Edible SPF — Is it Even Real?

Do you hate the feeling of sunscreen? How sticky and greasy is it? You aren’t alone, but making sure you have SPF on daily is crucial to prevent skin damage and cancer. If you don’t like the feeling of sunscreen, you may want to try Edible SPF.

What is Edible SPF?

Now, you may be thinking what is Edible SPF? Edible SPFs are gummies that contain high amounts of nutrients that your skin is craving. It contains nutrients that help the skin defend against UV rays (the sun).

There has always been a high demand for skin care products and SPF gummies are a new option that hit the market recently. When asked about the difference between traditional sunscreen and SPF gummies, Dr. Kunal Malik, a board-certified general cosmetic dermatologist says, “SPF gummies are ingestible gummies not with SPF in them exactly, but with a photoprotective fern extract called polypodium leucotomies, which has been shown in five published clinical studies to help protect against sunburn and UV-related damage.”

Traditional Foods That Give Sun Protection

If you are skeptical about Edible SPF gummies, other options could help. Some traditional foods contain nutrients that help protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Some of these foods are carrots, peppers, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, potatoes, salmon, and olive oil. Each of these food items contains different nutrients that offer different vitamins.

Carotenoids are in carrots, peppers, and kale. Carotenoids are pigments in orange and dark green foods. This vitamin decreases the sensitivity of your skin to UV light and helps protect your skin from sun damage.

Sulforaphane is in brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and collards. Sulforaphane is a compound in vegetables. Some of the properties found in Sulforaphane increase the production of protective enzymes ultimately protecting skin from sun damage and exposure.

You can find Alkaloids in potatoes, eggplant, and peppers. Alkaloids are an organic compound that gets rid of damaged skin cells from UV rays and reduces the roughness of your skin. It also helps prevent the formation of skin cancer in UV-damaged skin.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, flax meal, hemp, and olive oil. Omega-3 fatty acids are ‘healthy fats.’ They offer a skin barrier and improve hydration for your skin. This skin barrier prevents and reduces UV damage and exposure.

Claims Edible SPF Is Not Real

There have been claims that edible SPF (gummies) are not real and do not work. According to Refinery29, these gummies are not listed as an effective form of sun protection by the CDC or the ADA. Doctors still stress that you need to apply sunscreen as it could save your life down the road. Although gummies and traditional foods may help reduce skin damage, they will not effectively stop skin damage like sunscreen. As of now, the best option is to continue to wear sunscreen SPF.

What do you think about edible SPF?