SerpApi.Org
An effective sunscreen should be a staple in your skincare routine. But what if you could skip rubbing in cream and instead pop a pill to protect from those rays?
"Sunscreen pills" are all over social media. These oral supplements, which contain antioxidants like nicotinamide (a type of Vitamin B3) and Polypodium leucotomos (a tropical fern extract) - aren't actually sunscreen because they can't protect against sun damage or skin cancer.
According to Dr. Pooja Sodha, associate professor of dermatology at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences, these supplements can lend some internal support - but calling them sunscreen is a misnomer.
"There is indication that taking it can increase the amount of UV exposure that’s needed to produce a sunburn so you can actually tolerate UV for a little bit longer, but it is not a replacement," she explains. "These are not blocking photons, which are the little packets of energy that are hitting your skin and triggering damage and immune dysregulation that then triggers skin cancer."
So, how do they work exactly? Sodha explains that these supplements provide an extra boost of sun protection from the inside: the antioxidants can help reduce cellular inflammation and DNA damage.
Most people don’t need this extra boost - sunscreen gets the job done.
If you do take these supplements, you can't skip sunscreen. "You really need to do both," she says. "You need to block as much UV as you can - which is what sunscreen, photoprotective clothing and hats do - and then if you like you can follow with these oral supplements, but they are not in and of themselves sufficient."
But some people who have conditions that make them more sensitive to the sun benefit from a little extra help from the inside. These can be helpful for people who have sun allergies because of solar urticaria or polymorphus light eruption. UV radiation can also trigger skin pigmentation conditions like melasma and vitiligo.
“If you can control the inflammation that’s caused by UV in the skin and the pigmentation that’s created," Dr. Sodha says, then "you can actually reduce the degree of the hyperpigmentation that occurs from UV exposure.”
Additionally, people with a higher risk of skin cancer, like those who are "exceptionally fair-skinned" or have a family history, can benefit from taking an oral antioxidant.
Before you add another supplement in your already-packed pillbox, check in with your dermatologist to see if an antioxidant booster supplement is right for you.
One more thing: Be wary of any ingestible product that claims to be a sunscreen. No pill can replace SPF, so keep applying that broad-spectrum sunscreen every day - it's still the best way to protect yourself from sun damage and skin cancer.
