6 Foods For Resilient Summer Skin

Find out how we prevent sunburn, six foods that can help keep your skin resilient and healthy, and recipes for each.

Happy Friday! Today, we are taking a look at sunburns - our suggestions for preventing them and foods that can help keep your skin resilient. Plus our picks, including our favorite sunscreen.

This past week, we talked about our favorite sheet pan recipes and tips for making sheet pan meals. On Tuesday, Diana talked about heartburn (in pregnancy and not in pregnancy). We also shared our opinions on juice cleanses and whether we recommend them.

Read on for the foods and nutrients that can help keep your skin healthy this summer, including recipes to try!

Every Friday, we share a quick roundup of products we actually use and love - whether in the kitchen, at the table, or while shopping. These are the tools and staples that make cooking, serving, and clean-up easier and more enjoyable. As an Amazon Associate, Weil Nutrition Corner™ may earn from qualifying purchases. Be assured we only recommend products we trust.

Origins Plantscription SPF 25. I look for skincare products that contain some sunscreen, like this one from Origins, which I actually use every day. - Diana

Stomach Soothe. This pick is from a team member, who swears that this helps with heartburn. It includes ingredients we recommend, such as slippery elm and marshmallow root.

Vitamix Blender. While a bit pricier, I do think a good blender is worth the investment. This is the one I have and have used for years. A versatile tool you can use for soups, smoothies, nut milks, juices and more. - Dr. Weil

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Food as Medicine: Can Foods Prevent Sunburn?

There has been a growing trend on social media suggesting that diet alone is enough to prevent sun damage; we both find this messaging misleading and dangerous. But that’s not to say that food doesn’t play a role in skin health and resiliency. Read on for our opinions on how to prevent sunburns and how we think food can help to support the health of your skin.

How To Prevent Sunburn

Dr. Weil’s Take: Living in Arizona for the past 40 years, I take skin health and sun exposure seriously. I apply sunscreen to my head and face every morning and wear a hat when I go outside. Every time. I do believe diet can play a supportive role in protecting the skin from UV damage - when practiced alongside good sun habits. However, I absolutely do not recommend discarding your sunscreen. I use the Planstscription SPF 25 but add an additional SPF 50 on top for extra protection against the Arizona sun.

Diana’s Take: I would love to tell you that food alone can protect your skin from the sun but, but unfortunately, that’s just not how it works. I don’t love the ingredients in many sunscreens, and I try to stick with products that use zinc oxide. Thankfully, sunscreen products have gotten much better, so it’s much easier to find zinc sunscreens that rub in easily and don’t leave you white. While I believe in sunscreen, I’m not very good about putting it on. So I look for skincare products that contain some sunscreen, like the Planstscription SPF 25. I also use this nightly to keep my skin looking and feeling healthy and hydrated: Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion.

Foods for Sunburns: Prevention and Recovery

Now that you know sunscreen is vital to preventing sunburn and associated risks such as skin cancer, let’s take a look at foods that may help support your skin’s resilience and recovery - and possibly help prevent future damage by building up your skin’s internal defenses.

It’s important to remember that food will not instantly heal a sunburn or reverse sun damage already done, nor will it prevent sunburns outright. A healthy diet is supportive but not a replacement for smart sun habits such as wearing sunscreen, staying in the shade, and wearing a hat and UPF clothing.

However, certain foods can be beneficial, helping to reduce inflammation after a sunburn, support faster healing of damaged skin, boost your skin’s natural UV resistance over time, and provide antioxidants that may help limit cellular damage caused by UV exposure.

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Dr. Weil’s Take:

There do seem to be benefits from consistent intake over time of foods that have antioxidant compounds, such as polyphenols like resveratrol. Other nutrients may offer similar skin-supportive effects, including omega-3 fatty acids, lycopene, beta-carotene, and turmeric, which has well-known anti-inflammatory properties.

Diana’s Take:

I do think diet can play a supportive role in keeping your skin healthy and resilient. A diet high in antioxidants, healthy fats, polyphenols, and anti-inflammatory foods do seem to help protect your skin from the inside out. And there is evidence that consuming certain foods can help your skin become more resilient to UV damage over time. Eating a healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole foods will support every system in your body, including your skin.

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Best Nutrients and Foods for Sun Protection & Recovery - Including Recipes!

Focusing on a diet rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods can help your skin heal faster, reduce long-term oxidative stress, and enhance your skin’s natural resilience to sun damage.

The following six foods are a good place to start in helping to support your skin and promote recovery from damage - all are part of Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid! Add these to your diet - use our recipe suggestions below to get started.

1. Lycopene: A powerful antioxidant that may help protect skin from UV damage.

Good sources are cooked tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, red bell pepper. Try these recipes that provide lycopene:

Sheet Pan Roasted Chickpeas, Tomatoes & Feta

Crispy Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Zucchini & Burrata

2. Vitamin C. It supports collagen production and immune defense and may help reduce skin inflammation.

Good sources include citrus fruits, berries, bell peppers, broccoli, kiwi. Try these vitamin C-rich recipes:

Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers

Fruit Gazpacho

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