Why antioxidants to combine with your sunscreen

Why antioxidants really should no longer be missing from your sun care products

And suddenly it's summer. How much I've been looking forward to it. It seems like every year I have more trouble enduring the dark cold days. Whenever possible, I try to escape the winter chill and head to the tropics. Wonderful! Unfortunately, my skin thinks quite differently. So close to the equator, you can't apply enough sun cream and you should take a few other measures to protect your skin from sun damage. That's why I always take lots of caps, hats and sunglasses with me. I also give my skin a good dose of antioxidants. And that's not just good advice in the tropics, but also here at home.

UV filters alone are not enough

UV filters block UVB rays; a good product also blocks UVA rays. Unfortunately, blocking the radiation completely does not work. Not only because the filters cannot do this, but also because nobody can apply perfect sunscreen. In addition, it has become clear in recent years that not only UVB and UVA rays, but also infrared light and even visible light can cause skin damage. And our UV filters do not offer any effective protection against this.

Healthy, young skin naturally has sufficient antioxidants to trap free radicals caused by sun exposure. With age and declining skin function, this natural defense diminishes, which can lead to a sharp increase in the number of free radicals. It is therefore not a luxury, especially in old age, to replenish the antioxidant supply before these free radicals cause damage. This is because this supply can neutralize the free radicals. One way of doing this is through diet and another is through skin care products that contain antioxidants.

Antioxidants in food

It is clear that a diet rich in antioxidants can (partially) protect the skin from UV damage as plants have their own natural UV protection. 

The most frequently investigated nutrients are carotenoids, vitamins C and E and polyphenols. One study showed that test subjects who ate 40 grams of tomato puree a day for ten weeks experienced 40 percent less redness after UV exposure. If you don't really enjoy eating a jar of tomato puree every day, green tea, coffee and pistachios can also protect you. However, it is important to know that the effect is not immediate. So don't start your "sun protection diet" just a few weeks before your trip south. In addition, considerable amounts of antioxidants are necessary: A carrot a day won't get you anywhere. So please don't use this as an excuse not to use SPF. 

Astaxanthin tablet

My favourite of the nutrients that protect against UV radiation is astaxanthin. To get enough of it, you can eat a lot of salmon. However, it is easier to take a dietary supplement. A new study has shown that a daily intake of 4 mg protects against sun damage after just two weeks. As the substance also does a lot of other useful things in the body, I take one tablet a day.

Antioxidants in skin care products

Nutrition is important, but sometimes it is more effective to apply antioxidants directly to the skin. Substances ingested through food do not always reach their destination.

There are many studies on the UV-protective effect of sun creams containing antioxidants. For example, a concentration of 0.2% niacinamide (vitamin B3) can already have a preventive effect against sun damage. Vitamin A, caffeine, vitamins C and E, ubiquinone (coenzyme Q-10), grape seed and ferulic acid have also been found to protect the skin from the sun. However, I have to say something about this: although it is clear that antioxidants applied to the skin can protect it, many of these studies were carried out with "fresh" substances and a sufficiently high concentration. It's a different story in commercial products.

And what about the concentration?

A study from 2011 showed that of the twelve sun protection products with antioxidants examined, ten had no antioxidant effect at all and two had only a very moderate effect. And that's really no surprise. 

That's why I always recommend applying a cream or serum with antioxidants under your sunscreen. And if the product is then packaged airtight, your skin is most likely to be well protected from the sun.

Check out our Summer Bundles: Refreshing Summer Duo + Glowing Summer Duo to get a high concentration of antioxidants and your UVA+UVB protection.