Summer Skin: how to protect your skin from the sun with Omega-3
Protecting your skin from the sun doesn't only mean avoiding or blocking UV rays: acting from within can also make a difference. This is one reason why Omega-3s are among the nutrients that support health in summer. Let's discover why they help defend us against the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays.
The sun is both a friend and a foe to our health. On one hand, it supports the immune system by triggering the synthesis of vitamin D in your skin; on the other, it can damage the skin itself, even promoting the onset of tumours.
Everything revolves around ultraviolet (UV) rays, responsible both for initiating vitamin D synthesis and for DNA damage and other undesirable effects.
To protect the skin, you can act on two fronts: externally – by blocking UV rays with suitable filters – and internally – by taking nutrients that help you strengthen your natural defences.
The list of these nutrients also includes Omega-3s. Let's find out how they can protect the skin from the sun and why they should be part of our everyday anti-ultraviolet arsenal.
The undesirable effects of UV rays
The damage resulting from exposure to UV rays varies according to their wavelength:
- UVA rays, corresponding to light radiation with a wavelength between 320 and 400 nm, damage the DNA of skin cells by increasing oxidative stress;
- UVB rays, corresponding to light radiation with a wavelength between 280 and 320 nm, are literally absorbed by DNA, causing the formation of abnormal bonds within its structure. These bonds trigger DNA repair mechanisms that lead to cell death and to inflammatory responses associated with vasodilation, oedema (swelling) and pain, with effects visible to the naked eye: the skin turns red, taking on the typical burnt appearance.
As if that were not enough, exposure to UV also promotes:
- skin ageing (in a form which, precisely because it is associated with sun exposure, is called photoageing, with the formation of wrinkles, loss of elasticity and uneven pigmentation);
- photosensitivity (an immune system reaction triggered by the sun's rays);
- the development of skin cancers (both through DNA damage and through the suppression of the immune defences that help protect you from cancer cells).
The extent of the side effects of UV exposure depends mainly on its duration and on the intensity of solar radiation. In addition, the risks to the skin can also be influenced by the use of medicines and by the so-called phototype.
What is the phototype?
Phototype refers to the combination of complexion, eye and hair colour and the presence of freckles.
According to the Fitzpatrick classification, there are 6:
- Phototype I: the skin is milky white or pinkish, the hair red or blond, the eyes blue or green; freckles are present. Always burns, never tans.
- Phototype II: the skin is fair, the hair red or blond, the eyes blue, green or hazel. Burns easily, tans with difficulty.
- Phototype III: the skin is moderately fair, the eyes and hair any colour. Sometimes burns slightly, tans gradually.
- Phototype IV: the skin is slightly dark. Burns only slightly, tans easily.
- Phototype V: the skin is dark. Rarely burns, tans a lot and easily.
- Phototype VI: the skin is very dark or black. Never burns, always tans a great deal and very easily.
Lower phototypes (I-III) tend to burn more easily because the skin contains smaller amounts of melanin, a pigment essential for shielding UV rays. Moreover, the minimum amount of UV they need to be exposed to over a 24-hour period to develop non-pathological redness (i.e. erythema) is lower.
How to protect yourself from the negative action of UV rays
Unfortunately, the problems for the skin do not end when the erythema disappears or when the inflammation associated with the burn subsides; in fact, the number of burns you deal with over the course of your life is correlated with the risk of developing skin cancer.
For this reason too (and above all), avoiding burns is even more important than treating them. A first precaution is to adjust your exposure according to your phototype and to the environmental factors that increase the intensity of solar radiation:
- the time of day: the rays are most intense between 10:00 and 16:00;
- the presence of clouds: it reduces the intensity of UV (but does not block it completely!);
- altitude: the higher you go, the thinner the layer of atmosphere that protects against solar radiation;
- proximity to the equator: it makes sun exposure more direct;
- the reduction of the ozone layer: it increases the penetration of UV rays.
It is also important to remember that the use of creams or oils with protection factors may not be enough to adequately protect the skin from UV rays. These substances act by scattering, reflecting or absorbing ultraviolet radiation and so there is no doubt that they help protect against their undesirable effects; unfortunately, however, they can give a false sense of security.
