May 6, 2026

What Are Carotenoids? The Antioxidant Pigments Behind Skin Glow

By Julia Hart, The Electric Facialist

The reason we eat the rainbow

You have probably heard the phrase eat the rainbow — but behind that simple advice is some very interesting science.

The bright orange in carrots, the deep red in tomatoes, the golden yellow of pumpkin, the dark green of kale, and even the rich colour in some berries all point to a group of powerful plant pigments called Carotenoids.

Carotenoids are more than just colour. They are fat-soluble antioxidant compounds found in plants, algae and some photosynthetic bacteria. They help protect plants from light damage and oxidative stress — and when we eat them, they become part of our own internal antioxidant network. More than 750 carotenoids have been identified in nature, but the key dietary carotenoids we most often talk about in human nutrition are Alpha-carotene, Beta-carotene, Beta-cryptoxanthin, Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Lycopene.

This is where skin health becomes fascinating.

Because Carotenoids do not just disappear once we eat them. They circulate in the blood, accumulate in tissues, and can even be measured in the skin. This is why they are increasingly being studied as biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake, nutritional status and long-term antioxidant support.

What exactly are Carotenoids?

Carotenoids are natural pigments responsible for many of the Yellow, Orange and Red tones in fruit and vegetables. They are also found in green vegetables, but in leafy greens the orange-yellow pigments are masked by chlorophyll — which is why kale and spinach are actually very rich carotenoid foods even though they look green.

There are two main groups to understand:

1. Provitamin A Carotenoids

These can be converted by the body into vitamin A.

They include:

Beta-carotene
Alpha-carotene
Beta-cryptoxanthin

Vitamin A is essential for normal immune function, vision, skin integrity, growth and cellular differentiation.

2. Non-provitamin A carotenoids

These are not converted into vitamin A, but they still have important biological roles.

They include:

Lutein
Zeaxanthin
Lycopene

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are especially known for their role in the eye, where they are selectively taken up into the macula and help absorb blue light. Lycopene is the red carotenoid most associated with tomatoes, watermelon and red/pink fruits.

Why Carotenoids matter for skin health

Your skin is constantly exposed to oxidative stress.

UV light, pollution, poor diet, stress, smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep and inflammation all increase the production of reactive oxygen species — unstable molecules that can damage lipids, proteins, DNA and cellular structures. In the skin, oxidative stress is strongly involved in photo-ageing, dullness, inflammation, collagen breakdown and skin barrier damage.

Carotenoids are interesting because they are part of the skin’s antioxidant defence system. Research into skin photo-ageing suggests that carotenoids may help combat oxidative stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species and modulating oxidative-stress responsive pathways. A 2025 review in Antioxidants highlighted Carotenoids such as Beta-carotene, Lycopene, Astaxanthin, Lutein and Zeaxanthin for their antioxidant activity and potential role in protecting against UV-driven photoageing.

This does not mean carotenoids replace sunscreen — they absolutely do not.

Think of them as internal support. They help build resilience from within, but they do not act like SPF and should never be used as a substitute for sun protection.

**Carotenoids as biomarkers: why this is so exciting**

This is the part that makes PRYSM iO so interesting.

Carotenoids are not just nutrients. They can also act as measurable indicators of dietary intake and nutritional status.

Because humans cannot make carotenoids, we have to obtain them from the diet. If carotenoid levels are present in the blood and skin, they reflect — to a meaningful extent — what we have been eating over time.

Several studies have shown that skin carotenoid status correlates with blood carotenoid levels and fruit and vegetable intake. In one study of children, skin carotenoids measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy were strongly correlated with serum carotenoid levels and positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake.

A study in Korean adults found that skin carotenoid status was positively correlated with total serum carotenoid concentration, beta-carotene levels, total carotenoid intake and fruit and vegetable intake. The researchers concluded that skin carotenoid status can be a valid biomarker of fruit and vegetable intake.

