Protect Your Skin From The Inside Out!
With summer in full swing, you’re probably spending at least some of your time outside getting in sunshine and Vitamin D! Most people are aware of the harmful UV rays and the effects it has on your skin and overall health and are careful to apply topical sunscreens when outside. However, this is only HALF the battle!
If you follow me on my other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, you’ll know I recently spent a week in my favorite place in the world – HAWAII!! While I was there, I spent the majority of my time outside enjoying nature and time with my family. You may have even noticed I came back with an INCREDIBLE tan! Since I knew I would be out in the sun I took the proper precautions to SAFELY enjoy the rays in this beautiful place.
UV Rays and Its Effects on Your Skin
According to the American Cancer Society, sunlight is the main source of UV ray exposure and is a major risk for most skin cancers. And while topical creams are still protecting your skin from the outside, you should be nourishing your body with vitamins C + E daily to help combat the damage from the sun! These include sun spots, dry skin, faster rate of skin aging, and WRINKLES!
Multiple studies have found that a combination of oral vitamin C + E supplementation support an overall better skin appearance, as vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that aids in collagen production (Michels, 2011). Human subjects in a study supplementing vitamin C + E orally had an increased Minimal Erythemal Dose (MED), this is a measure of photoprotection from UV light in skin (Michels, 2012). It is advised that along with oral supplementation, a serum with vitamin C + E be used to effectively reduce or prevent damage from UV rays.
What You Should Be Doing
My advice is that you are making sure you are taking the recommended intake of vitamin C + E daily, you can obtain the critical nutrients from healthy food choices and additionally through high-quality supplementation.
Sources of Dietary Vitamin C
• Chili peppers
• Yellow peppers
• Thyme
• Parsley
• Mustard spinach
• Kale
• Kiwis
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Lemons
• Papayas
• Strawberries
• Oranges
Sources of Dietary Vitamin E
• Sunflower seeds
• Almonds/Almond oil
• Hazelnuts/Hazelnut oil
• Sunflower oil
• Pine nuts
• Atlantic salmon
• Avocado
• Red sweet pepper raw
• Brazil nuts
• Mango
• Turnip greens-raw
These Stellar C capsules and Vitamin C + BioFizz powder are my very favorite vitamin C supplements with added bioflavonoids for superior absorbtion, while Annatto E is the most superior vitamin E supplement on the market! Annatto E is in the delta- and gamma-tocotrienol forms, which is the most superior of the 8 forms that vitamin E can be obtained from.
I cannot talk about skin health without mentioning my absolute favorite Whole Body Collagen to promote even further epidermal renewal and protection, you guys, collagen literally helps diminish and prevent cellulite, I have a personal testimony to support this claim!
Serums
You know I am very weary of what I expose to myself to, including the products I use on my skin. The toxins from various chemicals and fragrances soak into your blood stream and circulates through the body through the pores of your skin! These are a few serums that I trust and have been recommended by dermatologists! I recommend using serums and moisturizers both morning and night for optimal protection.
• SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
• Mad Hippie Vitamin C
• Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum
• Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Anti-Aging Collagen Booster
References
Arnarson, A. (2017) 20 Foods that are high in vitamin e [Blog Post]. Retrieved from, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-vitamin-e
Hill, C. (2018). 20 Foods that are high in vitamin c [Blog Post]. Retrieved from, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-foods#section17
Michels, A. J. (2011). Vitamin c and skin health [Webpage]. Retrieved from, https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-C
Michels, A. J. (2012). Vitamin e and skin health [Webpage]. Retrieved from, https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-E
Vitamin e [Webpage]. (2018). Retrieved from, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/
What is ultraviolet (uv) radiation [Webpage]. (2017). Retrieved from, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/skin-cancer/prevention-and-early-detection/what-is-uv-radiation.html
Zeratsky, K (2018). Is it possible to take too much vitamin c? [Blog Post]. Retrieved from, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/vitamin-c/faq-20058030