Sunproof your skin

'I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being skin deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas?' Humorist Jean Kerr was closer to the mark than she knew. The adage that beauty is skin deep is flawed. The skin is our largest organ. What we feed it – inside and out – affects its health and appearance. Our annual week of rays has arrived. As we strip down to our swimsuits to toast our pasty pelts, we should remember that despite a deceptively cooling breeze, the Irish sun can be strong. We all need solar protection, whatever our natural skin tone. Skin-friendly food, well-chosen supplements and good external care can make the difference between a sunny glow and a tanned hide. Internal: food Eating the rainbow Colourful foods and fresh nuts and seeds create golden skin. White, red, yellow, orange, green, blue, violet and black fruits and vegetables; leafy greens; sprouted foods; algae; white, green and black tea; dark choccie (yes!); red quinoa; red beans; black beans; wild red salmon; fresh raw nuts and seeds… These foods contain antioxidants. Internal processes and external insults (e.g. bad food, cosmic rays, etc.) create free radicals, molecular muggers that leave havoc in their wake, including wrinkling, sagging and blemished skin. Antioxidants are protective compounds that quench free radicals. These include, among others: alpha-lipoic acid, astaxanthin, beta-carotene, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, lutein, lycopene, minerals (e.g. selenium), resveratrol, and vitamins A, C and E. Over the course of weeks and months, abundant antioxidant-rich foods help us build an inner shield against sun damage. Raw foodies, who eat lots of fruit, veg, nuts and seeds, often claim a change in skin response to sunlight over time. Former 'burn and peelers' start to tan. Others find their summer glow lasts longer. There's no need to go all-raw, though; some nutrients (e.g. lycopene from tomatoes) benefit from heat. Chewing the fat Oils matter, too. A study (2010) from Tel Aviv University on creating an inner sunscreen noted: ‘Dietary antioxidant vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in addition to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-9 monounsaturated fatty acids, and low pro-inflammatory n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, have demonstrated protective properties.’ Translation: to protect skin, eat fresh produce, omega-3-rich foods and omega-9 rich foods, and cut way back on [bad] omega-6-rich foods. Good fats also help the body absorb nutrients from produce. Another protective fat is virgin coconut oil. Being a good saturated fat, it is not prone to generating free radicals in the body – unlike vegetable oils, which are. Eat a broad spectrum of rainbow foods and good fats, as different nutrients protect different tissues. Internal: supplements Food contains goodies known and unknown. Supplements, therefore, cannot replace Nature's bounty but can complement it by plugging gaps and supplying concentrated nutrients for specific purposes. Viridian's Antioxidant Formula is a good daily antioxidant complex, designed to bust the Free Radical Party. Astaxanthin is an antioxidant produced by marine algae as a shield against UV light. It protects us too. Viridian's SPF Skin Pro-Factors contains astaxanthin, a natural beta-carotene/carotenoid mix, GliSODin(R) and grape seed extract to strengthen skin against sun damage. Cleanmarine Krill Oil contains omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin. CherryActive Concentrate is ultra-high in antioxidants. According to nutritionist Patrick Holford, long-living people have antioxidant intakes of 6000+ ORAC units per day. CherryActive Concentrate contains 8260 ORAC units per 30ml serving. Ask the Hopsack honeys for advice on supplements. Caution: photo-sensitivity! Some foods, herbs and chemicals render skin photo-sensitive and require caution: carrot tops, parsnips, celery, limes and figs; St John’s Wort, chrysanthemum, dandelion, sunflower, dong quai, marigold and arnica; and saccharin and ibuprofen. External: sunscreen We need safe external sunscreens too. Think complement, not replacement. Be choosy. The skin is a carrier, not a barrier. Chemicals can enter the bloodstream via the skin. Some sunscreens are full of nasties. Even 'natural' can mean nothing. A good sunscreen contains safe ingredients and UVA and UVB filters. UVB rays burn skin faster but are needed to make vitamin D. UVA rays trigger a protective tan but penetrate deeper, encouraging photo-ageing and skin cancer. The Hop Shop offers safe, effective sunscreens, from the ultra-pure Green People range to Jason and Aloe Pura products. Plus good advice for the confused! External: when not to screen (vitamin D) Wearing a sunscreen 24/7 can indirectly promote skin cancer. We need some UVA to spark a protective tan and some UVB to create anti-cancer vitamin D. A short time sunbathing each day without sunscreen does the trick. See the Vitamin D Council and expert Krispin Sullivan's recommendations). External: ouch…! Aloe vera gel is a wonderful sunburn-soother. It calms inflammation and speeds tissue healing. Lavender essential oil gel is good, too, but not oil-based lavender. Oil on burnt skin traps heat, with painful results. The Hopsack carries soothing aloe-based gels and after-sun care. External: nourish Rosehip, sea buckthorn and coconut oils nourish sun-kissed skin and cuff the hands of Time. Pai's Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil Fruit & Seed Oil Blend is an excellent antioxidant-rich rosehip oil. Pai press the rosehip with the seeds to create a more regenerative, moisturising and protective oil. Sea buckthorn oil is also rich in antioxidants and nourishing omega-7 fatty acids. A small blob of this beta-carotene-rich oil can enhance a tan. Russian cosmonauts use it to protect skin from radiation burns in space. Oxidised vegetable oils in skin creams can generate free radicals, contributing to sunspots, wrinkles and sagging. Virgin coconut oil, being a good saturated fat and not prone to oxidation, is a great alternative moisturiser. It sinks in, keeping skin strong and supple. Apply little and often. Fakin' it (kinda) Eating fruit and veg can make you more attractive, according to a study (2012) from the University of St Andrew's. Researchers upped participants' carotenoid-laden fruit and veg intake for a few weeks, then showed 'before' and 'after' pictures to observers. The 'after' shots, which observers deemed more beautiful, showed participants' skin tones had taken on a yellow/red hue. No sunshine involved, just sun-food! Fakin' it (deffo) If you can't show your whitey legs quite yet, check out Lavera's award-winning Self Tanner. Yummy scent. Nourishing. Effective. An interesting aside… We evolved under the sun and need it to make vitamin D. So why do we burn, photo-age and develop sunspots and cancer? Have we ill-adapted? Or are we doing something wrong? One intriguing theory argues that rather than causing skin problems, the sun reveals our inner state by shining a light (ahem!) on our dietary shortcomings. We also evolved to eat natural foods, designed to protect us from harm while letting us use radiation to make vitamin D. By eating foods devoid of nutrients we fail to keep our side of the bargain, so we are no longer protected from free radical damage triggered by cosmic rays. By correcting our diets, we restore the relationship. Further reading MailOnline, 'Sunproof your skin with chocolate', 16 June 3013 N.B. Before you change your diet and/or take supplements, please consult with your doctor, especially if you are taking medication. Supplements and medicines can interact with adverse consequences and dietary changes can affect medications and dosages.