does beta carotene lighten skin?

What is Beta Carotene?

Beta Carotene is a colorful Carotenoid from the vitamin A family which transmits the attractive color spectrum of orange, yellow and red to fruits and vegetables. The dietary source of preformed vitamin A is mainly from animal food like egg yolk and liver but through Beta Carotenes, the plant version of vitamin A, even vegetarians can incorporate it in provitamin form. It's easy to spot beta carotenoids in fruits and veggies because of their rich color in sweet potatoes, pumpkin, apricots, papaya, mangoes, cantaloupes, etc. Even some green veggies like Spinach, Cilantro, Green peppers, Kale & broccoli are rich in beta carotenes but the orange color is masked by chlorophyll in them. Our body cannot make carotenoids, so it is through these foods and topical applications that we acquire them.

Types of Carotenoids

Carotenoids can be either fat-soluble Carotenes- Alpha-carotene, Beta Carotene, Lycopene, or water soluble kinds of Xanthophylls - Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Astaxanthin. Among these, Beta carotenes have a significant antioxidant and proVitamin A activity in our body and form a major part of our diet & body. 

Properties of Beta Carotene

UV rays can damage our skin in a number of ways which usually starts with redness. If skin defenses are not strong, it can cause sunburns, photosensitivity, accelerated aging, deterioration of skin immunity, and even skin cancers. 

Antioxidants in our body fight this damage but they get consumed with time. When Beta carotenes are taken in diet or applied topically, they get stored in our body, thanks to their fat soluble nature, and protect us from the harmful effects of UV rays and other such oxidative damages.

The benefits of these fat-soluble colored compounds can be attributed to their 4 major properties:

Dietary Antioxidant: By protecting our skin from damage caused by free radicals, it slows down skin aging and protects the body from environmental stressors like UVR, Pollution, Smoking, etc. 

Provitamin A: One molecule of beta carotene is metabolized in the gut to two molecules of Retinol. Retinol is the active form of Vitamin A and a very popular anti-aging molecule, needed for healthy skin, hair, and nails. The benefit of beta carotene over Vitamin A is that the conversion is regulated by our gut and the rest is stored as beta-carotene, thus protecting us from Vitamin A toxicity.

Skin Defense & Photoprotection: It prevents redness caused by UV rays and is protective in sun-aggravated conditions and saves the skin from sunburns. It strengthens the immune system and reduces the risk of developing skin cancer. 

Natural Coloring agent: The colorful properties are not only used by Mother Nature to make the food palatable but also used in cosmetics and foods as natural colorants, approved by the FDA. 

 

Benefits of Beta Carotene

You can benefit from β-carotene through a multitude of cosmetics and skincare preparations such as sunscreen, moisturizers, anti-aging creams, face powders, bath liquids, cleansing products, lipsticks, soaps, blushes, bronzers, self-tanning products, body and hand care preparations, eye makeup preparations, eyebrow pencils, sunbathing oils, toners, and preparations for hair care. Let's look at some of the popular uses.

Photoprotective :  When you supplement Beta carotenes in the diet, it protects skin from sunburn and solar redness, after a minimum intake of 10 weeks. When used topically alone, it imparts only an SPF of 2, but when used in combination with other sunscreen ingredients and day creams, it enhances overall skin protection.

Skin Rejuvenation & Anti-Aging : The antioxidant and provitamin A activity make it an excellent anti-aging ingredient, esp. for sensitive skin. It helps to rejuvenate skin, reduce skin roughness and give a visibly smoother fresh appearance to mature skin. Perfect molecule for night creams too.

Pigmentation: Beta carotene has both skin whitening as well as tanning properties. It helps in reducing pigmentation in conditions like Melasma, but interestingly, at the same time, it also helps in bringing about pigmentation in conditions of white patches like Vitiligo.

Cosmetic Colorant and Self tanning : The orange to yellow pigment is used in self-tanning creams and cosmetics, for those who prefer the orangish tinge. Being a natural dye, it is safer with anti-aging properties and reduces the risk of sunburns.

Hand Creams & Cleansers: Its Vitamin A activity reduces skin roughness and irritation and improves thinned-out skin. Its demand has increased post COVID, thanks to frequent hand washing and sanitizing. 

Haircare: Beta-Carotene in hair products helps with split ends and strengthens fragile hair.

Synergy of Beta Carotene with other ingredients

They can be safely combined with other skincare ingredients, except for Vitamin A derivatives like Retinol where it can increase the chances of irritation. People with sensitive skin are prone to irritation with Retinol and can prefer Beta carotene in skincare over Retinol. The color properties of Beta carotenes are useful to make colored cosmetics but their formulation products can sometimes be tricky if the color is not desired in skincare products. Superior formulations with various technologies like microencapsulation to nanothalosphere are being used to achieve this.

Conclusion

Being fat-soluble, beta carotene accumulates in the outer layer of skin. Excess in diet or supplements can give a yellowish tint to your skin, a harmless condition known as carotenoderma, most visible on palms and soles. This tint is desirable by some and even a few estheticians prefer it over a tan in white populations. 

Even though Beta carotene supplementation is safe and does not require dose monitoring like Vitamin A, research suggests it should be avoided in supplement forms in people at risk of lung cancer like smokers and asbestos-exposed people. Incorporating it into the diet through fruits and veggies is the best way to reap its benefits. 

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