Why you need a daily sunscreen: The Nambour Study

A Queensland study followed adults for years and found that people who applied sunscreen daily showed 24% less visible skin ageing than those who only wore it occasionally. It's one of the most cited pieces of evidence for why sun protection belongs in a daily routine, not just on beach days.

The Nambour Trial: the evidence behind daily SPF

Much of what we know about daily sunscreen use comes from a single, long-running Australian study: the Nambour Skin Cancer Prevention Trial, conducted in Nambour, Queensland. Researchers randomly assigned over 1,600 adults to either daily sunscreen application or their usual, discretionary use, then followed them for years.

The results were striking. Adults in the daily sunscreen group showed 24% less photoageing than the discretionary group over 4.5 years.¹ In extended follow-up, the daily sunscreen group also showed a significantly lower rate of squamous cell carcinoma, and at the ten-year mark, fewer melanomas had developed in the group originally assigned to daily use.²  This remains one of the only randomised controlled trials to test sunscreen's real-world effect on both skin ageing and skin cancer risk, rather than relying on observational data alone.

Notably, the sunscreen used in that trial was SPF16, a similar level of protection to what's in our own Daily Moisturiser with SPF15. The benefit wasn't about chasing a high SPF number, it was about consistent, daily application.

Why daily is what matters

UV exposure adds up over a lifetime, and most of it happens incidentally, walking to the car, sitting near a window, running errands, not during deliberate beach days. A high SPF applied occasionally protects you less over time than a moderate SPF applied every single day, because protection only works while it's actually on your skin.

That's the thinking behind building SPF into a step you're already doing each morning, rather than treating sun protection as a separate, occasional task.

What's in Daily Moisturiser with SPF15

• Zinc Oxide: provides broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays
• Hyaluronic Acid: holds moisture in the skin, helping maintain hydration and plumpness
• MSM: a natural source of organic sulphur that supports the skin's connective tissue

One step, double duty Daily Moisturiser with SPF15 Broad-spectrum SPF15 with hyaluronic acid and MSM, built to replace your regular moisturiser step. Shop Daily Moisturiser →

Frequently asked questions

Is SPF15 enough for everyday use?

For incidental, everyday exposure, indoors, commuting, running errands, SPF15 provides genuine, real protection. For extended time outdoors, working outside, exercising, or sweating, a higher SPF, water-resistant sunscreen applied generously and reapplied every couple of hours is the better choice.

Does a higher SPF number mean longer protection?

No, this is a common misconception. SPF measures how much UV radiation is filtered, not how long protection lasts. Every SPF level wears off with time, sweat, and water, and needs reapplying regardless of the number on the bottle.

Can this replace my moisturiser?

Yes, it's designed to. Rather than adding an extra step to your routine, it's built to be the moisturiser you're already using each morning.

What does the Nambour Trial tell us that other sunscreen research doesn't?

It's one of the few randomised controlled trials (rather than observational studies) to measure sunscreen's real-world effect on skin ageing and skin cancer over several years, in an Australian population with high UV exposure, making it particularly relevant here.

1. Hughes MCB, et al. Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin Aging: A Randomized Trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2013. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23732711

2. Green AC, et al. Reduced Melanoma After Regular Sunscreen Use: Randomized Trial Follow-Up. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2011. ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2010.28.7078