In the 18th and 19th centuries, tanning was thought of as unsightly — that is until Coco Chanel completely turned tanning on its head in the 1920s. Returning from a cruise in the French Riviera sporting a tan, Coco’s bronze glow electrified the world.1 By the next summer, tanning began to signal how a lot of us see a healthy tan today — a sign of a carefree or active life.
Coco Chanel showed the world that a summer tan was fashionable. She may not have realized it was also a sign of one of the best healthy habits a person can have.
And modern science proves she’s right. When ultraviolet B (UVB) rays touch our skin and unlock vitamin D, you have a:
- Reduced risk of breaking a hip by a whopping 69%.
- Lower risk of dying from 15 types of cancer.
- 11% lower death rate from heart attacks.
The tanning craze was short-lived after doctors around the world wrongly connected tans with skin cancer. Australia had an “outbreak” of skin cancer in the 1970s, the idea of tanning went back to the Dark Ages. As the panic spread, everyone started to become terrified of the sun.
Sunblocks and sunscreens were born and they started depriving us of one of the most vital vitamins you can get for all aspects of health.
Vitamin D Deficiency
After sunblocks and sunscreens came into vogue, vitamin D levels plummeted, and that’s when vitamin D deficiency-linked diseases really took off.
But you don’t have to choose between pale vampire skin and lobster-red sunburns. Research has uncovered a way to protect and beautify your skin from the inside out. You can harness your body’s “internal sunscreen” power using a patented antioxidant formula made in France. We like to call it the “French Riviera revolution.”
GliSODin is “the enzyme of life” and one of nature’s most powerful free radical fighters. You’ve probably heard Dr. Sears mention it before. It’s called superoxide dismutase, or SOD. As we get older, the body stops making enough of it to properly fend off the harmful effects of too much sun. Saliva and stomach acids broke down previous incarnations of this SOD supplement. That is until French scientists found a way to “wrap” the SOD in a protective sheath made up of natural vegetable protein.
Study participants who took the “sunscreen capsule” experienced significant sunburn protection — even fair-skinned people required eight times more sun exposure to produce sunburn than did people taking the placebo.2 In another study, 150 people took GliSODin every day for two months during which they also followed a sunbathing routine.3 Overall, 82% of volunteers said their skin was well prepared for sun exposure — and this even went for folks who usually redden or flush right after being out in the sun.
A smaller study using SOD found similar results: People could handle sunlight better or were less likely to redden, flush or experience skin irritation.4
So why do we even have problems with too much sun?
When our skin is exposed to sunlight, it produces melanin — a hormone that acts as our body’s built-in sunblock. And we get tan, just as Coco Chanel reminded the world about in the 1920s. The problem is we live in a different world than our ancestors. They spent a lot more time outdoors and would walk around naked in the sun eating foods rich in natural sun-protective nutrients.
We encourage everyone to get out in the sun every day if possible without sunscreen so they can build up many of the same sun defenses that our ancestors had.
Top 3 Red Foods for Beautiful Sun-Kissed Skin from the Inside Out
To condition your skin for a day in the sun without sunscreen, eat more of these red foods:
- Wild-Caught Salmon. Wild-caught salmon is rich in a rare nutrient that provides a natural defense to the sun’s burning rays. It’s called astaxanthin. And when you consume this pigment, it keeps you safe from the kind of DNA sun damage that burns your skin. Salmon is by far the richest source of astaxanthin. Just make sure it’s wild-caught. A typical 6-ounce serving of Wild Pacific sockeye salmon gives you 4 mg to 5 mg. You can also take astaxanthin supplements up to 10 mg per day.
- Tomatoes. Red or orange fruits and vegetables like tomatoes have high levels of lycopene. When you eat these foods, lycopene settles into your skin’s outer layer. It acts as a natural sunblock and repairs cells damaged by sunlight. Lycopene prevents sunspots, dryness and wrinkles from UV radiation. In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, people who ate tomato paste every day for 10 weeks showed less damage when subjected to UV radiation.5
- Hibiscus Tea. Hibiscus is one of the richest sources of antioxidants in the entire plant world.6 And it is also a natural sunscreen. Studies show it absorbs UV rays from the sun. Look for any tea that lists hibiscus as the first ingredient. You might also see it called sour tea, red tea, flor de Jamaica, sorrel or roselle. Just place 4 tea bags in 8 cups of water and let it steep overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the bags in the morning and add the juice of one lemon. The brewed tea will have a tart taste. You may want to add some honey or stevia as a sweetener.
Radiance All-Natural Cellular SPF Supplement
Radiance is an all-natural supplement alternative to chemical sunscreens.
This high-powered supplement was developed by a doctor to offer an alternative to dangerous topical sunscreens. This innovative, all-natural cellular SPF capsule literally changes the way your skin responds to sunlight. It provides chemical-free sun protection by activating your body’s most powerful antioxidant.
It helps prevent the signs of aging often associated with extended periods of sun exposure. Now you can protect your skin from the inside out, look radiant and enjoy the sun.
Vita-D Suncream – Your First Choice in Sun Care
When you smooth Vita-D Suncream onto your skin, you are not only protecting against the sun’s harmful rays, you are also enriching your body with all the healthy benefits of vitamin D.
Your body is made to get vitamin D from sunlight shining on your skin. It happens when UVB radiation from the sun combines with your skin’s cholesterol. This triggers a complex biochemical reaction that results in healthy levels of vitamin D pumping into your bloodstream.
In fact, after only 30 minutes of summer sun exposure, your skin can make as much as 10,000 IU of vitamin D to help your body remain strong and healthy.
1. Wilkinson S. “A short history of tanning.” The Guardian. February 19, 2012.
2. Mac-Mary M, et al. Evaluation of the effect of Glisodin on the intensity of Actinic Erythema. Presented at the CARD (Annual Congress of Dermatological Research) Meeting in Brest, France, May 28th 2005.
3. “Glisodin and Exposure to the Sun,” an open study conducted in France on 150 patients by 40 dermatologists following a protocol compiled by Catherine Laverdet, M.D., Nadine Pomarede, M.D. and Catherine Oliveres-Ghouti, M.D. Sponsored by ISOCELL Nutra, France. (March 2005).
4. “Glisodin Sun Study Pilot,” an open study conducted in France on 15 patients presenting fragile skin, hypersensitivity to the sun or even problems of sun disease, conducted by Catherine Laverdet, MD, Dermatologist, Attachee de Consultation des Hopitaux de, Paris. July-September 2003.
5. Stahl W. et al. “Dietary tomato paste protects against ultraviolet light — induced erythema in humans.” J Nutr. 2001;131(5):1449-51.
6. Mohamed R, et al. “Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) seed oil is a rich source of gamma-tocopherol.” J Food Sci. 2007;72(3):S207-11.