The Anti-Aging Ingredient More Important Than Sunscreen

Photo by: istockphoto

The "new" kind of sun damage
This is the scary part. You probably know about UVA and UVB rays -- and that broad-spectrum sunscreens will protect you against both. UVA rays are responsible for aging -- they break down collagen and elastin, which keep your skin looking young. UVB rays damage the top layers of your skin, causing sunburn. Both UVA and UVB can cause skin cancer. However, these rays make up only seven percent of ... more 

Photo by: istockphoto

The "new" kind of sun damage
This is the scary part. You probably know about UVA and UVB rays -- and that broad-spectrum sunscreens will protect you against both. UVA rays are responsible for aging -- they break down collagen and elastin, which keep your skin looking young. UVB rays damage the top layers of your skin, causing sunburn. Both UVA and UVB can cause skin cancer. However, these rays make up only seven percent of solar energy. What makes up the rest? We won't bore you with a scientific dissertation about wavelengths, but here's what you need to know: New research shows that infrared radiation A (IRA) penetrates even deeper into the skin than UVA rays. It damages skin cells and causes sun damage and aging by producing free radicals, as explained in the paper, "Sun Protection Should Protect From IRA Damage," (May 2012) by Nadim Shaath, PhD, chairman of chemistry at SUNY-Purchase. Why are free radicals so bad?

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