When you’re walking around in intense sunlight, how much protection are you getting from your clothing? Can you tan through clothing, and can you get a sunburn?
Whether you like tans or prefer avoiding them, knowing about it matters. Plus, one thing is for sure: having tan lines isn’t fun even if you like tans! Thus, you should know about the possibility of tanning through clothes.
[Read more…] about Can You Tan Through Clothing?When your beautiful tan has already faded and you’re left with your usual pale skin tone, you can either flaunt your porcelain white skin or go for a tan. Either choice is great but if you’re more inclined to go for a tan, below is some useful information that’s great to know.
So you’ve decided to soak up the sun on your day-off to achieve the bronze goddess complexion you’ve been dreaming of. The only problem is you can’t control the weather! Instead of seeing the sun shining brightly, you see clouds everywhere.
You may start to frown and think that your sun tanning day is over. But have you ever asked yourself the question “can you tan when it’s cloudy”? Well, the answer is yes. Read more below to figure out why and to know how to tan, even when it’s cloudy.
We all know that exposing the skin to the sun for quite some time can result in the darkening of its color and all the benefits (and well-known drawbacks) of tanning outside. This is due to the reaction of the skin to the ultraviolet radiation exposure that is present in the sunlight.
Melanin is the pigments in the skin that are responsible for making it look darker. These pigments are naturally present in the skin are there to protect the body against ultraviolet radiation. When the skin detects that it is exposed to UV light, it has a natural reaction to produce more melanin pigments. This is the skin’s way of protecting itself so the tan color is just a side effect of the skin trying to protect itself from being exposed to UV rays.
The beautiful tan color of the skin due to melanin is actually a combination of two processes. The first process is the actual oxidation of the melanin that is already in the skin due to absorbing UVA radiation. In this process, the quantity of melanin remains the same, the melanin is just activated to protect against sunburn.
The second process involves UVB radiation. With this type of ultraviolet light, the melanocytes, which are the cells that produce melanin, are triggered. With this process, the darkening of the skin doesn’t immediately show up.
The effects will usually become visible after a couple of days as the production of the melanin also takes time. However, the tan from this process is more likely to last from a few weeks to months.
The sun’s rays are needed to produce tanned skin. But what happens when it is cloudy outside? Are you wondering if you can still tan when it’s cloudy? Well, the answer is yes. You can still get a tan even when it is cloudy and here is why.
From what we’ve discussed above, we learned that the skin gets tanned due to the UVA and UVB rays. The sun’s rays are made of that plus visible light as well. The ultraviolet rays can still penetrate the clouds so even if it’s cloudy, your skin still gets exposed to them.
Remember that it is not the visible light that causes the tan.
That’s also the reason why you should take the same precautions ) while tanning on a sunny day when your tanning on a cloudy day.
Some people make the mistake of exposing themselves for too long, tanning at the wrong time of day or skipping on the sunscreen, thinking that they won’t get burned because the clouds provide some shade.
Precaution should still be practiced even if you are sun tanning on a cloudy day. If you don’t, you would be at higher risk of developing more serious health problems.
No, you don’t tan better with clouds. Although you can still tan even there are clouds hiding the visible light from the sun, the ultraviolet rays that reach your skin are more or less the same as when there are no clouds. The clouds do not magnify the effects of the ultraviolet rays.
You won’t tan faster, and your tan won’t look better even if it’s cloudy.
The UV rays from the sun cause a reaction in the skin to darken it. However, that is not the only effect of the UV rays. The darkening or tanning of the skin is the only obvious change but there are also damages that happen to the skin.
The damages can increase the risk of developing different issues in the body involving the skin, the eyes, and the immune system.
Sunburn is the skin’s reaction to UV exposure when it gets damaged. There might be immediate redness in the exposed area and peeling that follows after a few days. It is short term damage and can go away on its own.
However, it can also be painful. Some suggest taking cool baths to help soothe it. If the sunburn is severe, you might need to be medically examined and treated. Those with severe sunburn don’t only have reddish areas of the skin but also blistered skin. They may also experience fever and headache.
It’s really easy to overdo it when laying out in the sun while its cloudy. The sun is still there, and your body is still soaking in those rays, but it doesn’t quite feel like it. Bad sunburns are a frequent result of tanning too long on a cloudy day, so be careful. The one thing that virtually all medical specialists agree on is that you really want to avoid sunburns as much as possible.
A tan can look great but getting it often could also increase the risk of premature aging. This photoaging can bring wrinkled skin and dark spots. The reason why this happens is that the UV radiation can also damage the collagen and elastin on the skin.
When this happens often, the skin loses elasticity, and folds or wrinkles are formed. Additionally, dark spots can also show up permanently.
This skin condition is a concern because it can develop into skin cancer. Like skin cancer, you should watch out for scaly bumps that are raised and rough.
These will usually be treated and removed by a dermatologist by using chemical peels or even liquid nitrogen.
There are many different factors that can increase the risk of developing skin cancer. It can be hereditary but exposure to ultraviolet rays can also cause it. This is because the ultraviolet radiation damages the DNA of the skin cells, which could lead to abnormal growths. Additionally, ultraviolet radiation can also weaken the body’s immune system that helps fight cancer cells.
