What should you eat this summer for a beautiful tan?

Vitamins & minerals
Eléonore de Maurissens
Reading time: 3 minutes
Wat eet je deze zomer best voor een mooi kleurtje?

The sun is back. Time, therefore, to get your shorts and bikinis out again to take advantage of the warm weather while building up a tan. But how do you get that beautiful tan this summer? Nutrition, and especially fruits and vegetables, are your allies!


This year you have definitely set your mind on sunbathing for a few hours to get a perfect tan. There is no miracle cure, but if you eat certain foods often:

  1. you look good (whether you want to tan or not),
  2.  you tan more easily,
  3.  you somewhat limit sun damage to your skin.1-2

 

Carotenoids, for a golden-brown tan

If you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, you not only protect your skin against sun damage, but you will also have a healthy glow after sunbathing. Research shows that your skin looks better after 6 weeks if you just eat 2 more servings of fruit and vegetables per day! This is due to the carotenoids in produce, which give your complexion a boost.1-2

One of these carotenoids is beta-carotene, which you find in orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and certain types of squash. It is a precursor to vitamin A, which stimulates the production of melanin (the dark pigments that make your skin ‘tan’). Beta-carotene also reduces the aggressive effect of the sun on the skin.2,3

Vary to your heart’s content with fruits and vegetables (different colors) because they help you get a beautiful tan!

Vitamin C, for radiant, beautiful skin

Fruits and vegetables also contain plenty of vitamin C. They are powerful antioxidants that help protect our skin against cellular damage from free radicals, which is caused in particular by sunlight. On top of the ‘anti-aging’ effect, vitamin C also gives you radiant, beautiful, and glowing skin. The best vitamin C bombs are blueberries, broccoli, kiwis, oranges, strawberries, and sweet potatoes. Discover the health benefits of vitamin C in our article “How does vitamin C contribute to our immunity?”2

Vitamin E, selenium, and omega-3: extra sun protection

To be able to tan well, it is better to do everything you can to protect your skin as much as possible against sunlight.

  • Vitamin E, which is found in almonds, avocados, and hazelnuts, for example, plays a key role in protecting the skin against oxidative (cellular) damage and photoaging.
  • Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that, in combination with vitamins C and E, protects the skin against the sun and age spots. Selenium is found primarily in Brazil nuts (2 to 3 nuts a day are enough!), wheat germ, tomatoes, and broccoli.
  • – Omega-3 fatty acids hydrate the skin naturally and keep it supple and elastic. Avocados, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds are the richest in omega-3 fatty acids.4,5

Be careful when sunbathing

These nutrients, as well as water, are essential to help ensure perfectly radiant skin and a tan. But beware: nutrition does not replace sun protection. To maintain healthy and youthful skin over the years, it is of great importance to protect yourself with sunscreen before exposing your skin to the sun. You will still tan even with sunscreen (even with SPF 50), and what's more, some sunscreens are formulated to help you get a beautifully even tan. So enjoy the summer to the fullest, and stay safe!

 

And what are your tips and tricks for a beautiful tan? Tell us all about it on our Facebook and Instagram pages!

Scientific references

  1. Whitehead R.D., et al., You are what you eat: within-subject increases in fruit and vegetable consumption confer beneficial skin-color changes. PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e32988. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032988.
  2. Fam V. W., et al., Plant-Based Foods for Skin Health: A Narrative Review. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2022; Vol. 122, Issue 3, p. 614-629.
  3. Newman T., All you need to know about beta carotene. MedicalNewsToday, 2017. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/252758
  4. Kresser K., Nutrition for Healthy Skin: Vitamin E, Pantothenic Acid, and Selenium. Adapt Naturals, 2022. https://chriskresser.com/nutrition-for-healthy-skin-part-3/
  5. Petre A. Potential Benefits of Omega-3s for Skin and Hair. Healthline, 2019. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/omega-3-benefits-on-skin-and-hair

Product mentioned in this article

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