If you are aiming to keep your hard-earned tan until Christmas, we’ve got you covered with what to eat to maintain your tan for longer.
Generally, it’s advisable to include foods that are abundant in vitamins A, E, and C, as they have a crucial role in producing collagen, which is the essential component for maintaining skin elasticity. Vitamin E is an exceptional anti-aging antioxidant, capable of countering cellular aging caused by sun exposure.
Additionally, try to prioritize foods rich in carotenoids and antioxidants. Carotenoids stimulate melanin synthesis (which promotes tanning).
Omega-3s are also important as they promote the absorption of vitamins.
Maintaining Your Tan: Foods for a Long-Lasting Glow
Here’s the shopping list to stick on your fridge, full of highly hydrating foods rich in beta-carotene that will help your tan last as long as possible.
What Fruits to Choose to Maintain Your Tan
Fruits are one of the main food categories to rely on for prolonging your tan.
Stock up on apricots, melons, watermelon, peaches, plums, and cherries. These fruits are rich in vitamins A and D — substances that increase melanin levels in the body. More importantly, these fruits are very concentrated in vitamins B and B6, which are the most important vitamins to focus on when you are trying to extend the duration of your tan.
Carrots: Ideal to Stock Up on Carotene and Vitamin C
The key to a lasting tan is beta-carotene, the substance primarily found in carrots (hence their name).
Carrots should be consumed frequently and in great quantities, preferably raw because cooking reduces the concentration of vitamin C.
Beta-carotene is a fat-soluble substance, which is why carrots should be enjoyed with extra virgin olive oil to facilitate its absorption (while you are also stocking up on omega-3s).
Pumpkin
In most cases, any food with a distinctly orange color contains a good amount of beta-carotene. Pumpkins, like carrots, contain quite a bit of it.
Again, dress them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil because, remember, beta-carotene is fat-soluble.
Nuts: The Perfect Natural Antioxidants
Nuts play a key role in the battle against a fading tan.
Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, anise seeds, fennel seeds, or cumin seeds — whatever type you choose, they’ll prove to be an endless source of health (and of a long-lasting glowing tan).
Nuts are rich in vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that protects against cellular aging (which is also accelerated through sun exposure).
Consume them directly as snacks or add a handful to yogurt, muesli, soups, and salads.
Which Vegetables to Eat to Maintain Your Tan
When talking about veggies, you can confidently load up on bell peppers, celery, radicchio, broccoli, and arugula — and you won’t need foundation or blush until Spring!
First and foremost, these veggies have a high water content, making them highly hydrating. But it’s not just water that makes them beauty elixirs, vitamin C and carotenoids also make these veggies particularly suitable for fabulous skin.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes and your skin are great friends. They are excellent carotenoids with great antioxidant properties and rich in lycopene.
They provide remarkable protection against sun radiation, proving to be amazing shields against UV rays and sunburn — both preventing them and quickly restoring skin health.
Moreover, tomatoes contain a lot of water and are therefore a rehydrating food that helps restore epidermal moisture, combating dryness. Dry skin is, clearly, a staunch enemy of your tan, causing it to crack and subsequently peel, leading to premature fading.
Berries
We started talking about fruits, but now let’s dedicate a separate paragraph to a special food which plays a key role in your tan journey — both the ‘in-progress’ and post-vacation tan — to keep it flawless and radiant.
Berries like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and redcurrants are rich in vitamins and antioxidants.
Thanks to the polyphenols they contain, the skin is kept elastic and hydrated, a key element to ensure an impeccable and long-lasting tan.
The Other Superfoods You Should Stock Up On
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The best all-around superfood? Extra virgin olive oil. This dressing should be used strictly raw on vegetables and truly any food. Cooking the oil unfortunately ruins most of its nutritional properties.
Rich in antioxidants, it promotes the absorption of vitamin C and carotenoids.
It makes the skin elastic and is capable of countering the formation of free radicals thanks to vitamin E.
Fatty Fish for Omega-3
Let’s talk about fatty fish, the other great friend to a healthy and sun-kissed complexion. It contains polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6), proteins, vitamins, iron, and zinc; All fundamental substances and nutrients for skin health starting from within.
By directly and deeply influencing the skin’s structure, fish improves skin metabolism and rejuvenates its appearance.
So, consume plenty of fatty fish, at least a couple of times a week. Choose freely between anchovies, sardines, mackerel, swordfish, and tuna. Your tan will thank you, try it and see for yourself!
Matcha Green Tea
If you want a health booster (and a quick and effective beauty elixir to maintain your tan for a long time), then Matcha is what you’re looking for.
It contains a very high percentage of antioxidants that promote and prolong your tan. Plus, thanks to the polyphenols in its leaves, it helps counter the damage caused by UVA rays.
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