How to get to that beautiful bronze skin tone faster and safer over the summer but also all year round?
At least once in the winter, you all find yourself thinking that you can't wait for summer to come, to relax by the sun, the sea, maybe a cocktail by the beach, but it bothered you because you knew you wouldn't get your desired tan? Maybe you have a problem that you can't darken or you are allergic or you just don't like sunbathing?
As a perfect solution, you opted for a tanning bed, but on all sides you hear stories about the harmfulness of tanning beds such as causing skin cancer, eye melanoma, cataracts and other potentially blinding eye diseases, suppressing the immune system, etc.
To help you achieve the desired tan color, below you can find everything you need to get the desired darker skin tone, as safely and quickly - with, but also WITHOUT the need for sun exposure.
How to tan faster - 6 ways to get the perfect tan faster
- Most people avoid applying sunscreen because they think it will not darken. This is actually a myth that "does not hold water". Always wear a sunscreen with a UV protection factor, at least 30 SPF (La PIEL Sun BABE body cream with SPF 30 or SPF 50 for the face) on the first days of sun exposure! Never use sunscreen oil that does not contain sunscreen protection the first day you come to the sea. SPF 30 is strong enough to block UV rays and prevent burns, but not so strong that you won’t get tanned. It only protects you from negative sunlight and side effects that occur (such as redness, burns, premature appearance of wrinkles ...). Try using oils with natural SPF. Although it should not replace your usual sunscreen for a protective factor, certain oils can be used for an extra dose of hydration and natural SPF protection, such as:
- Avocado Oil (SPF 4-10)
- Coconut oil (SPF 2-8)
- Olive oil (SPF 28-50)
- Carrot oil (SPF 38-40)
- Almond oil (SPF 5)
- Apricot kernel oil
- Walnut oil
- Olive oil (SPF 2-8)
- Grape seed oil
- Argan oil
Due to the extremely strong sun rays, it is necessary to hydrate the skin before and after sun exposure in order to keep your skin as young and radiant as possible, so make yourself "feed" your skin with high-quality oils. Our Beach BABE bronze and Beach BABE unicorn contain some of these oils which, in addition to their natural protective factor, deeply hydrate the skin, retain moisture in it and prevent it from drying out, which can be the result of long-term sun exposure.
- Prepare before sunbathing. Be sure to do 1x body scrub a month before the summer months to remove dead skin and allow it to tan evenly without blemishes.
- At the same time, there are supplements, ie food supplements and tablets that enable faster tanning, and you can get them at the pharmacy. Some tablets that allow faster tanning contain beta carotene that helps you get to your beloved complexion in the shortest possible time, there are also those that contain the necessary amount of melanin to increase melanin in your skin, protect skin from burns and speed up the tanning process.
- Don’t stay outside longer than your skin can create melanin. Melanin is a pigment that is responsible for our wonderful variety of skin tones and shades, eye color and hair color. Melanin is actually a pigment that absorbs certain wavelengths of light and thus gives a darker shade to your skin. In addition to providing pigmentation, melanin also plays an important biological role by providing protection against sun damage.
è UV light protection. Melanin helps protect epidermal cells or the outer layer of skin from UV light. This protection extends to all forms of UV light (UVC, UVB and UVA) as well as to blue light.
è Antioxidant action. Melanin also shows antioxidant activity by removing reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the action of harmful UV radiation.
- Adjust your diet! Eat foods rich in Examples include tomatoes, red peppers, carrots, guava, watermelon ... A small study from 2011 found that lycopene helps to naturally protect the skin from UV rays and thus prevents redness and burns. But certainly food is not a substitute for creams with SPF!
In addition to lycopene, foods containing beta carotene are also recommended to help you get a tan faster. There are studies showing that beta carotene can help reduce sensitivity to sunlight in people with photosensitivity diseases and thus prevent sunburn. In addition, beta carotene is a natural antioxidant that actually reduces the signs of aging. Of course, if you eat carrots a day, you won’t look like you’ve spent the weekend on the islands, but eating more fresh fruits and vegetables certainly won’t hurt, so why not? Dark, leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale are also known to contain large amounts of beta carotene - proven to give your skin a warm, bronze, summer complexion.
To get a healthy, shiny tan, try recipes that contain olive oil that will make your skin look healthier by acting as a natural moisturizer.
Natural Tanning Smoothie Recipe:
What you will need:
- 1/2 melon (cubed)
- 1/2 papaya (seeds, cubes)
- 1 peach (diced) * keep the peel for extra benefits
- 2 large carrots (peeled, chopped)
- 1 bit of fresh ginger
- 1 cup of orange juice
- 1 cup of coconut water
- 4 cubes of frozen yogurt
* gives 4 servings
- Of course there is always an alternative, for those who do not like sunbathing or are allergic. These are self-tanning products that allow you to have a tan all year round, and you can get the color within a couple of hours without going to the solarium or without sun exposure. You can read more about them below the blog.
