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We’ve all received the sun-care lecture: apply sunscreen, wear a hat, don’t sit in the sun for too long. But, we don’t often think about why protection from the sun is so important for our skin or how a sunburn may damage our cells. Nor is nutrition typically included in the sun-care lecture. We often don’t realize that we can help protect our skin from sun damage from the inside out, with better nutrition. 

What happens when our skin is exposed to the sun?

Too much exposure to the sun can deplete the skin of its supply of natural lubricating oils, causing regular irritation, dryness and peeling. However, long-term effects of skin damage from sun exposure are much more severe. The sun’s UVA rays can burn unprotected skin, causing DNA changes at the deepest layer of the skin (dermis) that damage collagen fibers. This results in increased production of abnormal elastin, which create metalloproteinases, enzymes that rebuild damaged collagen. However, the damage from UVA exposure often causes the enzymes to malfunction and degrade the collagen, resulting in incorrectly rebuilt skin.

It can take years before this damage is noticeably visible on the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis), when the damage is already deep at the cellular level. The visible manifestation of skin damage from sun exposure commonly appears as signs of premature aging (photoaging) like deep wrinkles, sagging skin, rough or leathery skin texture, fine lines and easy bruising. These visible manifestations continue to worsen the more we expose ourselves to the sun, whether for a few days or throughout our lifetimes. Sun damage on the outer layer of the skin can also appear as actinic keratosis, premalignant lesions that are small, rough bumps or persistent patches of discolored, peeling skin.1 While these lesions do not always become cancerous, there is a direct link between unprotected sun exposure and melanoma.  In fact, having 5 or more serious sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma.

How can you protect your skin from sun damage?

Beyond applying sunscreen, covering up and limiting your time outside, protecting your skin from sun damage from the inside out, with better nutrition, is vital to long-term skin health. Taking vitamins for skin health can certainly help, but to protect the integrity of your skin health and structure for the long haul, you need daily reinforcement of collagen and numerous skin-enhancing nutrients. 

MEND Cosmetic is the only product line of its kind, powered by nutrition that is naturally-derived and designed to promote daily skin health and healing. It contains hydrolyzed collagen to help repair the collagen fibers damaged by UV exposure, strengthen them to better fight against future sun damage and promote the growth of new fibers. It also contains vital ingredients like Vitamin B Complex, Arginine, Bromelain and Vitamin D that support skin health and help your body better protect itself from the sun. 

MEND Cosmetic also supports healing and recovery from cosmetic surgeries or procedures, and helps reduce bruising & inflammation on skin.

Sources

[1] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/sun-damaged-skin-a-to-z

[2] https://www.skincancer.org/blog/photoaging-what-you-need-to-know/

[3] https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/sun-damage

[4] Taylor, J. S. (2015). The dark side of sunlight and melanoma. Science, 347(6224), 824. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa6578

[5] https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/