EvidenceBModerateGood evidence in people with one real weakness. New studies could change the answer.
Yes, a little. In a four-and-a-half-year trial, adults who used sunscreen daily showed about a quarter less skin aging than those who used it as they chose.
Who it's for
Healthy adults wanting to limit sun-related wrinkles and dark spots.
What to expect
Slower aging, not reversal; about 24% less aging over 4.5 years.
Watch out for
Results come from daily, regular use; occasional use wasn't tested.
Daily sunscreen reduced skin aging over 4.5 years
A dot with a line shows the odds of skin aging with daily sunscreen compared with discretionary use, where 1 means no difference.
← BetterWorse →
No difference
Daily vs. discretionary sunscreen0.76 (0.59 to 0.98)Probably better
Australia and New Zealand advise sunscreen on all exposed skin every day the UV index is forecast to reach 3 or higher, mainly to cut skin cancer5Guideline · 2019When to apply sunscreen: a consensus statement for Australia and New Zealand.People living in Australia and New Zealand are now advised to apply sunscreen every day when the UV index is predicted to reach 3 or above. Implications for public health: Increased use of sunscreen as part of the daily routine to reduce incidental sun exposure will lead to decreased incidence of skin cancer in the…Aust N Z J Public Health. The American Academy of Dermatology held a consensus conference on UVA protection in sunscreens10Guideline · 2001American Academy of Dermatology Consensus Conference on UVA protection of sunscreens: summary and recommendations. Washington, DC, Feb 4, 2000.J Am Acad Dermatol.
What the studies show
A trial of 903 adults under 55 in Australia, whose results came from a larger group of 1,621 randomly selected adults, compared daily broad-spectrum sunscreen with using it as they chose. After 4.5 years, daily users had 24% less skin aging, graded by assessors who didn't know who used what. The true effect could range from almost none to about 40% less, and some data were missing2Randomized trial · 2013 · 1,621 peopleSunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial.Regular sunscreen use retards skin aging in healthy, middle-aged men and women. No overall effect of β-carotene on skin aging was identified, and further study is required to definitively exclude potential benefit or potential harm.Ann Intern Med.
A trial of 290 Brazilian women aged 30 to 65 compared a daily SPF 60 product with their usual routine for 1 year. Signs of aging worsened less in the sunscreen group. Forehead wrinkles, marionette lines and dark spot size rose 30% to 50% less3Randomized trial · 2023Impact on facial skin aging signs of a 1-year standardized photoprotection over a classical skin care routine in skin phototypes II-VI individuals: A prospective randomized trial.Daily application of a high photoprotective product significantly decreases the progression of skin aging signs after 1 year in skin phototypes II-VI.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol.
An 8-week outdoor trial in 113 women in Brazil and China tested a sunscreen with an added UVA1 filter against the same sunscreen without it. Sun-driven darkening was smaller, and expert-graded aging signs fell with the added filter1Randomized trial · 2024 · 113 peopleThe impact of methoxypropylamino cyclohexenylidene ethoxyethylcyanoacetate (MCE) UVA1 filter on pigmentary and ageing signs: An outdoor prospective 8-week randomized, intra-individual comparative study in two populations of different genetic background.Overall, this study demonstrates that a protection with the SPF50/MCE sunscreen significantly reduces pigmentation and ageing signs compared to the same SPF50 sunscreen.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. A 4-week trial in 52 Brazilian women found similar gains, including fewer crow's feet wrinkles9Randomized trial · 2025Gain of Protection Afforded by the Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate (MCE) UVA1 Filter on Pigmentary and Aging Signs: An Outdoor 4-Week Randomized, Intra-Individual Comparative Study in 52 Brazilian Women.Overall, this study demonstrates a significant gain of protection with the SPF50 containing 1% MCE in reducing hyperpigmentation, redness and aging signs compared to the same SPF50 sunscreen without MCE, thus supporting the need for an enlarged UVA1 photoprotection.Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed.
