You’ve read about the harmful effects of UV, heard all the warnings, yet nothing is going to deter you from hitting the beaches this summer. Sun tanning is part of life, and humans are not the only mammals that love to bask under the hot sun. A suntan is more than just getting lovely dark skin, although that is the main goal of tan. A sun tan also induces wonderful feelings and feeling alive especially after a long bitter winter. The thing is, there is a smart way and a not so smart way to getting a tan. The smart way is understanding that too much sun can be dangerous to your skin. The not so smart way is totally dismissing any and all advice and recommendations to help protect your skin.
Sun Tanning Smartly On The Beach
Sun Tan Facts And Tips
- The skin darkens when it is exposed to UV light. There are two kinds of radiation, UVA seeps in deeply into the skin. UVB affects the skin’s upper level and can cause sunburn and much worse. It’s important to under this because by knowing how UV light affects your skin you will feel more inclined to use sunscreen protection. An SPF sunscreen can greatly reduce the highly potent UVB. You’ll be protected from sunburn and protected from potentially more dangerous skin diseases.
- A tanning bed does have stronger UV radiation as much as 3 times more powerful. It’s more concentrated and explains why people get darker in as little as 20 minutes. This doesn’t mean that sun tanning is safer because when the sun comes out many people spend long hours laying on the sands of beaches, or even their backyards.
- A tanning lotion with no sunscreen will accelerate your tan process but it also offers you no kind of protection. This is a recipe to make your skin age and wrinkle prematurely. This isn’t a scare tactic at all but some sensible steps should be taken before hitting the beaches.
- Most celebrities that you see heavenly tanned do in fact go to beaches but you’ll be surprised at how infrequently. So you may wonder, well how come they look tanned year round? Their secret is sunless tanning.
- The lighter your skin the less tolerance you’ll have for sun exposure. Common results for very light skin are sunburns and more often than not you won’t attain a tan as well as you’d like. You’ll probably redden before your skin begins to burn and crisp. The darker the skin color the more tolerance and the more likelihood to get darker and darker. It is highly recommended that lighter skin tones use stronger SPF sunscreen.
- Sun tan oils are faster acting than lotions. Most oils don’t have sunscreen protection while most lotions have SPF. What’s just as important as SPF is moisturizing ingredients. Tanning in any way can dry your skin very quickly. Using a lotion with a moisturizer will in the short term and also long term protect healthy skin. Using a moisturizer after tanning is also a smart idea and considerably reduces the affects of sun exposure.
Enjoy the warm days of summer and radiant sun. Sunshine is a blessing, and by taking sensible precautions you can protect yourself from the sun, doing so shouldn’t prevent you from having a lot of fun. Remain hydrated by drinking plenty of liquids throughout the day, wear protective eye wear and your sun tanning experience will be much more pleasant.