Whether it is to prepare, activate or prolong tanning, advertisers boast many miracle products. In recent years, nutraceuticals have been offering a "tan from the inside". But what about the effectiveness of these products, which guarantee a golden complexion all year round ?
WHAT TO REMEMBER :
- Tanning is a reaction to the sun that involves the production of melanin.
- Beta carotene is a skin pigment found in food, it is not related to the sun.
- "Magic pills" often contain excess beta carotene in their composition.
- Beta carotene does not affect melanin levels: tanning is called "superficial".
Skin composition and UV exposure
It is important to go back to the heart of the skin's pigmentation mechanism to better understand how these products work in the body. Melanin, manufactured by the cells of the epidermis, is a pigment that plays a predominant role in the colouring of the skin. Another type of pigment that is less well known to the general public also influences the determination of skin colour: carotene. It is on this, and more precisely beta carotene, that industrialists are currently working on. We all consume it, without knowing it, since it is found in plants such as tomatoes or carrots or in microalgae. Our body alone cannot produce beta carotene. We must therefore obtain it through a balanced diet or, in cases of deficiency, through natural nutraceuticals.
But what about the magic pills in all this ?
"No more sunscreen, I take my magic pills"
Commercially available pills that promise a tanned complexion without sun exposure are mostly made of synthetic beta carotenes and would therefore not offer any real protection against the dangers of UV rays. Unlike melanin (1), it has not yet been proven that beta carotene actually limits photoaging.
"A perfect result in just two weeks"
These pills, contrary to what is promised, only have a long-term, high-dose effect. The beta carotene then in excess in the body can make your skin orange, much like your last disaster with self-tanning cream !
And the vitamin-rich pills ?
"A super-vitamin cocktail that meets the body's needs for a more sustainable tan"
In the same way as beta carotene, vitamins, which are certainly beneficial for the body and the elasticity of the skin, do not alter the amount of melanin. Other first generation products, which are not very effective, have a very low micronutrient composition. Even if all these vitamins are essential to our body, the benefits are especially noticeable for people with severe disabilities.
Spirulina : natural sublimator
Our team advises you to use natural products that will ensure a better absorption of beta carotene. We can indeed quote a study (2) which underlines the difference in intestinal absorption and therefore in assimilation between natural and synthetic pigments, although they may have the same chemical formula. Another study by Ben-Amotz and Levy (3) supports this idea by showing a difference in efficacy and antioxidant power between the two forms of beta-carotene. In other words, it is better to take a natural source of beta carotene, such as our spirulina !
Spirulina, known for its many antioxidant properties, is a very large natural source of carotenes.
To give you an order of magnitude, according to an opinion from the ANSES (4), 5g of spirulina per day provides 7 to 8.5 mg of beta-carotene, which is the limit of daily intake by nutraceuticals. Dosage can then be safely administered without risk of overdose and with complete transparency on the composition of the product. Another study (5) shows that natural carotenoid supplementation, particularly through spirulina, can limit skin inflammation during UV exposure. Spirulina contains other forms of carotenoids and phycocyanin, which together contribute to a reduction in solar erythema. This suggests partial protection of the skin against sunburn. Indeed, science has not yet proven that beta carotene, on its own, is significantly effective in combating photo-aging.
In conclusion
In other words, not all products containing beta carotene should be prohibited, although they are a short-term solution for obtaining an orange skin tone. These do not allow a real tan but rather a superficial layer of colour on the skin that fades as soon as the pills are stopped. We are not opposed to this idea, but we encourage you in the long term to choose natural products that will bring many other benefits to the body.
(1). T. Herrling, K. Jung, J. Fuchs. The Important Role of Melanin as Protector against Free Radicals in Skinhttps://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/05c9/4b49a9b63a9bfc5e3eae6ce5e916efac9743.pdf
(2) Activité antioxydante des caroténoïdes naturels de l’algue Dunaliella satina comparée aux carotènes de synthèse. Murthy KN, Van » A, Rajesha J, Swamy MM, Sowmya PR, Ravishankar GA. Life Sc! 2005 Feb 4, 76 (12) 1381 – 90 Epub 2005 Jan 18 Plant Cell Biotechnology Department, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore 570 020, india.
(3) Ben-Amotz, A., Levy, Y. 1996. Bioavailability of a natural isomer mixture compared with synthetic all-trans β-carotene in human serum. Am J Clin Nutr 63:729-734.http://www.ajcn.org/content/63/5/729.full.pdf
(4) Avis de l’Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail relatif aux « risques liés à la consommation de compléments alimentaires contenant de la spiruline ». https://www.anses.fr/fr/system/files/NUT2014SA0096.pdf
(5) Heinrich U., Gartner C., Wiebusch M., Eichler O., Sies H., Tronnier H., Stahl W. Supplementation with beta-carotene or a similar amount of mixed carotenoids protects humans from UV-induced erythema. J. Nutr. 2003;133:98–101. doi: 10.1093/jn/133.1.98