A 12-week trial in 230 adults aged 18 to 45 with darker skin found less pigmentation and better radiance with regular sunscreen. It had no comparison group that went without6Randomized trial · 2019A randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of two sunscreen formulations on Indian skin types IV and V with pigmentation irregularities.This is the first study conducted on Indian skin phototypes IV and V under real-life conditions. It demonstrated the effect of regular sunscreen usage in the prevention of certain signs of skin photoaging such as increased pigmentation or pigmentary abnormalities, thus providing support and assistance to clinicians in…Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol.
A review of the research concludes that sun protection remains the best current way to manage photoaging4Systematic review · 2015Mechanisms and treatments of photoaging.There has been a large growth in the variety of treatment options in recent years. While it is important for such growth to continue, prevention via sensible photoprotection methods still remains the best current management option.Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed.
In 40 people with advanced sun damage, sunscreen with an added repair enzyme did no better than regular sunscreen over 8 weeks8Randomized trial · 2022Efficacy of sunscreen with photolyase or regular sunscreen associated with topical antioxidants in treating advanced photodamage and cutaneous field cancerization: a randomized clinical trial.There is no difference in the treatment of advanced photodamage skin when comparing the use of sunscreen with photolyase and regular sunscreen, and topical antioxidants were more efficient in reducing AK count than placebo.An Bras Dermatol.
These figures compare groups, so one person's gain depends on how much sun exposure and skin damage they would have had anyway.
Key studies
Study
Who
What it found
Trial, 20132Randomized trial · 2013 · 1,621 peopleSunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial.Regular sunscreen use retards skin aging in healthy, middle-aged men and women. No overall effect of β-carotene on skin aging was identified, and further study is required to definitively exclude potential benefit or potential harm.Ann Intern Med
903 adults under 55, Australia
24% less skin aging with daily sunscreen over 4.5 years
Trial, 20233Randomized trial · 2023Impact on facial skin aging signs of a 1-year standardized photoprotection over a classical skin care routine in skin phototypes II-VI individuals: A prospective randomized trial.Daily application of a high photoprotective product significantly decreases the progression of skin aging signs after 1 year in skin phototypes II-VI.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol
290 women, ages 30 to 65
Aging signs worsened 30% to 50% less in some areas
Trial, 20241Randomized trial · 2024 · 113 peopleThe impact of methoxypropylamino cyclohexenylidene ethoxyethylcyanoacetate (MCE) UVA1 filter on pigmentary and ageing signs: An outdoor prospective 8-week randomized, intra-individual comparative study in two populations of different genetic background.Overall, this study demonstrates that a protection with the SPF50/MCE sunscreen significantly reduces pigmentation and ageing signs compared to the same SPF50 sunscreen.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol
113 women, Brazil and China
Added UVA1 filter reduced pigmentation and aging signs in 8 weeks
Trial, 20196Randomized trial · 2019A randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of two sunscreen formulations on Indian skin types IV and V with pigmentation irregularities.This is the first study conducted on Indian skin phototypes IV and V under real-life conditions. It demonstrated the effect of regular sunscreen usage in the prevention of certain signs of skin photoaging such as increased pigmentation or pigmentary abnormalities, thus providing support and assistance to clinicians in…Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol
230 adults with darker skin
Less pigmentation over 12 weeks; no unprotected group
Safety
Both products were well tolerated in the trial in darker skin6Randomized trial · 2019A randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of two sunscreen formulations on Indian skin types IV and V with pigmentation irregularities.This is the first study conducted on Indian skin phototypes IV and V under real-life conditions. It demonstrated the effect of regular sunscreen usage in the prevention of certain signs of skin photoaging such as increased pigmentation or pigmentary abnormalities, thus providing support and assistance to clinicians in…Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. The other trials' abstracts report no safety findings.
What we don't know
Whether daily sunscreen keeps slowing aging beyond 4.5 years, and whether results hold in people over 55.
Whether the added UVA1 filter helps in everyday life, since those trials were short and tested one ingredient.
Written by AI from the studies listed, without review by a clinician, and graded with the GRADE method. It can be wrong, so check the studies it cites. Education, not medical advice.