Treatment varies depending on the severity and type of skin cancer. However, it would be best to prevent it from happening in the first place. That’s why it is important to protect your skin when exposing it to ultraviolet rays.
Tanning under the sun always comes with risks.
As discussed earlier, we now know that the tanning of the skin is a sign of skin damage. The best way to avoid those risks is not to have a tan through sun exposure. There are alternatives like self-tanners and bronzers, like the L’Oreal Sublime Bronzer shown below, that could help you achieve a bronze glow.
But these just aren’t the same as the real deal. If you really like to have a tan under the sun, there are ways on how to minimize the risks.
Such would involve the following:
Although you can see your skin darken a bit after tanning under the sun, you shouldn’t stay under the sun until you achieve the color you want. Take it slow and build up to your color. You just can’t achieve that tan you want in just a single day, in one sitting.
It is best to only spend about 10 to 15 minutes exposed directly under the sun, and use sunscreen after that point (see our article on how long to tan for more information). You can always the sun exposure the next day.
Remember that your skin can still darken even if you’re not in the sun as a result of the increase in melanin production.
Preparing the skin is a very important step in tanning. Whether you are planning to go under the sun or use products for a fake tan, preparation is key. The skin is prepared by gentle exfoliation and moisturizing it.
Use an exfoliating scrub to help remove the dead skin cells. You can use exfoliating scrubs regularly as a weekly regimen to help make your skin smoother. Also, don’t forget to keep your skin nourished by using a moisturizer or lotion. Keep yourself well hydrated too! Drink a lot of water because it also helps keep your skin hydrated.
Covering up is one option, and it’s a good one. But often you still want to be in the sun, so its time to put on an appropriate amount of sunscreen. This will help prevent too much exposure from the damaging ultraviolet rays. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen and of at least SPF-30 (we love the Blue Lizard sunscreen shown above). Apply it when you’ve reached your allotted time in the sun, and reapply every two hours.
If you get wet, reapply it.
Even if the sunscreen says its waterproof, it’s not.
The skin on your body isn’t the only part of your body that you should protect from the sun, you should also think about your scalp, eyes, and lips. A hat can help provide shade for your head and you can also use sprays like Coola’s mist hair sunscreen or powders like Supergoop that are specifically made for that purpose.
There are sunscreens (like Elta’s Clear Facial Sunscreen) suitable and gentle for the face that you can also apply around the eye area. However, remember that the skin on the eye area is very sensitive. You can wear some sunglasses to protect the skin around the eyes and to shield your eyes from the bright light of the sun too.
Additionally, you shouldn’t forget to protect your lips from the sun too. There are lip balms that also contain SPF so you can also prevent your lips from painful sunburns.
Even with sunscreen, you can still get some areas sunburned due to various factors. It’s possible that you missed a few spots, you didn’t reapply the sunscreen as needed, you didn’t give the sunscreen enough time for them to work or you exposed your skin under the sun for far too long.
Whether you accidentally have sunburned parts or not, it is best to apply after-sun care products to help soothe and cool down the skin.
After exposing your body to the sun, you have to hydrate. You can even do this while sunbathing. This helps you from being dehydrated and overheated. If you don’t do this, you could feel lightheaded and dizzy.
Tanning under the sun is possible whether it’s a clear sunny day or a cloudy one. You absolutely can tan when it’s cloudy out! The UV rays are still able to penetrate through the clouds so you can still get a tan. However, you have to remember that tanning causes damage to the skin, and overexposure to UV rays has its risks.
The best way to minimize those risks is to avoid having exposing the skin under the sun just to get a tan. However, if you’d really like to have that sunkissed glow, you can still minimize the risks by using various products discussed above and applying precautions while sunbathing.
A sunless tanner used on fair skin gives you that golden goddess glow if it works well for your skin. Sometimes, instead of being a golden goddess, you end up looking like an orange oompa loompa. Yikes!
We all had that fear of orange skin after using a sunless tanner. But fear no more because this article is a review of several top sunless tanners for pale skin. We’ll start with the Best Self Tanner for Fair Skin, St Tropes Self Tan Express Advanced Bronzing Mousse.
[Read more…] about Best Self Tanner for Fair Skin
Spa Day. Two of my favorite words! But usually spa days cost a lot!
Massages, tanning, beauty treatments: they’re all wonderful. And surprisingly, they’re all available at a pretty reasonable price at Planet Fitness. America’s Gym also has a spa area, only accessible to those who have Planet Fitness Black Card Memebership. This membership offers a variety of interesting perks that add up to a pretty extensive spa solution. No, you’re not going to find candles and vaguely Asian-style New Age music, but the Black Card offers a lot.
This article is a Planet Fitness Black Card Review, and goes through everything you need to know to determine if the Black Card Membership is the right choice for your needs.
When you go for a tan, whether it be at home with your favorite tanning lotion, from a spray tan at the salon, the tanning bed, or out in the glorious sunlight, you aim to have the most even tan possible.
Tan lines are a big no.
But, what if you can create a design out of those tan lines? No, I’m not talking about crisscrossing the tan lines. What I am referring to is a sun tattoo! These can be made through a variety of methods, but the most common are Tanning Stickers.
You can get some really cool looks by getting creative using stickers throughout your tanning process.
[Read more…] about Sun Tattoos and Tanning Stickers