Nutritional Approaches of the Changing Consumer after the Pandemic: Sustainable Potential of Phytoene and Phytofluene for Photoprotection and Skin Health

Abstract

Ascertaining sustainable endogenous nutrients for long-term healthy skin from the nutritional perspective of changing consumers, is an interesting method to prevent photoaging symptoms which are the main cause of skin aging. This narrative literature review aims to focus on the sustainable potential of phytoene (PT) and phytofluene (PTF) to engage in biological actions with photoprotection, dietary intervention, nutrition, stability, safety, and distinct structure of PT and PTF for skin health. As a result, this review demonstrates that dietary interventions of colourless carotenoids, PT and PTF, according to their distinct structural and biological actions, maximize the absorption of damaging light in the ultraviolet range unlike coloured carotenoids that have maximum absorption in the visible range. Furthermore, in addition to skin health, their distinct chemical structures and biological actions are attributed to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities and suggest the sustainable potential of PT and PTF to provide various additional health benefits, such as improving the immune system and cardiovascular health. “Healthy and beautiful skin starts from within”. It is hoped that dietary interventions of PT and PTF, along with topical photoprotection by sunscreen, will become better known to consumers as a nutritional approach to long-term basal protection/defense and complementary photoprotection and skin health strategies.