Want to get the perfect tan? Here is how to tan, but in a healthy and natural way, without the dangerous consequences of sun exposure, which we are constantly warned about.
Have you noticed how much more attractive a tanned body looks? When was the last time you saw an advertisement with a model who has extremely light skin? Even bright and light colored clothes look great on dark skin.
Whether we want to admit it or not, a pale complexion that is a symbol of aristocratic beauty is not fashionable, and a dark complexion is not unattainable.
You can get it in a solarium, in the sun or by using a self-tanning cream. You will hear about the bad consequences of all these forms of achieving a perfect complexion.
So, how to tan?
Prepare your skin for sunbathing
Well-prepared skin for the sun is half the job done if you want to find a way to tan quickly.
Hydrate the skin. Dry skin will dry out and be damaged in the sun before it gets tanned. So, how to do it? First of all, drink enough water, especially during the summer months.
It is one of the ways to naturally hydrate your skin. In addition, you can apply certain body lotions after showering that have this purpose. This is also good against cellulite.
Exfoliate your skin before sunbathing. To achieve a beautiful and even complexion, you need to make a beautiful and smooth base. Remove all dead cells and dry skin with a mild exfoliation.
Do not overdo the peeling because your skin will be more sensitive during sun exposure.
Take off your clothes. It’s nice to see someone who has got a dark skin complexion, but you have to admit that it’s a bit funny when you see white traces that clearly outline the edge of a swimsuit.
If you want to know how to tan evenly, then you need to know how to make a good choice of swimsuit. One-piece swimsuits hide more than they reveal and prevent you from exposing your skin to the sun.
In that case, bikinis are a better option because they uncover the abdomen and back, and cover what you normally cover with clothes. And it is ideal to take off as much as possible.
Eat the right food. Did you know that the answer to the question of how to get tanned the fastest is in choosing the right food? Nature has arranged all that beautifully.
Foods rich in carotene stimulate the skin’s ability to darken in the sun, as well as vitamin A. You’ve probably noticed that various forms of sunscreen have beta-carotene.
Therefore, go for foods that have these ingredients, and summer is perfect for that. You will find them in carrots, melons, apricots, peaches, spinach, tomatoes.
While these are important preparations for your skin that can help you tan quickly, the most important part of the preparation is to apply good sun protection to your skin.
Sun protection – Why is it important?
Exposure to the sun’s UV rays is natural, but it does not mean that everything that is natural is completely safe. It is not only important to know how to tan quickly, but it should be done in a smart and healthy way, and you need good protection from the sun for that.
But first let’s explain what sunbathing is and why we should protect ourselves?
It actually increases the production of melanin in the skin. Our cells produce two types of melanin – one is red and one is dark baron. When we expose the body to the sun, by producing melanin, the body is actually protecting itself from the sun’s radiation.
Too much radiation, or too much sun, is not healthy, especially not if you do not wear sunscreen. This exaggeration increases your chances of getting skin cancer.
Although you have probably heard this warning a million times, most of us think that something like this only happens to others, and many irresponsibly expose themselves to the sun’s rays, thinking that exaggeration is the right way to get tanned quickly.
Of course, skin cancer is a total extreme. What you are more likely to get is some form of facial hyperpigmentation and even wrinkles!
Sun protection means applying oils or creams with a certain protection factor. The protection factor indicates how much protection a certain product provides against UVB sun rays.
However, it should be borne in mind that these are not the only harmful rays emitted by the Sun. Its bright spectrum also contains UVA rays, which are also very harmful.
People with a light complexion know how easy it is to burn in the sun and they need sunscreen with a higher protection factor.
Sunscreen with a factor of 15 blocks about 93% of the sun’s UVB rays, the one with SPF 30 blocks about 97% of the sun’s rays, and protection with an SPF factor of 50 blocks 98% of the sun’s rays. None block UVA rays!
You may notice that a big difference in the factor is not a big difference in protection at the same time. That is why sometimes protection with a high SPF factor, over 50, can be counterproductive and encourage us to spend the whole day in the sun.
It is true that it will protect you from sunburns, but not from UVA rays, and that does not mean that you are completely safe.
Then, how to choose the right one?
If you are of lighter complexion, take sunscreen with SPF 30, and if you have a darker complexion, protection with a factor of 15 is also good.
Rules for the use of sunscreen
- Apply sunscreen before going out in the sun and wait for the body to absorb it. Only then get dressed and head to the beach or your place for sunbathing.
- If you go swimming, make sure your sun protection is waterproof. If you have decided to just lie in the sun because, say, your cycle has disrupted your vacation, then you do not have to search for this property on labels.
- Protect your lips as well. Apply a balm that has a protective factor and use it throughout the day.
- Renew the sunscreen every 2 hours or immediately after getting out of the water if the cream is not waterproof.
How to get tanned fast in 7 steps
Did you apply sunscreen and prepare the skin?
Perfect.
Here are some specific tips on how to get tanned quickly.
Sunbathing does not require a special recipe, although the process itself will look a bit like the baking process.
Even food, due to exposure to high temperatures, darkens. But just like with food, you have to be careful not to get burned.
