Skin Health

Detailed Nutrition Information

Vitamin C helps support connective tissues by creating the building blocks of mature and functional collagen.⁶ Collagen is required to maintain healthy skin, gums and other tissue. Collagen breakdown in the skin may lead to the appearance of premature aging.⁴

Vitamin C deactivates free radicals in the skin providing photoprotection against sunburn and premature aging.¹ Vitamin C also decreases melanin production, thereby providing natural depigmentation of the skin.¹ Vitamin C is also critical for wound healing.⁷ Exposure to sunlight and environmental pollution dramatically reduces vitamin C levels in the center layers of the skin¹ which affects these benefits.

Carotenoids have been studied for their skin health benefits as they are stored in the fat layer under the skin. They have been shown to protect against sunburn^2-3 and premature aging of the skin.⁴ Consuming orange juice regularly has been shown to increase carotenoid levels in the skin.⁸

Water is critical for skin health by assisting in^5-7:

• Turgor (firmness of cells)
• Perfusion (passage of fluids such as oxygenated blood into the cell)
• Oxygenation

In a recent clinical study,⁴ a prescribed water intake of 2L/day improved surface and deep skin hydration at 15 and 30 days in adult females with lower habitual water intake. Researchers also observed several positive effects of skin elasticity and extensibility in various areas of the body, including the face. Females with higher habitual water intake did not have changes in skin hydration, suggesting that adequate water intake plays a role in skin plasticity and hydration in layers of the skin.

In a study comparing hydration effects of different beverages, 100% orange juice was ranked as having a higher rehydration index compared to water and sports drinks; orange juice was also higher in several markers of hydration, similar to oral rehydration solutions and milk, at two to three hours post-consumption.⁹