By Holly • 8 Comments
The sun is more dangerous than you think. Even though it gives us warmth and light, it can also cause deadly damage to your body if you remain under its rays for too long. That's why you should study up before you step outside to tan. To avoid getting burnt and having a lifetime of skin issues, you should follow these tips for getting sunkissed skin:
Your skin isn't going to get tanned unless you know what you're doing. Before you go out in the sun, you should exfoliate your skin. You should be exfoliating and moisturizing every single day anyway, so it shouldn't alter your routine all that much.
Make sure you apply sunscreen a half hour before you go out in the sun. Some people skip the lotion, because they think it'll help them get tan faster. However, all it's going to do is increase your chances of getting burnt.
You don't want to spend the first day of summer out in the sun for five hours. You should stay out for a few minutes the first day, then a few more minutes the next. Gradually work up your tolerance to the sun. It's much healthier for your skin than staying out in the sun for an entire day after months of being in the cold.
Starting with just 15 or 20 minutes of sun exposure can be safe for most skin types. Increase the duration slowly, by 5 to 10 minutes per session, and never exceed the point where your skin feels uncomfortable. Remember to avoid peak sun hours typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the UV rays are strongest. This steady build-up allows your skin to produce melanin, the body’s natural sunscreen, more effectively and minimizes the risk of sunburn.
It's typically the hottest between noon and three, which means you shouldn't go outside during that time. If you do, then you're automatically increasing your chances of getting burnt. Since you don't want that, try to go outside either earlier or later in the day when your skin won't suffer.
Even though the water will cool you off after you've been sunbathing for a while, you have to remember that the water will increase your chances of getting sunburn. That's why you should probably go tanning and swimming on different days. The last thing you want to do is ruin your skin.
You have to use your brain when you're out in the sun. If you lay on your back for too long, not only will you get a sunburn, but your skin color will be uneven. You need to know when to turn over so that you tan evenly and don't end up soaking up all the sun rays in one specific area of your body.
Like a succulent chicken roasting on a spit, turn yourself methodically to avoid being cooked unevenly. Think of your body as a clock, and rotate at regular intervals to ensure each side gets its fair share of golden glow. Your front, back, and sides all need equal sun love, so gracefully flip like a pancake when your internal timer dings. Remember, patience is the sunbather's virtue—rushing this process is a passport to Burn City, not Bronzeville.
When you get out of the sun, don't take a hot shower. Take a cold one instead. After all, it makes the most sense. Why would you want to jump from the hot outdoors to a hot shower, anyway? As soon as you give yourself a few minutes to adjust to the room temperature of your house (because it's dangerous to jump from one extreme temperature to the next), you should take a cold shower.
You don't want to end up with cancer, all because you were trying to get a tan. That's why you need to be careful about how often you expose your body to the sun. What other tanning tips do you have?