- Find a place to sunbathe. Although our first association for sunbathing is the beach or the area around the pool, the fact is that the proximity of the water is not necessary to get a good complexion, but it is there to provide you with refreshment. On the other hand, what you need is the sun, and you can sunbathe equally well on your terrace, in the garden or anywhere under the sun.
- Do not take a shower before sunbathing. Our skin has natural oils that support the tanning process. Shower products often dry out the skin, and it still absorbs complexion better when it is well hydrated or oily.
- Change position. If you are constantly facing the Sun, you will not tan evenly. The perfect complexion is evenly distributed. Change position every 15-30 minutes.
- Protect your eyes. Close them, cover with a hat or pieces of cotton wool. Glasses are also a good option, but be careful not to end up with funny white circles on your face.
- Sunbathe in the water. Lie on a floating mattress and take advantage of the reflective surface of the water. If your goal is to get tanned quickly, this is the right thing to do. However, it is not desirable to spend the whole day like this, no matter how refreshing the close contact with water may seem. It is easy to get tanned, but also sunburned. In the same way, you can use the power of reflective sunscreens.
- Choose the right time for sunbathing.
- Go gradually, especially if you have a very light complexion. Start with 15 minutes in the sun and increase the time spent in the sun by 5 minutes over time.
- If you plan to spend a lot of time in the sun, avoid time between 10 am and 4 pm.
- If you are planning a quick tan, 30 minutes during the period when the sun is strongest will be enough to stimulate the production of melanin in your skin.
The tanning process does not stop when you take shelter from the sun, but continues even when you are in the shade.
- If your skin gets red, stay out of the sun. It’s just a sign that you’re burned out. Although redness will eventually be replaced with a dark complexion, each longer stay in the sun only increases the chances of getting sunburn.
How to tan with sunscreen and quick tanning oils
There are also completely natural sunscreens and most of them are some natural oils. While some can really help you get a bronze complexion, you should keep in mind that applying them is not protection from UV radiation.
Walnut sunscreen oil is one of those oils that you can usually find as a recommendation for a dark complexion and is often sold next to the beach. You can make your own walnut oil, but you have to start on time.
It is necessary to cut the unripe walnuts into 8 approximately equal parts, pour over the olive oil, place it in a jar and leave it in the sun. It should stand in a jar for 45 days, with occasional stirring.
Walnut oil is great for sunbathing because it contains compounds that react with keratin proteins in your skin and stimulate the formation of colored pigment.
Olive oil is perhaps the best oil for sunbathing and for a dark complexion. All those who adhere to the Mediterranean menu know in detail about its great properties.
As good as it works on the inside, it is as powerful on the outside and can help you have a dark complexion but at the same time soft, velvety and well hydrated skin.
Apply olive oil, for example, first on the front of the body and stay in the sun for half an hour. Then repeat the same with the back of the body. After that, you are free to wash off the oil.
Coconut sunscreen oil is gaining in popularity. This oil has many health benefits and various variations of its use for beauty purposes. The beauty of the skin and a good complexion are just some of the characteristics of coconut oil.
Although you may have heard that these oils are sufficient sun protection and super natural cosmetics, this is not entirely true. Although they have a certain protection factor, it is not higher than 4 – 5, and that is not enough to be safe in the sun.
Margarine as a sunscreen may not seem like a natural option. However, margarine is also made from plants, but the process by which it is obtained differs.
If you are one of those who avoid it at all costs in your menu, we will tell you that there is a good side of margarine and that it may be the answer to the question of how to get tanned.
Although it will not enrich your skin with vitamins and minerals, nor will it smell great like ready-made sunscreens, experience shows that it speeds up the tanning process.
Sunscreen margarine does this primarily with its shine. When applied to the skin, it becomes shiny and, just like the surface of water, attracts more sun.
Skin care after sunbathing
It is clear how to tan in the sun, but how to keep the complexion after that? Melanin is produced in the skin for hours after sunbathing, but it also fades over time.
The dark color of your skin will last for 2-4 weeks. After 28 days, the skin cells are completely renewed and your complexion slowly but surely fades.
Want the perfect complexion for a long time?
There is nothing left for you but to sunbathe regularly. Although you don’t necessarily have to “fry” in the sun, you need to spend a lot of time outside during the day.
What will definitely help is moisturising the skin and gradual sunbathing.
- If you get burned, blisters will form on the skin that will peel off later. Not only will you not get an even color, but on the contrary, you will look very spotty and neglected.
- Sun-dried skin is more prone to drying and peeling, so it is very important to take care of skin hydration. Apply some moisturizing lotion regularly and your tan will last longer.
Finally, let’s say this – even though a dark complexion is sexy, overdoing it with sunbathing will very quickly lead to completely opposite effects, as well as to sunstroke.
So just look at things that fade in the sun or become brittle and fragile. The skin is not indestructible either!
Skin cancer may seem like something that will not happen to you, but at least keep in mind that excessive sun exposure affects the appearance of the skin, dries it out and accelerates its aging and the formation of wrinkles from the sun.
That’s a good enough reason to, even if you want to know how to tan, do it the right way. Dry and wrinkled skin is simply not sexy.
