Exposure to sunlight can damage the skin, leading to accelerated skin aging and increasing the risk of skin cancers. Tissue culture research has shown, however, that a common compound produced in the body can help protect skin cells from the harm triggered by ultraviolet radiation.
Melatonin is a potent antioxidant as well as a hormone produced in the brain. Some people consider it the sleep hormone because melatonin production increases at night.
Italian scientists found that pre-treating mouse skin cells with melatonin prevented some of the aging-related changes caused by UVA exposure. It is still too early to know whether taking melatonin could slow the development of wrinkles in people.
