PoreWise Skin concern
Sun protection
Primary sourceSun protection: protecting the skin from ultraviolet radiation. Protection includes staying in the shade, wearing photoprotective clothing, a hat and sunglasses, and applying sunscreen to the skin that is otherwise exposed. The strongest evidence comes from a 2013 human trial: In a randomized controlled community trial of 903 adults under 55, daily use of a broad-spectrum SPF 15+ sunscreen slowed skin aging over 4.5 years: the daily-sunscreen group showed 24% less photoaging than the discretionary-use group (relative odds 0.76, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.98). The trial measured the act of using a broad-spectrum sunscreen. 5 ingredients have evidence for Sun protection: Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate.
Sun protection is an action. The label SPF and the reapplication habit matter more to actual protection than which filter is on the list.
Where the definition comes from
Source wording
“It is well established that a complete package of photoprotection includes staying in the shade, wearing photoprotective clothing, hat, and sunglasses, and on otherwise exposed sites, applying sunscreen.” — the opening sentence of Álvarez-Bobillo and colleagues' 2026 American Journal of Clinical Dermatology review on photoprotection.
What's New in Photoprotection? American Journal of Clinical Dermatology (Álvarez-Bobillo Z, Gracia-Cazaña T, Gilaberte Y, Lim HW)
Ingredients at a glance
2013 · 903 people · adults under 55 in Nambour, Australia · PMID 23732711
| Ingredient | Measured outcome | Based on | Certainty | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene | Skin effect | Human trial | High | 2013 |
| Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate | Skin effect | Review article | Moderate | 2026 |
Studies and results
- Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial
In a randomized controlled community trial of 903 adults under 55, daily use of a broad-spectrum SPF 15+ sunscreen slowed skin aging over 4.5 years: the daily-sunscreen group showed 24% less photoaging than the discretionary-use group (relative odds 0.76, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.98). The trial measured the act of using a broad-spectrum sunscreen.
Human trial · 2013 · 903 people · adults under 55 in Nambour, Australia · Daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen in adults under 55 living in a high-UV climate. · The trial assigned a broad-spectrum sunscreen. It ran in Australia at a high-UV latitude and stopped at 4.5 years, and the relative effect was modest (24%).
- 2 Avobenzone Homosalate Octisalate Octocrylene Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate Skin effectThe Influence of Sunscreen Use on Skin Pigmentation Disorders: Melasma, Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation, and Vitiligo
A 2026 review of the 2015-2025 literature concluded that sun protection plays a central role in the prevention and treatment of pigmentation disorders including melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and that broad-spectrum sunscreens with visible-light protection may enhance protection against hyperpigmentation.
Review article · 2026 · People with melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or vitiligo · People managing or preventing pigmentation disorders, particularly melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation; those with darker skin phototypes (IV-VI) where visible light can worsen hyperpigmentation. · 2026 · People with melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or vitiligo. · PMID 42793277
Study limits
Study conditions and measured outcomes.
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Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene Human trial · 2013
The trial assigned a broad-spectrum sunscreen. It ran in Australia at a high-UV latitude and stopped at 4.5 years, and the relative effect was modest (24%).
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Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate Review article · 2026
2026 · People with melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or vitiligo. · PMID 42793277
Products with a basis for this
2 products · Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 · Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+ (fragrance-free) · 2013 · 903 people · adults under 55 in Nambour, Australia · PMID 23732711
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CeraVe
Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
- Avobenzone 2 findings
- Homosalate 2 findings
- Octisalate 2 findings
- Octocrylene 2 findings
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La Roche-Posay
Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+ (fragrance-free)
- Octisalate 2 findings
- Avobenzone 2 findings
- Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate 1 finding
Common questions
- Which ingredients have been studied for Sun protection?
- Ingredients with evidence for Sun protection: Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate.
- How many people were studied?
- 2 findings · 2013 · 903 people · adults under 55 in Nambour, Australia · PMID 23732711
- What can I use for Sun protection?
- Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate · 2013 · 903 people · adults under 55 in Nambour, Australia · PMID 23732711
- Can I use these every day for Sun protection?
- Daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen in adults under 55 living in a high-UV climate（2013 · 903 participants · 903 adults under 55 in Nambour, Australia · PMID 23732711）