Luteolin (LUT) is a flavone, which is universally present as a constituent of traditional Chinese herbs, and certain vegetables and spices, and has been demonstrated to exhibit potent radical scavenging and cytoprotective properties. Although LUT has various beneficial effects on health, the effects of LUT on the protection of skin remain to be fully elucidated. The present study investigated whether LUT can protect human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) from ultraviolet (UV) A irradiation. It was found that, following exposure to different doses of UVA irradiation, the HSFs exhibited autophagy, as observed by fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) bursts, analyzed by flow cytometry, to differing degrees. Following incubation with micromolar concentrations of LUT, ROS production decreased and autophagy gradually declined. In addition, the expression of hypoxia‑inducible factor‑1α and the classical autophagy‑associated proteins, LC3 and Beclin 1 were observed by western blotting. Western blot analysis showed that the expression levels of HIF‑1α, LC3‑II and Beclin 1 gradually decreased in the UVA‑irradiated HSFs following treatment with LUT. These data indicated that UVA‑induced autophagy was mediated by ROS, suggesting the possibility of resistance against UV by certain natural antioxidants, including LUT.