Does regular use of sunscreen or β-carotene supplements retard skin aging, as measured by photoaging, compared to discretionary use or placebo?
Ann Intern Med · 2013 · PMID 23732711 · DOI 10.7326/0003-4819-158-11-201306040-00002
Daily sunscreen use significantly reduces skin aging, while β-carotene supplements showed no overall benefit.
The question
Does regular use of sunscreen or β-carotene supplements retard skin aging, as measured by photoaging, compared to discretionary use or placebo?
What they tested
Regular use of sunscreen and/or β-carotene supplements will retard skin aging.
How they did it
This was a randomized, controlled, community-based intervention conducted in Nambour, Australia. 903 adults younger than 55 years were randomly assigned to one of four groups: daily broad-spectrum sunscreen and 30 mg β-carotene, daily sunscreen and placebo, discretionary sunscreen and 30 mg β-carotene, or discretionary sunscreen and placebo. The change in microtopography between 1992 and 1996 was graded by blinded assessors to measure skin aging.
What they found
The daily sunscreen group showed no detectable increase in skin aging after 4.5 years. Skin aging from baseline to the end of the trial was 24% less in the daily sunscreen group compared to the discretionary sunscreen group. β-carotene supplementation had no overall effect on skin aging.
| Daily Sunscreen Group | 24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Sunscreen Group | 0 |
Skin aging was 24% less in the daily sunscreen group compared to the discretionary sunscreen group.
What it means
Regular sunscreen use retards skin aging in healthy, middle-aged men and women. No overall effect of β-carotene on skin aging was identified.
Limitations
Some outcome data were missing, and the study's power to detect moderate treatment effects was modest.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial. |
|---|---|
| Journal | Ann Intern Med |
| Year | 2013 |
| PMID | 23732711 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.7326/0003-4819-158-11-201306040-00002 ↗ |
| Topic | Skin, hair & photoaging |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
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Daily Mineral SPF Sunscreen
In a randomized community-based trial in Australia, adults assigned to daily sunscreen showed no detectable increase in skin aging over 4.5 years and about 24% less photoaging than discretionary users;
Sunscreens are topical photoprotective products that reduce the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Does regular use of sunscreen or β-carotene supplements retard skin aging, as measured by photoaging, compared to discretionary use or placebo? [Plain-English summary of Ann Intern Med 2013, PMID 23732711, DOI 10.7326/0003-4819-158-11-201306040-00002]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s185.html@misc{magellan_s185,
title = {Does regular use of sunscreen or β-carotene supplements retard skin aging, as measured by photoaging, compared to discretionary use or placebo?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s185.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 23732711; DOI 10.7326/0003-4819-158-11-201306040-00002; Ann Intern Med 2013. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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