Summer officially begins tomorrow, which for many guys and gals means it’s time to get their tan on.
It seems like everyone wants to achieve that perfect summer glow. People jump in the tanning bed to get this look within minutes without sometimes thinking of a healthier alternative to achieve the same look. I’m not going to give a speech about the dangers of skin cancer, but it is a real thing that people often forget in the process of tanning. These are a couple of other ways you can gain a healthy amount of color to your skin without the use of a tanning bed to look great this season.
Self-tanners
Choosing the right self-tanner makes all the difference when trying to achieve that glow. It can either make you look like you’ve just returned from a sunny vacation down in the Bahamas or you just came back from working for Willy Wonka in his chocolate factory. Self-tanning moisturizers are perfect for beginning tanners to achieve just a hint of color. They gradually begin to build in color with daily use and have less concentration of dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is what turns your skin darker. Tanning towelettes are great way to get color if you’re on the go. They are presoaked in self-tanner and only need to be swiped across your skin to get the tan you desire. It’s hard to overdo your tan by using these handy towelettes. Another alternative are tanning sprays, which are a good way to cover a large area of your body in a short amount of time. It’s also best to use when you want to get those harder to reach areas on your body such as your back.
The most important thing to know about using self-tanners is how to properly prepare and apply them to your skin. Here are a few steps you can take to assure you get the best results from your product:
- Prep your skin by exfoliating the areas you want to use the tanner on and avoid scrubs that have oily residue since the oil makes the self-tanner harder to absorb into the skin.
- Use latex gloves in order to have a smooth and controllable applicator while also keeping your hands from staining. Make sure to start from the bottom up and have your hands be last.
- Wait as long as the packaging of your self-tanner tells you to in order to keep the product from staining your clothes and don’t take a shower for at least eight hours.
- Moisturize your skin every day in order to maintain your tan or the color will begin to flake off.
Natural sunlight
Just being out in the natural sunlight is a healthy alternative to the tanning bed as long as you don’t abuse it. Sunshine still emits UV rays but much less than you would receive in a tanning bed. It’s the best way to get vitamin D, which has been shown to help with various types of cancer as well as kidney and heart disease. Be sure to use a good amount of sunscreen if you choose to lie out. It’s recommended to put on the equivalent of a shot glass worth of sunscreen on the exposed areas of your body and the SPF should be at least 15 or higher for the right amount of protection. Also, make sure to keep reapplying your sunscreen every two hours or after swimming and excessive sweating.
Just like everything else in life, there’s nothing wrong with tanning as long as it’s not done excessively.
