The beauty industry is always pushing new products that claim to have miraculous effects. Especially in summer, miracle weapons are sprouting up everywhere, promising to protect skin from the effects of UV rays and thus prevent premature skin aging. But what's really behind the "sun protection from within" trend? In this article, you'll learn which nutrients and vitamins can support your skin in summer and how you can incorporate them into your diet.
Table of Contents
How your skin's natural protection works
Every skin type naturally has a certain level of self-protection against UV radiation, which, however, only lasts for a certain period. For lighter skin types, it's shorter; the darker the skin, the longer it's protected. People with the lightest skin type – usually those with red or light blonde hair and freckles – can experience cell damage after just 15 minutes in the sun. Initially, this manifests as sunburn, in the medium term, sunspots develop, but in the long run, such sun damage can lead to skin cancer. The skin's natural protection depends on the amount of melanin in the skin. This can block UV rays and thus protect the cells. There is also a short- or medium-term "adaptation" to UV rays, known as "light callus". With increased exposure over several weeks, the outermost layer of skin thickens, allowing less UV radiation to penetrate. Tanning itself is also a protective mechanism.
Influencing natural protection through nutrients
UV rays damage skin cells and can even damage the DNA in the cell nucleus. Free radicals are released, which are captured by the cells' own antioxidant protective mechanisms. However, if more radicals are produced than the cells can eliminate themselves, it's called oxidative stress. This state occurs much faster with a lack of antioxidant vitamins and secondary compounds. Such antioxidant compounds include, for example:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Selenium
- Beta-carotene
- OPC (Resveratrol)
- Flavonoids
These are mainly found in plant-based foods, but are also available in concentrated capsule or tablet form.
Vitamins and trace elements such as zinc, selenium, vitamin C, E, and B2 also protect cells from oxidative stress.
Sun protection from within - what you should pay attention to
If you want to support your skin with nutrients from within, you should make sure to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and berries daily, which contain many antioxidants. These include:
- Currants, blackberries, blueberries
- Spinach, tomatoes & carrots
- Apples
- Whole grain products
- White tea
Especially for facial skin, there are countless creams that contain antioxidants. These can also support your skin in the fight against free radicals.
Antioxidant capsules have the great advantage of containing antioxidants in a highly concentrated form. This way, you get many more helpful secondary plant compounds than if you try to cover it with fresh foods.
No getting around SPF!
Even if these substances help your skin to better cope with UV radiation, they are by no means a substitute for sunscreen with a real sun protection factor. The protection they offer is in the single-digit SPF range, so it is never enough to completely protect your skin. Especially if you go out in the sun at midday, you should apply an SPF of at least 30. This is the only way to truly protect yourself from cell damage, pigment spots, and skin cancer.
Other interesting blog posts for you:
Vegan Collagen - what's behind the beauty trend?
Biotin - for skin, hair and nails
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