Preparing your skin for the sun is imperative when the first rays appear.

In "Without appointment", Monday on Europe 1, Benjamin Lévêque has compiled advice from specialists to allow listeners to better protect their skin from UV rays, the effects of which can be devastating for our cells.

Our days are more and more sunny and the desire to sunbathe is getting stronger and stronger for some.

But beware: this is precisely the time to prepare your skin well for the sun, because in spring, the skin is white, we have not been exposed for six months, and therefore our skin is vulnerable.

How to prepare your skin to receive UV rays and maintain your tan?

In the program "Sans rendez-vous", Monday, our columnist Benjamin Lévêque gave some keys to the listeners of Europe 1.

>> Find all of Sans rendez-vous every day from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Europe 1 as well as in replay and podcast here

Foods rich in beta-carotene

"UV rays are rays from the sun which are very bad because they penetrate, depending on whether they are UVA or UVB, more or less deeply into the skin," explains dermatologist Laurence Terre. "The sun is therefore even more devastating for our skin and will cause irreversible damage within our cells and the famous DNA", she continues. "First of all, solar aging which is mainly due to UVA, and sunburn which is mainly due to UVB. The latter causes deep changes in the cell, which can be the cause of skin cancer. . Some are a little less serious, they are basal cell carcinomas. And then the most dreadful blow, melanoma, which is fatal to him. "

So how do you prepare your skin? First of all, by putting the right foods on your plate: foods rich in beta-carotene. So you have to stock up on carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach, but also use spices such as turmeric or saffron. Lycopene, a natural pigment found in cooked tomatoes and broccoli, is also beneficial in preparing the skin for its dose of sunlight.

Conversely, it is better to avoid foods too rich in vitamin C. For Isabelle Bara, nutritionist in Paris, "vitamin C will decrease the action of the enzyme which transforms tyrosine into melanin, and therefore, the fruits. and foods rich in vitamin C should rather be avoided at the time of exposure ".

Indeed, vitamin C is an active ingredient in cosmetics which is widely used to lighten the skin and fight against dark spots, says the nutritionist.

Using food supplements

After a tanning session, what to do to avoid peeling?

Isabelle Bara recommends putting foods rich in vitamin A on your plate, which can be found, for example, in calf's liver, butter or even cheese.

In addition, there are food supplements composed of active ingredients to prepare the body to fight against the attacks of the sun, explains David Gueunoun, founder of the food supplements company Les Miraculaires.

"We first use beta-carotene and copper, which will have a self-tanning action and will therefore begin to pigment the skin before exposure, as well as two other active ingredients which are astaxanthin and lutein, which are also natural pigments which will prepare the skin for exposure. "

These will therefore make it possible to avoid the aging effect that the sun can have on the skin thanks to an antioxidant action.

Sunscreen, and no scrub

However, food supplements are not enough, you must take care to protect your skin during exposure. For this, sunscreen remains our best ally. It's not just for the beach, and some creams are designed to remain discreet and take to work, without leaving a white film on the skin. "The sun protection index, 30 or 50, is determined by very precise tests which are exactly the same for all sun creams", explains Agnès Castelli, pharmacist for Laboratoires Biarritz. "As long as it claims UVA and UVB protection, it will protect you in exactly the same way."

Finally, a little advice from Doctor Laurence Netter: before exposing yourself to the sun, avoid scrubs. Indeed, it will make your skin more vulnerable to UV rays.