Foods that Fight Hyperpigmentation
Skin rejuvenation and nutrition go hand-in-hand. You can’t remedy your oily skin and acne with french fries, and you can’t prevent hyperpigmentation with pasta.
Summertime gives us long sunny days—the perfect conditions for premature aging caused by sun damage and pollution. Chronic effects of this damage can show-up as early as your 30’s—which is why sun care starts with babies, and a balanced skin care regimen should begin in teen years. It helps prevent premature aging of the skin and reduces the risk of some skin cancers.
As adults, preventing and correcting the visible signs of sun damage—dehydration, fine lines, discolorations—starts with your skin care regimen at home. Exfoliation, nutrition, and protection are the key elements to the ARC Skin Care regimen; ‘nutrition’ being the assortment of vitamins, essential oils, and plant extracts that collectively benefit your skin. These can be found in ARC cleansers, moisturizers, exfoliants, and serums.
Not all plant-derived skin care ingredients are suitable to eat, nor do they offer the same benefits internally as they do topically. However, scientists have discovered links between the foods we eat and the effects these foods may have toward preventing DNA damage and premature aging, while improving common skin concerns, like hyperpigmentation.
LEAFY GREEN VEGGIES
Another reason to love your vegetables! Dark green veggies, like kale, brussel sprouts, zucchini, broccoli, peas, and leafy-greens contain lutein and zeaxanthin—carotenoids that help protect the eyes from age-related vision loss, macular degeneration, and other disorders of the eyes. In the skin, these carotenoids help filter UV radiation to help reduce oxidative stress in the skin.
RED FRUITS
Beneficial for cardiovascular health and helps prevent some types of cancer, lycopene is a carotenoid that gives fruits a red-pink color. It helps reduce oxidative stress that contributes to DNA damage and can be found in tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya, and guava. Try Home Made Nutrition’s Papaya, Avocado, and Citrus Salad recipe >
ORANGE-PINK AQUATIC LIFE
The title sounds a little odd, but the carotenoid found in most red-colored creatures, including algae, shrimp, lobster, crabs, red trout, and salmon, astaxanthin has been touted as a stronger/longer-lasting antioxidant thatn lutein and lycopene, and it’s both water and fat soluble. It helps protect your skin from the inside-out by scavenging free radicals and reducing inflammation. Try Pan-Seared Steelhead Trout recipe >
GRAPES AND GREEN TEA
Proanthocyanidins (found in grape seeds), epigallocatechin-3-gallate (found in white and green tea), reservatrol (found in grapes, blueberries, cranberries, dark chocolate, peanuts and pistachios) have demonstrated clear anti-cancer effects toward melanoma—one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. All of these should be easy to incorporate as a mid-afternoon snack.
Age prevention is a lifestyle and not a fad. If you want to have beautiful, healthy-looking skin and prevent premature signs of aging, eat well, protect your skin from sun damage and pollution, and talk to your skin care provider about pre-rejuvenation portfolio that will help you achieve your long-term goals.
What foods help skin pigmentation?
9 Best Foods for Your Skin
Tomatoes:
They’re full of lycopene, a phytochemical that provides red pigment and health benefits. Lycopene helps eliminate skin-aging free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays—in other words, protecting against sun damage. To reap the most benefits, heat them up: A half-cup of cooked tomatoes, for example, packs 16 milligrams of lycopene. A daily dose coupled with sunscreen will help block the burn.
Mangoes, papaya, and apricots:
Got that washed-out look? Load up on some fruit. Mangoes, papaya, and apricots are full of pigments called carotenoids, which are stored in the layer of fat directly beneath the skin and can improve color. “They peek through, giving you a rosy glow,” says registered dietitian Karen Ansel, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and co-author of The Calendar Diet: A Month by Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life.
Cocoa powder
Flavonals, the antioxidants in dark chocolate, reduce roughness in the skin and protect against sun damage. A study published in 2006 in the Journal of Nutrition found that women who drank cocoa fortified with 326 milligrams of flavonals a day had better skin texture and stronger resistance to UV rays than those who didn’t get as much of the antioxidants. Just a few ounces a day—or a standard Hershey’s Dark Chocolate bar—is sufficient. Another tasty way to get enough? Spoon some cocoa powder into your morning coffee, Ansel suggests.
Flaxseeds:
Think of these as tiny wrinkle fighters. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which erase spots and smooth fine lines. In one study, participants who had about half a teaspoon of omega-3s daily for six weeks had less skin irritation and redness, as well as better-hydrated skin, according to findings published in 2009 in the British Journal of Nutrition. That’s likely because fatty acids attract water to skin cells, plumping the skin and reducing wrinkling.
What foods help skin pigmentation?
Sweet potatoes:
They’re full of vitamin C, which smoothes wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen. One study, published in 2007 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people who consumed 4 milligrams of C—about half a small sweet potato—daily for three years reduced the appearance of wrinkles by 11 percent.
Mussels:
If you’re not getting enough iron, your skin will turn pale and pasty, Ansel says. The solution? Iron-rich choices like mussels. One 3-ounce serving delivers a third of the daily recommended amount.
Spinach:
Want to protect yourself against skin cancer? Take a page out of Popeye’s book. A study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that folks who ate the most spinach developed half as many skin tumors over 11 years as those who ate the smallest amount. That’s likely because the folate in spinach helps maintain and repair DNA, reducing the likelihood of cancer-cell growth.
Canned tuna:
It’s packed with selenium—a nutrient that preserves elastin, which keeps skin smooth and tight. Selenium also prevents free radicals that are produced by UV rays from damaging skin cells, protecting against sun damage.
Safflower Oil:
If you have dry, flaky, or itchy skin, take note: This common cooking oil doubles as a moisturizer. It contains omega-6 fatty acids, which keep cell walls supple, allowing water to reach the skin. Some research suggests consuming safflower oil can help ease sin disorders like dermatitis, inflammation, acne, and dry skin.
