appearance of age spots

Sun-related pigment spots
There are different types, more or less visible. The best known are sunspots, also called age spots or lentigo.

 ● How to recognize them?
Sunspots or age spots are easily recognizable by their flat appearance and their color which can range from light brown to black. They are grouped in clusters and often appear on the back, décolleté, hands and face. In other words, the areas most frequently exposed to the sun.

How do dark spots form?
When the skin is exposed to the sun, it defends itself by producing melanin to protect itself, this is the tan. Over exposure and with age, the process of melanin production can go wrong with overproduction in certain areas. These localized clusters of melanin form brown spots that persist even after detanning.

What are the impacts of the sun on brown spots?
Exposing yourself without protection and taking repeated sunburns increases the risk of the appearance of brown spots, which will tend to multiply. Sunspots are the obvious sign that the skin has suffered from too much sun.

How to prevent, protect and treat sunspots?
Once age spots set in, it's hard to get rid of them. It is therefore best to anticipate and prevent as much as possible by acting upstream on their causes.

- Use sun protection adapted to the needs of your skin as soon as you expose yourself to the sun, including daily, on the terrace or in the street. Thanks to the Global Cellular Protection Patent present in our sun care products, the skin is protected from photo-aging and its resistance to the sun is improved.

- If you have sunspots, make sure you protect yourself as much as possible whenever your skin is exposed to UV rays. Age spots can be reduced with certain anti-stain treatments. To reduce dark spots and prevent their appearance, opt for our Esthe-white skincare range   or our Intensive Vitamin C anti-dark spot treatment.

Sun exposure and skin ageing: best practices
Expose yourself, yes, but always with suitable sun protection.

Sunscreen is essential to protect your skin from the sun and expose yourself serenely. Remember to renew its application regularly and especially after each swim or outdoor sports activity. Apply generously to ensure optimal protection.

Gradually tan
It takes about 3-4 days for the skin to synthesize melanin and activate the tanning process. During this period, protect your skin well and do not expose yourself for long periods at the beginning.

Avoid exposing yourself to the hottest hours without high sun protection.
Between noon and 4 p.m., UV rays are strongest. Even if the weather is overcast, be aware that this does not prevent UVA rays from passing through the clouds and reaching the skin. Remember to apply sun protection in all circumstances.

Even in town, protecting your skin from the sun is essential.
A walk in the center, a lunch on the terrace or even a jog at the end of the day in the streets of the city... It is not enough to protect your skin from the sun and UV rays only on vacation or on the beach. To preserve the youthfulness of your skin, you must wear appropriate sun protection on a daily basis .

Which sunscreen product to use against skin aging in the sun?
Protect your skin from the sun, yes, but it's even better if you adapt your sunscreen to your skin type and your beauty issues.

Institut Esthederm sunscreens contain the patented formulations CELLULAR WATER to boost antioxidant activity against skin cell aging and GLOBAL CELLULAR PROTECTION to limit the action of free radicals and better protect skin cells. Choose the protection that best suits your skin type:

Are you looking for anti-wrinkle sun protection?
Opt for Sun & Tropics Milk or Adaptasun Body Milk or Adaptasun Protective Silky Body Mist an anti-wrinkle firming protective care that preserves the youthfulness of the skin and limits skin aging in the sun.

• Stimulates and optimizes cell function
• Protects skin cells against oxidative stress
• Maximizes the pigmentation process to activate and prolong the tanning effect
• Reinforces the production of collagen and elastin while limiting the destruction of its fibers

Do you want to reduce and prevent dark spots? Discover the PHOTO REVERSE
treatment, a daily high lightening anti-dark spot protection, even in the event of sun exposure at sea.

PHOTO-REVERSE technology acts on skin pigmentation, lightens existing spots and limits the formation of new sunspots.

• Protects against UV
• Blocks the pigmentation process at the source
• Helps gradually lighten the skin even during sun exposure

Discover our Sun Care products