In fact, in the tests carried out by manufacturers to certify the levels of protection they provide, they are often applied in thicker or more uniform layers than can be achieved in reality; as a result, the protection obtained is often lower than theoretically expected.
Moreover, creams and other products with anti-UV filters are generally not used routinely, but only when exposing oneself to the sun with the specific intention of tanning (or, in any case, only on holiday).
In reality, the skin should be protected every day. This is another reason why it is useful to defend it not only from the outside, but also by providing it with nutrients, such as Omega-3s, that help regulate the biological responses to UV exposure from within.
Omega-3 and photoprotection
The idea that Omega-3s can help protect the skin from the sun stems from their typically anti-inflammatory properties, which would help fight the inflammation triggered by UV rays. Furthermore, the scientific literature is rich in clues pointing towards confirmation of their potential against all the undesirable effects of ultraviolet rays mentioned above.
In the case of burns, both oral intake and topical application (directly on the skin) of long-chain Omega-3s (such as EPA – eicosapentaenoic acid – and DHA – docosahexaenoic acid – found in fish, krill and oils of marine origin) have been associated with protecting the skin from the acute inflammation triggered by UV.
In addition, the intake of long-chain Omega-3s has been associated with an increase in the UV threshold needed to provoke photosensitivity reactions, such as the skin eruptions that may appear after sun exposure in spring or summer (known as “polymorphic light eruptions”).
The topical application and oral intake of Omega-3s have been associated with a reduction in the signs of photoageing, and several data suggest that, when taken orally, Omega-3s could also protect the skin from the onset of tumours; in particular, they could be effective in reducing the risk of melanoma.
Finally, some studies suggest that these fats could also counteract the immunosuppression induced by UV exposure.
How to take Omega-3 to protect the skin from UV
The best way to stock up on Omega-3s to protect the skin from ultraviolet rays seems to be to take them in their biologically active forms, in particular as EPA.
The presence of this Omega-3 in the epidermis is, in itself, scarce, but it can be increased precisely by taking it in the form of supplements.
Taking its precursor (alpha-linolenic acid – ALA – found in plant-based sources of Omega-3 of terrestrial origin, such as walnuts and flax seeds) does not seem to be equally useful, partly because in the skin the enzymes needed to convert it into biologically active Omega-3s are particularly scarce; this means that ALA would have to be converted into EPA elsewhere (essentially, in the liver) and that the EPA would then have to reach the skin through the circulation – a series of long and tortuous steps that risk significantly reducing the effectiveness of supplementation.
What is more, the human body's ability to convert ALA into EPA is generally poor, even in sites other than the skin. In short, everything points to the usefulness of taking EPA as such, available within products made from raw materials of marine origin, such as fish oil.
Another useful measure is to combine the intake of Omega-3 with that of an Omega-6, GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), obtainable from borage oil (Borago officinalis L.). This plant is in fact credited with the ability to promote the integrity and functionality of cell membranes and to nourish the skin.
You will find marine-origin Omega-3 and GLA, together with antioxidant vitamin E, in Omegor® Antiage, a product with an innovative formulation that, in its complexity, provides complementary and synergistic ingredients that ensure the highest possible effectiveness. Discover all its properties by visiting the omegor.com Shop!
Bibliographic references
- Guerra KC and Crane JS. Sunburn. [Updated 2023 Oct 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534837/
- Italian Ministry of Health. Ministerial reference guidelines for the physiological effects of the substances and plant preparations listed in Annex 1 to the Ministerial Decree of 10 August 2018 as updated in 2023.
- MSD Manual. Consumer Version. Photosensitivity reactions. Last accessed: 18/07/24
- MSD Manual. Professional Version. Fitzpatrick Skin Type Classification. Last accessed: 18/07/24
- Noel SE et al. Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of skin cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Cancer. 2014 Jul 1;135(1):149-56.
- Pilkington SM et al. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: photoprotective macronutrients. Exp Dermatol. 2011 Jul;20(7):537-43.