Why exfoliate the body before sunbathing?
Because peels help remove dead skin from the surface, the result is a more even tanned skin and a healthier looking skin, without the formation of blemishes. Although body scrub is definitely necessary for a uniform tan, it is important not to overdo it, use it 1-2 times a week and never just before sun exposure because exfoliation can irritate the skin, and exposure to UV radiation without proper UV protection can damage the skin. So prepare before summer by regular body scrubs.
Risks of tanning
Feeling tanned and sunburned can be good, even boost your mood due to vitamin D exposure. However, sunbathing still has risks, especially if you do not use sunscreen with a protective factor. Risks associated with sunbathing include:
- melanoma and other skin cancers
- dehydration
- sunburn
- heat rash
- premature skin aging
- eye damage
- suppression of the immune system
IMPORTANT! Use sunscreen with SPF!
What determines your tan?
Every person is unique when it comes to how dark their skin will become in the sun. Some people will burn out almost immediately, and some rarely. This is largely due to melanin, the pigment responsible for tanning found in hair, skin and even the eyes.
People with lighter skin have less melanin and may burn or redden more easily in the sun. People with darker skin have more melanin and will become darker after sunbathing. However, people with darker skin still have a risk of burns and skin cancer. Regardless of the skin tone, it is important to use a cream with a protective factor because we all have the same risk of skin cancer!
Melanin is created by the body naturally to protect the deep layers of the skin from damage by UV radiation. Keep in mind that even if you don’t get visible sunburn, the sun still damages your skin.
Of course for people who are allergic or do not like sunbathing, there are other ways to get a tanned skin color! Are you planning maybe some big event next weekend or do you need an instant glow for your date tomorrow night? It’s the day before you go to sea, and you’re ‘white as cheese’. A familiar situation? Fortunately, there is a solution that allows you to get that beautiful summer bronze complexion within a few hours - a self-tanning product. Have you ever tried? It is an ideal solution for everyone, even for those who cannot tan in the sun or are allergic to the sun.
SELF - TANNING PRODUCTS
How does a self-tanning product work?
Self-tanning products contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA), an ingredient that gives you the perfect tan bronze color you want, which looks flawless! It is a colorless, non-toxic sugar obtained from plants like sugar cane and beets, which means it is completely natural. The source of DHA is actually the cause of its sweet smell.
DHA is what causes your skin to darken when you use a fake tan. When it encounters your skin, a natural reaction takes place - melanoid pigments are created that absorb certain wavelengths of light and thus give a darker shade to your skin. DHA reacts with amino acids (keratin) that are naturally present on the surface layers of your skin, so the reaction only takes a few hours. For this reason, you should not come into contact with water for several hours after application, as the product will be washed before it has had a chance to react with your amino acids (application at bedtime is recommended). Since DHA reacts only on the surface of the skin (stratum corneum), its absorption into the deeper layers of the skin does not occur.
Keep a few tips in mind before and after each use of such products, without fear of having ‘stains’.
DHA is increasingly being used as an alternative due to the growing awareness of the harmfulness of UV radiation with prolonged sun exposure. It is suitable for all those who want to tan their skin without sun exposure or visiting the solarium. It gives us the desired bronze complexion that lasts up to 10 days, without the risk of photodamage to the skin, skin cancer and burns caused by UV radiation.
Preparation for self-tanning
However, exfoliation is important if you use a self-tanning product because they also tend to "stick" to dead, dry skin, which can cause blemishes to look uneven. For this reason, you may notice that your arms, feet, knees, and elbows sometimes become darker than the rest of your body. To avoid blemishes, remove all dead skin before applying self-tanning products and make sure your skin is healthy and soft, and be sure to apply moisturizing body milk to your elbows, heels and knees before applying self-tanning products.
In addition, if you are going to shave / wax, do so at least 12 hours before, and be sure to remove makeup from your face before applying the self-tanning product.
Your skin is constantly renewing new skin cells. This means that you need to re-apply your self-tanning product regularly, as self-tanners do not penetrate further than the top layer of skin. As a result, your tan will fade faster if you exfoliate and wash too much. Give your skin a chance to maintain its "sunny" look by exfoliating once a week and re-applying self-tanning products every 10 days or so.
Such products do not contain SPF, so it is necessary to use sunscreen when exposed to the sun!
We hope that our tips will help you, and that you will apply some of them this summer to get that perfect bronze complexion that everyone dreams of!
