Can Supplements Really Protect Your Skin From the Sun?

There seems to be a supplement for everything these days—including sun protection.

You can now find a slew of supplements online and in drug stores claiming to protect skin from exposure to ultraviolet rays, which can damage skin and cause cancer in the long term. As pills and capsules, these “photoprotective supplements,” as they’re sometimes called, provide an enticing alternative to having to slather on sticky lotion throughout the day.

However, experts caution against replacing traditional sunscreen with these oral alternatives. As Asmi Berry, DO, a dermatologist from Los Angeles, told Health, “You still need to apply your SPF.” 

Here’s why, as well as what you need to know about sunscreen supplements to begin with.

Oral sunscreens typically contain a mix of vitamins, minerals, carotenoids (pigments), and polyphenols (plant compounds). 

Most of these pills contain the extract of Polypodium leucotomos (P. leucotomos), a type of fern plant native to Central and South America. 

In addition to P. leucotomos extract, or PTE, Berry said supplements might include a form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide (to repair UV-related DNA damage), the algae ingredient astaxanthin (to help neutralize free radicals), and lycopene (to help boost the skin’s natural UV defense).

The products are classified as dietary supplements, which means the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate them. 

There hasn’t been much research into these supplements, so it’s tough to say what, if any, effects they might have. According to Berry, of all the supplements’ ingredients, PLE has been most studied for its sun-protective abilities.

PLE has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can translate into “a UV-protective effect by neutralizing free radicals, which is not seen with topical sunscreens,” according to Elizabeth K. Hale, MD, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at the New York University Langone Medical Center and senior vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation. 

For a study published in 2015, researchers had 20 people take 240 mg of oral P. leucotomos twice daily for 60 days and had 20 people take a placebo. They found that participants in the placebo group had a higher chance of having at least one additional sunburn compared to the PLE group.

But like that paper, Berry said, many of the PLE studies involving humans have been small, and others have included only animals or Petri dishes. 

“More studies need to be done on these products in order to make any real claims regarding sun protection,” Hale said. “We don’t really have definitive answers as to how much sun protection is really provided with oral photoprotection.” 

What is clear, however, is that oral supplements do not offer “sufficient protection against UV radiation to provide a sun protection solution on their own,” Hale added.

The most concerning aspect of sun-protective supplements is that they give people the false belief that it’s unnecessary to do anything else to avoid sun exposure, Berry said. To prevent this, many doctors avoid the term “oral sunscreen” when describing these pills.

If you do try a supplement, be sure to also apply your standard topical sunscreen. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends an SPF of at least 30. 

It’s best to speak to a dermatologist before trying an oral sunscreen supplement to determine if you might be sensitive to certain ingredients, Rachel Nazarian, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai in New York City, told Health. 

Although the supplements are generally well tolerated, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, are allergic to ferns, or are taking other medications—particularly immune-modulating ones—may not be good candidates, Nazarian said.

Also, keep in mind that because the pills have not been approved by the FDA, there’s no guarantee that they work, are safe, or even contain the ingredients that the label suggests.

Above all, experts stressed the importance of using topical sunscreen alongside a photoprotective supplement like PLE. “These pills should be used in conjunction with traditional, topical sunscreens,” said Nazarian, who noted that she takes a daily PLE supplement and recommends it to her patients.

“Everyone should apply sunscreen every day,” Hale added, “regardless of what supplements you are taking.”