Even more interestingly, a controlled feeding trial showed that skin Carotenoid status increased faster and more significantly in a high-carotenoid diet group, and baseline skin Carotenoid status correlated with total Carotenoid intake, fruit and vegetable intake, and serum Carotenoid concentration. This supports the idea that skin carotenoid levels can reflect changes in Carotenoid-rich food intake over time.

This is why skin Carotenoid measurement is so novel. It moves us from vague advice — “eat more vegetables” — into something much more powerful:

measure, understand, improve.

Are carotenoids an indicator of overall antioxidant health?

This is the important nuance.

Carotenoids are not the whole antioxidant story. Your body uses many antioxidant systems and nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin E, Glutathione, Polyphenols, Selenium-dependent enzymes, Superoxide Dismutase and many other internal defence pathways.

So no — Carotenoids are not a complete measurement of every antioxidant in the body.

But they are a very useful proxy marker.

Because Carotenoids come from colourful plant foods, and because they are fat-soluble and remain in the body longer than some water-soluble dietary markers, they can give insight into habitual fruit and vegetable intake. Researchers have described blood carotenoids as strong biological markers for fruit and vegetable consumption, while skin Carotenoid status is now being explored as a non-invasive alternative.

In other words:

A higher carotenoid score does not prove perfect health — but it can suggest better intake of colourful, antioxidant-rich plant foods.

That is still extremely valuable.

Because dietary patterns rich in colourful fruits and vegetables are associated with a wider range of protective nutrients — not just carotenoids, but also polyphenols, fibre, minerals and other phytonutrients.

This is why I see Carotenoids as a window into your skin nutrition habits.

How do we get Carotenoids?

We get Carotenoids from food — especially colourful fruit and vegetables.

The highest sources are usually:

Orange and yellow vegetables
Dark green leafy vegetables
Red fruits and vegetables
Certain berries and tropical fruits
Marigold-derived lutein in some supplements

Because Carotenoids are fat-soluble, they are absorbed best when eaten with some fat. Cooking, chopping, blending or puréeing can also make certain carotenoids more bioavailable because it helps release them from the plant matrix. The Linus Pauling Institute notes that Carotenoids are best absorbed with fat in a meal, and that chopping, puréeing and cooking carotenoid-containing vegetables in oil generally increases bioavailability.

This is why a raw carrot is great — but cooked carrots with olive oil, or tomato sauce with extra virgin olive oil, may deliver carotenoids in a more absorbable form.

How to absorb carotenoids better

To get more from Carotenoid-rich foods, think:

Add healthy fats

Carotenoids need fat for absorption. Use:

Olive oil
Avocado
Nuts and seeds
Eggs
Oily fish
Full-fat yoghurt, if tolerated

Cook some of your carotenoid foods

Cooking can improve the bioavailability of some carotenoids, especially in foods such as carrots, tomatoes and pumpkin. Lycopene in tomatoes, for example, is fat-soluble and its absorption is enhanced when eaten with dietary fat.

Blend or chop

Soups, smoothies, sauces and purées can help break down the food matrix, making the carotenoids easier to access.

Eat consistently

This is not a one-off “superfood” situation. Skin carotenoid status reflects patterns over time. Daily colour matters more than occasional perfection.

The highest carotenoid-rich foods

Here are some of the best foods to build into your routine.

Beta-carotene and Alpha-carotene

These are the classic orange carotenoids and some can convert into vitamin A.

Excellent sources include:

Carrot juice
Cooked carrots
Raw carrots
Pumpkin
Sweet potato
Winter squash
Cantaloupe melon
Kale
Spinach
Collard greens

The Linus Pauling Institute lists carrot juice, canned pumpkin, cooked spinach, baked sweet potato and cooked carrots among rich beta-carotene sources. It also lists canned pumpkin, yellow plantain, carrot juice and carrots as strong Alpha-carotene sources.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

These are especially associated with eye health and are also part of the skin’s antioxidant network.

Good sources include:

Kale
Spinach
Parsley
Rocket
Chard
Broccoli
Peas
Egg yolk
Marigold-derived lutein in certain supplements

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are concentrated in the macula of the eye, where they help absorb blue light and support visual function.

