Strengthen your skin from the inside before sun exposure

When it comes to the body, I’m constantly impressed by just how much it’s actually capable of. If you delve a little deeper into the body’s many mechanisms, it’s incredible how much it can cope with, even with just a little tender love and care. 

Whilst I often refer to the skin as ‘leather’, I like to think of the body as a bicycle chain that needs to be regularly lubricated and maintained to function properly. Just as a bicycle chain needs lubricating, so too does our body need to be nourished and cared for from within to function optimally and protect itself. The skin can be effectively strengthened from within with foods that stimulate its own defences when we’re out in the sun.*

*Diet cannot replace the use of sun cream. External UVA and UVB sun protection is necessary to protect the skin in the sun and to avoid sunburn.

THE BEST APPROACH IS TO STRENGTHEN THE SKIN FROM WITHIN – AND TO PROTECT IT FROM THE OUTSIDE.

Skincare rule no. 1 is STAY HYDRATED.

Keeping our body and skin hydrated is one of the most important things we can do to keep our skin healthy. This also applies when we’re out in the sun. Over time, the sun dries out our skin, and dry skin is more vulnerable to UV rays than well-hydrated skin. By keeping your skin hydrated, you help it to rebuild its natural, protective barrier before and after sun exposure.

Antioxidants, bioactive substances and free radicals.

When our skin is exposed to UV rays, the body produces free radicals in response to the rays. If the skin is exposed to too many free radicals, a state of oxidative stress develops in the skin, damaging the collagen and elastin fibres and causing our skin to age more quickly. This can lead to fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation changes, as well as a reduction in elasticity.

The body can combat free radicals itself using the skin’s own antioxidant defences, which can be further stimulated by antioxidants and bioactive compounds from our diet. By eating foods rich in these, we can help the body neutralise free radicals whilst improving our overall health. Certain antioxidants are also thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect, with properties that can help soothe the skin.

The best sources of antioxidants and bioactive compounds are plant-based foods – particularly fruit and vegetables. Below, you’ll find a selection of foods that can help improve your skin’s natural defences from within. Summer or winter.

Karmameju SUN is an antioxidant-rich sun care range that strengthens the skin’s defences from the outside. We recommend combining skincare products with SPF protection with care from within to give your skin the very best possible protection in the sun.

Foods that help stimulate the skin’s own defences include:

Berries
Berries and pomegranates are known for their high content of bioactive compounds. They are rich in polyphenols – a group of antioxidants that neutralise free radicals and have anti-inflammatory properties. Polyphenols are also found in the ingredients of Karmameju’s PRE & AFTER SUN products due to their soothing and calming effect on the skin.

Red vegetables
Red fruits and vegetables are high in lycopene, an antioxidant that gives them their red colour. Two excellent sources of lycopene are watermelon and tomatoes. Whilst watermelon is best enjoyed fresh, the lycopene content in tomatoes increases when they are cooked. Ideally, combine them with olive oil, which is rich in health-promoting polyphenols. So cook tomatoes with olive oil and anti-inflammatory garlic in the oven, and you’ll have the most delicious side dish for your evening meal.

Beetroot
Beetroot is a vegetable with a very high content of various types of bioactive compounds, which have been shown to be extremely effective at protecting the body’s cells against oxidative stress. As one of very few foods, beetroot contains betalains, a group of colour pigments with powerful antioxidant properties and an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.

Sweet potato and spinach
Sweet potatoes andspinachare rich in beta-carotene, which can help reduce skin redness. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, which the body can use to produce vitamin A itself as required. By eating enough foods high in beta-carotene, it is said that, as an added bonus, you can achieve a lovely, golden tan. This is because beta-carotene contributes to the production of more pigment in the skin and can therefore affect your skin’s colour. However, it is only once the body has taken up the amount of beta-carotene it needs to produce vitamin A that the excess beta-carotene is utilised by the skin. Other excellent foods rich in bioactive compounds that can boost the skin’s own antioxidant defences include carrots, mangoes, apricots, cantaloupe melon and cabbage.

Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons and kiwis are rich in vitamin C, which is thought to strengthen the body’s – and therefore the skin’s – immune system and, amongst other things, contributes to collagen production. Another good source of vitamin C is broccoli.

Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect. They are excellent at reducing inflammation in the skin and help to soothe it.

Green tea
Green tea also contains a large amount of the plant compound polyphenol and has powerful properties for stimulating and strengthening the body’s defences.

Herbs and roots
Herbs such as rosemary and sage, amongst others, contain beneficial bioactive compounds, whilst anti-inflammatory roots such as ginger and turmeric offer some of the most effective antioxidant-boosting properties for the body and skin.

All the foods mentioned above are excellent examples of what we call ‘skin food’, and you can easily incorporate them into your daily diet. Eat them as snacks, as a side dish with your other meals, OR – you can blend them all together into a daily ‘skin food’ smoothie and drink it for breakfast. Find inspiration to get started with SMOOTHIES here.

All the best, Mette Skjærbæk

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