This month in Julie's Medicine Cabinet, our founder details what she's currently coveting. Julie's picks for June are inspired by sun protection, both topical and oral applications. Typically, when we think about sun protection, we think of sunscreen, but Julie takes a different approach. From her favorite green tea to vitamin E supplement, Julie's discoveries are the products you need and never knew you needed.

VITAMIN E AND C
There are photo-protective benefits via dietary antioxidants, which contain a lot of micronutrients that have been known to prevent UV damage. Some of those include carotenoids, polyphenols, and vitamins like E and C. "My two top supplements for overall health, but also sun protection, are vitamins E and C," said Julie, who uses the brand Mitolife. "Vitamin E helps to protect our tissues from oxidation. You might even want to increase the dose during the summertime and combine it with vitamin C, which is essential for collagen function and plays a role in renewing vitamin E in the body. They tend to work synergistically. But one important thing to note is it's not something you do occasionally; you must be consistent to reap the benefits."

CAROTENOIDS & LYCOPENE
Julie also counts carotenoids and lycopene as essentials for sun protection. "Carotenoids and lycopene are two very effective constituents," she said. "Sources are calendula, carrot, sea buckthorn, and tomatoes. I am always looking for ways to boost nutrition, and one thing that I integrate into my diet consistently is tomato paste. In addition to supplementation, you can gain some powerful effects with diet. A study showed that when ingesting tomato paste over 10 weeks, they were able to measure protection against UV light-induced arrhythmias in the skin." Julie always has nutrient-dense condiments on hand, such as tomato paste, capers, olive oil, and anchovies. 

GREEN TEA
There's so much science behind what green tea can do. There was a study conducted to determine whether green tea polyphenol EGCG could prevent ultraviolet radiation-induced damage in cultured cells. They also found that people who drank green tea showed a powerful photo-protective effect. This was measured through samples of peripheral blood cells taken after green tea consumption. "If you're not a green tea drinker, you can also take it in supplement form," said Julie. "I like KappArest by Biotics Research. It's an incredible full-spectrum array of polyphenols and antioxidants. It has them all in there, from green tea to turmeric and Boswellia extract. It's a major anti-inflammatory. All of these benefits also apply to topical application of green tea."

TROPHORESTORATIVE
Trophorestorative is a nutritive herb that has a restorative effect and acts as a food that nourishes and builds tissues. Dr. Berkowsky, a teacher and mentor of Julie's, says it restores the nutritional status of the tissues and helps to rectify deficiencies and weaknesses in specific organs and tissues in the body. "As it relates to cutaneous tissues, some of the most effective are calendula, carrot, and sea buckthorn," noted Julie. "You need to apply these ingredients every day. When it comes to trophorestoratives, think Calendula Solution and the Fleur Vibrante trilogy. In the months leading up to summer, I'm diligent about applying Calendula Solution and Fleur Vibrante Solution and alternate between the two daily. I also use the Fleur Vibrante Serum Cerate, and I apply it two to three times a day to my face, neck, and décolletage. Note, it takes up to 8 weeks to build up in the tissues."