Solar power: would you take a tablet instead of applying sunscreen?

Wear sunscreen. We know we should. God knows, weary beauty writers keep telling us. But do we? Every day? The truth is, until now sunscreens have tended to be a bit basic. Where other elements of skincare have seen relentless innovation, sun cream has largely continued to do the same thing: act as a filter that sits on top of the skin, absorbing or reflecting harmful rays of light. Some products do this beautifully; many more cause breakouts, weep into the eyes, or simply stop working. Even the best (Heliocare, Skinceuticals, Avène) do not necessarily fit well with our day to day existence, in which the pace of life doesn’t encourage stopping to reapply.

But things are changing. There’s a buzz around the idea of ‘resilience’ in beauty — ie using products to help your skin work better. In the place of oily white lotions that sit on the surface of your face, a new generation of sun creams is now encouraging the skin to fortify its natural barrier, and work to fight sun-related damage from within. It’s about time: a recent study found that 80 per cent of skin ageing is attributed to UV radiation. Skin cancer is rising in the UK, with more than 2,000 deaths each year.

To understand how the next-gen creams work, it’s worth pausing a moment to ask: what is sun damage? ‘When UV radiation from the sun reaches the deeper levels of our skin, a cascade of free radicals is triggered that causes damage to all skin cells, breaking down collagen and elastin, turning down production of moisturising molecules such as hyaluronic acid and causing mutations in DNA,’ says cosmetic dermatologist Dr David Jack. Of these, DNA damage is perhaps the most scary: while less collagen and elastin means more wrinkles, the replication of abnormal cells might in time lead to melanoma.

Several new launches focus on catching DNA impairment and halting it in its tracks. One is Oclipse Daily Sheer. Made by science-led brand ZO Skin Health, this contains a complex which helps protect and repair DNA that has broken down. The cream also time-releases antioxidants to help shield the skin from free radical damage, effectively providing an internal ‘sun hat’ for 12 hours.

New range Aenea focuses on epigenetics — the way our gene (and DNA) expression can be deformed by environmental stresses. Aenea’s Modern Shield goes one step further, activating the skin’s own antioxidant protection, so the skin neutralises free radicals before they cause damage to a cell’s DNA.

Dr Jack has just launched his own line, Integrative Beauty, with the goal of twinning nutrition and topical creams. ‘The All Day Long cream and the oral supplements work together,’ he says. ‘The cream acts almost like a serum: it has potent levels of vitamins C and E, as do the supplements.’ He even prescribes taking the supplements at certain times to support the skin. ‘My SkInfusion supplement is designed to be taken during exercise when the blood supply to the skin is highest, to deliver the maximal doses of vitamins C and E. New research is proving that this combination of antioxidants has a tremendous effect against degradation by free radicals.’

Bea Skin Care has also created a range of Solar Defence supplements, which include calaguala leaf extract. ‘The plant originates from South America, where it has long been used to treat skin conditions,’ says founder Bianca Estelle. ‘Research has proved it has natural photoprotective properties, and daily use results in a resilient complexion.’