The autumn and winter seasons have left our skin looking pale, dull and perhaps a little uneven. Come holiday or perhaps even just a weekend where the weather presents itself as “perfect” to you, it’s about time you get a tan.
The last thing you want is to return home from your holiday wearing one of two colors. The first is looking the exact same as you did before you left for your holiday in the sun, and the second is looking like a crispy piece of bacon. Since neither of these looks are appealing after a holiday, which is usually made for sunbathing, you best be ready for tanning when you get there.
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Ready for Tanning on Your Holiday? What Does That Even Mean?
Traditionally and low-key, no one is ever entirely ready to hit the sun. That’s because there used to be no rules. Before we were made aware of the actual damage the sun causes, we were lying in it for hours, and sometimes even skipped the sunscreen application.
We know the excuses by now all too well.
“It was a cloudy day.”
“It was cold.”
“The sun wasn’t even that hot.”
Worst of all, “I have a dark-pigment skin-tone. The sun doesn’t affect me at all.”
In all these cases, women, and men should be educated on the real-time effects the sun has on the skin.
For instance, just because you have a darker skin-tone, doesn’t mean that you’re not prone to obtaining sun damage. It happens to everybody, and even though you might not see any physical damage, your skin will be prone to age faster if you don’t look after it.
Traditional Tanning VS Self-Tanning Products
Learning about the potential effects the sun can have on your skin, it’s often recommended to rather stay out of the sun. Since women all around the world have learned to look after their skin better over the past two decades, especially with the introduction of technology, self-tanning products can be found everywhere. Even though it’s a safer alternative to traditional sunbathing, it’s not quite what you had in mind for your holiday in the sun, is it?
Besides, if you can’t enjoy the sun on your holiday, then what’s the point of even going on a holiday? Bottom line is, vitamin D is good for your skin, boosts your skin’s serotonin levels, and has even proven to decrease anxiety in both women and men. Meaning, it adds to our mental well-being. Vitamin D is also essential to maintain healthy bones, skin, and teeth, which means that the sun is not only bad for you but good too. However, it should just be enjoyed in smaller quantities.
It’s also very important to remember that, when you apply fake tanning products, you shouldn’t forget that such products don’t contain enough, or most of the time any active sun-protection agents whatsoever.
Tips to Make Your Dream Tan Happen
- Use sun protection every day, both on your holiday and off.
- Exfoliate your skin regularly but be sure not to use any harsh products on your skin.
- Moisturize daily, before and after tanning.
- Move from the sun to the shade at regular intervals.
- Always protect your face by wearing sunglasses, a hat or sitting in the shade.
- Tan outdoors, rather than getting an artificial tan.
- Tan during the right time of the day. Don’t tan between 10 am and 4 pm, which is when the sun is at its hottest and will likely cause you permanent skin damage.
- Take a shower after you’ve tanned and apply aloe vera or a cooling cream to your skin.
Remove the Risks Associated with Getting a Tan on your Holiday
The craze about protecting your skin against the sun goes beyond getting sunburnt. It also has plenty to do with your health. Since skin cancer is one of the top five leading and most common cancers in the world, doctors also recommend limiting your exposure to the sun.
Rules for avoiding the risks associated with sun damage:
- Sunscreen is your best friend – Where most people go wrong, however, is only applying an SPF30. Search for the UVA logo plus or the word ‘high’/’broad spectrum sunscreen’, to ensure you’re getting the right one. Additionally, it’s also better to be safe than sorry and choose an SPF50 on days that feel warmer.
- Steer clear of sunbeds – There is no such thing as a healthy tan in a sunbed. All you’ll be receiving is increased amounts of UVA, but no UVB. That means that vitamin D will not even be stimulated inside of your skin, which could increase your skin cancer risk by 75%.
- Balance your sun-time VS your shade-time – As we said, enjoy your holiday time in the sun, but be sure to take breaks. Above all else, if you feel like the sun is making you feel tired, move over to the shade.
- Choose the correct time of day to tan – Did you know that when your skin can’t produce any more melanin, it’s time to stop tanning? That means that lounging by the pool all day long will only get you sunburnt. Depending on the temperature of the sun, this may also occur faster, which means that you need to reduce your sun tanning time.
- Replace your tan-enhancing lotions with supplements that will help you tan faster – Since tan-enhancing creams don’t work, opting for a supplement that increases the production of melanin in your skin is a great way to tan faster. One of the best supplements you can use is a 25g beta-care tone supplement, which can be ingested daily. The supplement works by literally boosting your skin’s natural ability to tan.
- Consume more sun-friendly foods – When you’re on your holiday, you want to eat foods that can increase lycopene.
Lycopene is the skin’s very own SPF. We bet you didn’t even know that your skin contains its very own SPF! Lycopene is an antioxidant that can be most prominently found in red and orange fruits and vegetables, which can boost your skin’s sun-protecting mechanisms by over 30%. Polyphenols, which are also prominent antioxidants and are found in green tea and omega-3 fatty fish. Finally, dark chocolate is one secret ingredient that can help protect your skin against sunburn. Consuming dark chocolate with caffeine before you go out into the sun, can even cause a double effect, as it will help protect your skin against obtaining any sun damage, as well as cut your risk of getting skin cancer.