Foods That Boost Your Summer Tan

Foods That Boost Your Summer Tan

We all know the dangers of spending too much time in the sun. Time spent outside, even on cloudy days, means direct exposure to harmful UV rays, which can lead to painful burns and even skin cancer in some cases. With responsible use of a quality mineral sunscreen, these issues can be avoided, but you still have to be careful. Of course, you want to maintain your glow for the summer — even year-round if possible. There are several alternatives to lying around in the sun, but which alternative is right for you?

The Alternatives:

Sunless tanning creams, lotions, and sprays

Sunless tanning products are safer than spending the afternoon in the sun with no sunscreen. They are, however, notoriously difficult to apply evenly, and often leave you looking much worse than you would have if you just stayed pale. A bad job of self-tanning can leave you streaky, patchy, or just a completely unnatural color. Use at your own risk.

Sunless tanning pills

Sunless tanning pills are another option, but they have a pretty dodgy reputation — users often complain the the pills turn them orange. The main concern, however, is that they actually cause internal harm. After all, self-tanning pills are not FDA-approved, and are known to often cause some pretty nasty side-effects, including:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Liver Damage
• Anemia

So, what can you do? The answer may seem too good to be true.

Eat Carrots

That’s right certain foods give your skin a warmer tone. The secret is carotene — a natural anti-oxidant that actually reduces the signs of aging. Of course, eating a carrot a day won’t have you looking like you spent the weekend in the islands, but eating more fresh fruits and vegetables certainly won’t hurt, so why not?

Dark, leafy green vegetables are known to enhance your glow, as well. Leafy vegetables like spinach and kale contain large amounts of beta carotene — proven to give your skin a warm, summery tone.

Here’s a list of some of the healthy foods that can give you a very real sunless tan:

• Carrots
• Butternut Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Eggs
• Lemons
• Hazelnuts
• Kale
• Spinach
• Bell Peppers.
• Pumpkin
• Mangoes
• Cottage Cheese

To take your healthy diet-tan to the next level, try recipes that contain olive oil. It doesn’t contain any carotenoids, but it will leave your skin looking healthier by acting as a natural moisturizer.

There are several different ways to give your skin a warm, attractive glow. You can head for the tanning beds, spray on a tan, or take some sketchy pills that may or may not turn you orange and destroy your liver. You can also spend hours in the sun, which, if done responsibly by applying and re-applying a high-quality mineral sunscreen, isn’t necessarily unhealthy. The safest way to maintain your glow this summer (and all year round), however, is to eat a healthy diet packed with fruits, vegetables, and a few of the foods listed above.