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Food

A Dermatologist Says This Drink Will Stop You From Getting Sunburned

Following years of extensive research into alternative types of sun protection, Greek-born dermatologist Bobby Awadalla has released UVO, a "sun protective drink.”

Picture this: The crimson sun blankets an endless sky. You and your lover lay atop a glistening virginal shore. What started as nothing more than putting sunscreen on each other's backs turns into a passionate embrace as you are both enveloped by the frothing waves.

We bring you this sensuous scenario by way of illustration, as it may soon become nothing more than a distant memory for anyone on earth. At least, that will be the case if scientific progress has anything to say about it.

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Following years of extensive research into alternative types of sun protection, Greek-born dermatologist Bobby Awadalla has released UVO, a "sun protective drink."

For the suggested retail price of $4.99, you can now down a bottle of the peach- or orange-flavored drink. Awadalla says the key ingredients—vitamins A, C, D, E, and niacin, folate, biotin, zinc, and selenium—will protect your skin from the sun. "UVO blocks both UVA and UVB rays from damaging the skin but does so using natural pigments to absorb them and other mechanisms to decrease the damage they cause," he says.

Sounds good, right? Because, after all, sunscreen is a pain and, according to the American Academy of Dermatology as cited by Food Navigator, only 14 percent of men and 29 percent of women use it regularly.

There's just one catch: UVO alone may not keep your skin from frying up to a crisp, bacon-like texture. On the UVO website, Awadalla states, "As a dermatologist, I never recommend that people use only one form of sun protection. I always recommend several forms of protection including sunscreen, sun protective clothing, hats / sunglasses, umbrellas, minimizing exposure to the sun, seeking shade and of course UVO." So don't throw out the sunblock just yet.

A further statement on the UVO website comes from the American Academy of Dermatology. They say: "There is currently no scientific evidence that oral supplements alone can provide an adequate level of protection form the sun's damaging UV rays." A clinical trial cited by UVO involves only 15 people.

So does UVO really work? Who knows? But if you do want to indulge, be sure to follow the directions: "Drink 30 minutes before sun exposure for 3-5 hours of sun protection. Drink immediately after over-exposure to the sun to help soothe the skin. Drink daily to help repair long-term sun damage and for beautification."

That's a lot of sunscreen to down. Bottoms up, sun lovers!

And while you're waiting for the UVO to kick in, you might want to sensually rub sunscreen on your lover's back—while it's still a thing.