This Nutrient May Keep Skin Moisturized

It’s no secret that eating more plants can be good for you. Besides their fiber, vitamins and minerals, they tend to be plentiful in antioxidants. Fruits and vegetables, especially, are loaded with antioxidants called carotenoids. Specifically, carotenoids are plant pigments responsible for the red, orange and yellow hues in many types of produce. 

The fruits and vegetables that contain carotenoids include sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, mangoes, papayas, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, oranges and apricots. And while not fitting into the expected color scheme, dark leafy greens, including spinach, kale and Swiss chard, fall into that category, too. 

There is some evidence that carotenoids may protect the skin. For this reason, some skincare companies even use these powerful plant compounds in their products. But what if you eat foods high in carotenoids? Can that also protect your skin? Researchers in Romania conducted a systematic review of previously published studies on carotenoids and skin aging. They published their results in Nutrients. Let’s break down what they found.

How Was This Study Conducted?

Researchers searched for studies on the topic of skin health and carotenoids. After choosing ones that met their specific parameters, they ended up with 176 studies that were eligible for their systematic review. 

The included studies featured findings about topical carotenoids—like skincare products that include carotenoids—and dietary carotenoids. Only studies written in English were included in the analysis.

What Did This Study Find?

Researchers found that the included studies suggest that carotenoids protect skin from aging through several mechanisms. These include:

• Antioxidant Protection: Carotenoids may help neutralize and mitigate the effects of oxidative stress, a central mechanism in the pathology of skin aging. Plus, carotenoids’ antioxidant mechanisms also support the production of hyaluronic acid, which plays a major role in skin hydration and elasticity.
• Photoprotection: Carotenoids may help dissipate UV rays and reduce the energy available to damage skin. 
• Anti-inflammatory Properties: You may have heard of inflammaging, which is the result of chronic inflammation in our bodies, including our skin. Carotenoids may help calm inflammation and reduce the effect inflammation can have on skin.
• Collagen Production: Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the dermis layer of the skin, the thick inner layer of our skin. It’s necessary for maintaining skin’s firmness and elasticity. Carotenoids may help enhance collagen synthesis and inhibit its breakdown.
• Skin Moisturization: Dry skin appears more aged and wrinkled, and unfortunately, as we age, our skin becomes drier. Carotenoids can help maintain skin’s moisture levels by helping to enhance skin’s barrier, along with their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions.

Researchers also note that gut health is a key factor. When we eat foods rich in carotenoids, before they’re broken down and released into the bloodstream to skin cells, they reside in the gut. The health of your gut environment will partly determine how much of the carotenoids your body can absorb and use—referred to as the bioavailability of the nutrients. Besides gut health, researchers also found that carotenoids have greater bioavailability when eaten with unsaturated fats or when lightly cooked.

Because this was a systematic review, researchers may not have the same depth of interpretation of the results compared to the original study authors. In other words, the interpretation of results might be different from the original. Also, because studies are performed using varying methods, drawing consistent conclusions can be challenging. Lastly, there are no standardized guidelines for carotenoid consumption, so these researchers cannot make recommendations for an ideal amount of daily carotenoid intake. 

How Does This Apply to Real Life?

We know that eating more plants—fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes—has many health benefits, from reduced inflammation and a healthier gut microbiome to a lower risk of disease and a healthier heart and brain. Now we can add healthier skin to the list. 

If you want to start including more carotenoids, go for delicious recipes that include deep orange winter squash, carrots and bell peppers. We have lots of leafy green recipes, including a few for smoothies. If tomatoes are your thing, you’ll want to check out our healthy tomato recipes, which include soups, salads, apps, sandwiches and main dishes.    

Not to be outdone by the veggies, some fruits are also rich in carotenoids. Check out our healthy orange recipes (did you know you can eat the skin?). We also have lots of tasty mango recipes that will help you expand your tropical horizons. And this papaya smoothie recipe is creamy with warm cinnamon notes. 

To get the most from your carotenoids and increase their bioavailability, you can lightly cook them. (Tomatoes are an exception, as they can be cooked down more, including into sauces, and have more carotenoids available compared to raw tomatoes.) Also consider eating carotenoid-rich foods with a source of unsaturated fat, like sunflower or olive oil. The lipids in the oils form micelles, which encapsulate the carotenoids and transport them, increasing their bioavailability. Out of all the carotenoid-rich foods, these researchers highlight the papaya as having superior carotenoid micellarization.  

Besides nutrition, researchers note other lifestyle habits that influence skin and overall health, including physical activity, sleep and social interactions. It’s also important to avoid tobacco use and reduce UV ray exposure for healthy skin. The research team also suggests that there’s evidence that combining topical carotenoids (like in face cream) and consuming foods rich in carotenoids should be part of the ideal skincare routine. 

Our Expert Take

This systematic review suggests that carotenoid-rich foods may help improve skin’s elasticity, hydration levels and overall health. They also suggest other lifestyle habits that play a role in skin health. While this study focused on carotenoid-rich foods, there’s not one magic bullet for healthy skin. They are, however, an important piece of the puzzle, and should be included along with a variety of other foods that contain other types of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats. “Eating the rainbow” can provide you with more assurance that you’re getting what your body needs for healthy aging—skin and all.