While genetics and diet have a lot to do with how you age, the products you apply every day can also make a difference.
Using SPF daily could be the best way to maintain a youthful glow, according to experts.
New research by UltraViolette.co.uk found Chichester, Lichfield and Stirling are the UK cities most obsessed with turning back the clock on their appearance, but what is the best approach?
Co-founder Ava Matthews shared there is one product that should be prioritised in every anti-ageing skin care routine - SPF.
Use SPF every day for the best results, an expert claimed
GETTYShe said: "SPF is hands down the most important step in any skin care routine to protect against ageing, and it needs to be worn every single day, even in the UK, where it may not feel hot or sunny.
"UVA rays are present year-round and are the biggest contributor to premature ageing: pigmentation, volume loss, wrinkles and fine lines – all the things people spend hundreds of pounds on treatments and expensive creams and serums trying to fix."
It is a common misconception that SPF should be reserved for the summer months or - even worse - only when abroad.
Indeed, applying a sunscreen to your face every day will help protect against UV rays that can accelerate ageing.
There has been a lot of research into this. One particularly telling study was conducted by Dr. Adele Green and colleagues at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia.
It followed 903 adults under the age of 55 for four years and found those who applied a broad-spectrum SPF every day showed 24 per cent less skin ageing.
Ava continued: “Without daily sun protection, treatments like Botox, retinol or laser just won’t have the impact people hope for. Sun damage is cumulative, so every hour without SPF protection adds up.
"If you're only going to use one product each day, make it sunscreen – it's the cheapest, most effective anti-ageing treatment available, and the best investment you can make in your skin.”
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Wearing an SPF can help you look years younger
GETTYDr Nisa Aslam agreed, calling sunscreen the "most effective anti-ageing step you're probably skipping".
She said: “Exposure to the sun is the number one cause of premature skin ageing – even here in the UK.
"Yet, research commissioned by Hada Labo Tokyo reveals that 85 per cent of women admit to going without sunscreen even in warm weather, with over half of women skipping sunscreen in the hope of getting a better tan.
“The sun can damage the skin in three main ways: UVA, UVB and dehydration. Sun damage can occur even on cloudy days and is responsible for up to 80 per cent of visible ageing."
