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The advice page Thematic Files Tan enhancer
The advice page Thematic Files Tan enhancer 
The carotenoids : a natural and effective defense system
The carotenoids have an essential role to play: they are anti-oxidants which contribute towards protecting us from the sun’s rays and from free radicals.
Without carotenoids, the plants’ DNA would be burnt in the sun. It is the same for us. Like the plants, our cells use the carotenoids to protect themselves.
Thanks to them, melanine is synthesized and a suntan appears. This natural pigment – melanine – has a great absorption capacity, which constitutes an initial barrier against U.V. aggression.
Thus the suntan, whilst making us look better, forms a real defence mechanism during exposure to the sun.
But we differ from vegetal matter in that our organisms do not know how to synthesize carotenoids. Food that contains plenty of fruit and vegetables provide them for us.
Their role is primordial in the protection of the skin and of the eyes. In fact, when we are in the sun, the level of skin carotenoids falls by 50%. Thus, a daily intake is indispensable for the renewal of our reserves and the maintenance of our capital.
That is why an increase in the intake of carotenoids is recommended at least 15 days before going out in the sun so that the skin has time to constitute its reserves in order to better tolerate the U.Vs. and so that tanning can take place with less exposure to the sun*.
* The use of a sun care product or tan enhancer is indispensable when the body is exposed to the sun, and it is essential to be careful and put a limit on the amount of time one is in the sun. Children under the age of 3 should not be exposed to the sun’s rays.