Supplements for skin protection against UV rays

Overexposure to the sun burns your skin and leads to premature skin aging, which means more wrinkles, discoloration and risks. In addition, skin cancer affects millions of people. Using sunscreen is important, but most topical sunscreens only block some of the harmful UV rays from reaching the skin. Protect yourself from burning from the inside with dietary supplements!

How does a tan occur?

By tanning (changing skin pigmentation), our body protects itself from sunburn and the negative effects of excessive sun exposure. This human protection against sunlight occurs in the upper layer of the skin. It is the last part of the skin, where there are cells that gradually "ripen" and thus die and leave our body. The average lifespan of these cells is 28 days. In 28 days, the entire top layer of our skin changes and thus our tan also weakens. A tan is the skin's reaction to sunlight - primarily to UV radiation. There are 3 types of UV radiation:

• UVA radiation - This radiation is not blocked by clouds, does not cause burns, but penetrates deep into the skin, where it contributes to the formation of free radicals and can cause long-term skin damage.
• UVB radiation - This radiation is blocked by clouds, it activates pigment cells that start producing melanin (brown to black pigment). UVB radiation is responsible for tanning, but also burns and possible skin cancer.
• UVC radiation - This radiation does not normally occur on Earth, as it is completely absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere.

How to tan but not burn?

There are some basic tips for healthy tanning. Most of us have heard or read about these tips before, so let's just quickly review them:

• Find out your skin phototype - how long can you stay in the sun without protection without getting burned.
• Choose a sunscreen with a UV factor above 30.
• Don't forget to apply sunscreen regularly (especially after swimming).
• Don't forget the nose, ears and whole face.
• Use antioxidants to protect the skin when sunbathing and remove free radicals from the body.

Tanning and antioxidants

Antioxidants are important natural substances that primarily protect us from various free radicals. Thanks to this function, they also help to protect our skin when sunbathing. Free radicals as such weaken our immunity, have a negative effect on our skin, and also contribute to the development of various cancer diseases. Free radicals can also damage our muscles and joints. They are found in our body basically all year round, not only when sunbathing.

The formation of free radicals is caused, among other things, by mental and physical stress, lack of sleep and stress. It is also associated with a poor lifestyle. This is where the just-mentioned Antioxidants come in, which reduce the impact of free radicals on our body. They supply the skin with the necessary substances to maintain its elasticity and freshness throughout life. They also support the production of melanin, which gives us ** delivers a beautiful and long-lasting tan.**

Additional nutrients providing protection against sunlight

Several other nutrients have been found to help prevent skin damage caused by UV rays.

• Astaxanthin - this carotenoid pigment helps prevent skin aging, sunburn, skin redness, moisture loss and wrinkles, while increasing skin elasticity.
• Green tea - green tea extracts containing the compound epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) reduce redness caused by low doses of UV radiation.
• Lycopene - a clinical study with the antioxidant lycopene and lycopene-rich tomatoes showed a significant reduction in UV-induced skin damage and skin redness.
• Curcumin - curcumin significantly inhibited inflammation induced by UVB radiation and increased the hydration of connective tissue and facial skin.36 It also prevented the progression of melanoma in animals.
• Quercetin - this antioxidant prevents collagen degradation and reduces inflammation.
• Olive leaf - the antioxidant oleuropein in olive leaf inhibited UVB-induced skin damage in preclinical studies and accelerated wound healing activity.

If you want to read more about Astaxanthin and its beneficial effects on almost every cell in the body, including the eyes, brain, heart and kidneys, as well as its UV protection effects, please read the following * *article on our blog**.