Lycopene

Lycopene gives red and pink foods their colour.

Good sources include:

Tomatoes
Tomato paste
Tomato sauce
Watermelon
Pink grapefruit
Guava
Papaya
Red peppers

Tomato products are especially interesting because cooking can improve lycopene bioavailability, particularly when eaten with fat.

Beta-cryptoxanthin

This is another provitamin A carotenoid.

Good sources include:

Sweet red peppers
Oranges
Tangerines
Papaya
Pumpkin
Persimmon
Apricots

The Linus Pauling Institute notes that orange and red fruit and vegetables such as sweet red peppers and oranges are particularly rich sources of beta-cryptoxanthin.

What about Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin is another powerful carotenoid, but unlike Beta-carotene, it does not convert into vitamin A. It is best known as a deep red-orange antioxidant pigment found in microalgae and seafood such as salmon, trout, shrimp and krill.

Astaxanthin is particularly interesting for skin because it is fat-soluble and can interact with lipid-rich cell membranes. Research reviews describe its potential role in supporting skin health through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and photoprotective pathways, and a 2021 systematic review concluded that oral and/or topical Astaxanthin may help improve skin moisture, elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles.

My favourite way to think about carotenoid colours

Orange foods

Carrots, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Cantaloupe and Mango.

These are your beta-carotene and alpha-carotene heroes — brilliant for that skin-from-within glow.

Red foods

Tomatoes, Red peppers, Watermelon, Guava and Papaya.

These bring in lycopene and other carotenoids associated with antioxidant protection.

Dark green foods

Kale, Spinach, Rocket, Parsley, Chard and Broccoli.

Do not underestimate greens. They may not look orange, but they can be incredibly rich in Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Beta-carotene.

Yellow and Golden foods

Yellow carrots, apricots, pumpkin, marigold-derived lutein and yellow peppers.

These are beautiful for the “eat the rainbow” message and connect so well with skin glow and eye health.

Berry colours

Blackberries, raspberries, currants and cloudberries bring a broader antioxidant profile. Some contain carotenoids, but they are also rich in other polyphenols and protective plant compounds — a reminder that colour variety is always the goal.

Why PRYSM iO makes this so exciting

This is where the future of wellness gets interesting.

Most people are guessing when it comes to nutrition.

They might say:

“I eat quite well.”

But how do you know if your antioxidant-rich food intake is actually showing up in the body?

PRYSM iO helps make this visible by measuring carotenoid levels in the skin. Because skin carotenoids are linked to fruit and vegetable intake and serum carotenoid levels, they can offer a fascinating window into your skin-from-within nutrition habits.

For me, this is not about perfection. It is about feedback.

When you can measure something, you can begin to understand it.

And when you understand it, you can improve it.

Read about PRYSM iO and and the science behind this unique wellness device.

Food first, supplements second

I will always start with food.

Colourful plant foods bring far more than isolated carotenoids. They also provide fibre, polyphenols, vitamin C, minerals and other protective compounds that work together in a way that isolated high-dose supplementation cannot fully replicate.

This matters because high-dose beta-carotene supplementation is not recommended for everyone. Large trials found increased lung cancer risk with high-dose beta-carotene supplementation in smokers and asbestos-exposed groups, so supplements should be used intelligently and appropriately.

That does not mean all supplementation is bad. It means context matters.

The foundation should always be:

colourful nutrition, consistent habits, and targeted support where appropriate.

This is where I love the link between PRYSM iO, nutrition, and carefully chosen products such as Beauty Focus Collagen+ — particularly because it includes Lutein.

The Electric Facialist view

Healthy skin is not just what you apply.

It is what your cells are exposed to every day.

The skin is constantly responding to light, stress, nutrition, inflammation, sleep, energy, hormones and environment. Carotenoids are one of the ways we can begin to see whether our internal environment is being supported by colourful, antioxidant-rich nutrition.

This is why I believe the future of skin health is not just topical.

It is measurable.

It is cellular.

It is inside out.

And it starts with colour.