We may be living in the sunburnt country with endless blue skies and delightfully warm winters, but it seems our beautiful country is not doing us Aussie women any favours when it comes to our skin. A study by dermatologists at Monash University have found Aussie women appear to be aging by as much as twenty years faster than other countries including Canada, the US and the UK. This being largely due to our closer proximity to the equator and the higher levels of UV radiation we face here down under. The study compared the faces of 1472 women aged between 18 and 75 from Australia, Canada, the UK and the US. The women’s wrinkles, sagging and pigmentation across the forehead, nose, cheeks and mouth were compared to identify the varying degrees of aging. And it seems, Aussie women are the front runners, particularly when it comes to photoaging. Researchers shared with smh.com.au that “These high UV levels put Australians at particular risk of photoaging, especially when combined with Australian’s traditionally outdoor, sun-seeking lifestyle and a predominately fair-skinned population”. According to Associate Professor Goodman, the most shocking finding was how quickly Australian women appeared to be losing face volume in comparison to the US. He commented, “The most significant part of this study for me was that, compared to the US, we seem to be losing weight in our face volume and face – which is a surrogate for ageing … much quicker than they are”.  He added, “It was scary that the average Australian was at least 10 years, and in some cases, 20 years worse off volumetrically”.

So, what can we do?

Now it seems the easiest option for us to do is avoid the sun altogether. However, this can be detrimental to our health and let’s face it, us Aussie women just love the sun too much. Thankfully, there are a number of products and lifestyle changes we can include in our daily routines to help protect and prevent our skin from future sun damage. Here are our quick tips to fighting the anti-aging effects of the sun.

Apply your SPF daily

We all know the drill – Slip, slop slap. However, it seems a lot of us are not applying our sunscreen properly. According to Goodman, Australians believe once they have applied sunscreen, they are safe from getting burnt – but we are not aware of the UVA rays (longer range wavelengths) that are still at work and causing longer-term damage. Regular daily use of sunscreen, particularly with SPF 15 or higher can benefit the skin and keep it free from damage. We recommend Wotnot’s 30 SPF Facial Sunscreen, not only does it provide broad spectrum sun protection, it’s all-natural skin-benefiting organic ingredients work to nourish and feed the skin leaving it primed and brightened.

Look to Antioxidants for Help 

Antioxidants are a sun damage superhero as they work to keep free radicals at bay, which are the bad guys that break down collagen and skin elasticity. A diet rich in antioxidants can help maintain plump and a youthful looking complexion or look for face serums and moisturisers that include Vitamin C or Vitamin A to supercharge cell turnover and stimulate collagen production.

Pay Attention to the Clock 

The sun rays are the harshest between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., so plan ahead and limit your exposure between these times. We know it can be tough to avoid this window since it’s in the middle of the day, so it’s important to make the effort to find some shade. There are also great phone apps that will remind you when to reapply sunscreen and when its time to get some shade.

Hydrate your skin with Hyaluronic Acid

Not only does your skin lose moisture with exposure to the sun, it also makes wrinkles and lines more apparent, especially on our faces. Hyaluronic Acid holds powerful moisturising effects, holding up to 1000 times its weight in water. It works to deliver water to the skin and retain it there. This helps to hydrate the skin, diminish the appearance of wrinkles and reverse the signs of sun damage. We recommend the Meditree Younger Skin Kakadu Plum Face Serum as it enriched with hyaluronic acid and other moisturising natural ingredients including Kakadu plum, Aloe Vera, Camomile and Macadamia oil to protect the skin, even out skin tone and maintain collagen production.