Foods for a perfect tan

Among the key substances for good skin protection is beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, known for maintaining the health of skin and membranes. All vegetables and fruits that are predominantly orange or red in colour are sources of it: carrots, peppers, pumpkin, spinach, mango, melon, apricots, strawberries and tomatoes, all of which should feature in our daily diet. So why not eat them just as nature offers them, or in the form of a juice? Algae are also rich in beta-carotene, and in particular Dunaliella salina seaweed.

Remedies for sunburn

A good supplement that protects the skin during sun exposure and maintains a long-lasting tan should always contain an antioxidant — for example lycopene, the active compound extracted from tomatoes, or lutein, which is found in abundance in egg yolk.

If your problem goes further and you are prone to sunburn — a severe reaction to solar rays — it is important to use blackcurrant in mg drops (50 drops twice a day) or in oil pearls (two pearls at breakfast, lunch and dinner), which will help you combat its troublesome symptoms, along with a cool aloe gel that you can apply generously to the skin. A lukewarm starch bath and a cream with a high percentage of calendula — at least 30 per cent — are equally useful.

Australian bush flowers to the rescue

An excellent remedy for all problems related to heat build-up, sunburn and erythema is the Australian bush flower mulla mulla, a plant with pink flowers that is highly resistant to the extreme heat of the Australian deserts. Use this essence a few days beforehand and it will help prevent the negative effects of excessive sun exposure. Continue taking it during sun exposure as well, taking seven drops morning and evening. You can also add the essence to your usual sun cream and after-sun product, so as to benefit from its properties topically too.

The same dosage applies to spinifex, which is excellent in cases of sunburn. Take it orally or diluted in clean water for soothing compresses.

Your bag should never be without good high-protection creams for a textbook tan. There are excellent options available in all health food shops, capable of protecting us from UV rays, or more precisely from their harmful effects on the skin.

And remember to protect your skin from the sun in the city too, if uneven skin tone is a persistent concern for you.