I lie, I love the sun. I like getting a “real” tan. I really can’t stand tanning beds and I feel more attractive when I’m darker. So there, I said it.
I can also admit that I don’t really, (prepare yourself), 100%, buy into everything the cosmetic and health industries try to sell you about sun block. I know, I know… I can hear people yelling already. I’m not saying that sunblock is useless. I’m just saying that a.) most people don’t even begin to understand it and therefore aren’t even using it correctly, which means they aren’t really getting the “protection” they they think or have been led to believe they need.
We humans, by and large, seem to be extremists. We have discovered that over exposure to the sun can have harmful side effects. Obviously making a life-long habit of roasting directly under the sun’s rays is going to make you a target for sun-related health risks, but there are other variables that might make you a victim of real sun damage. However, the sun is not the Devil himself, I think that in most cases the sun’s gotten a bad wrap because of people who’ve abused it, and yet, we decide that a lot of sun is bad therefore what is best is as little sun as possible, and I disagree. We need some sun, what’s more is we need to be in the sun doing things. I’m not talking laying out on the beach, I’m talking going for walks, hikes, having picnicks, boating, kayaking, playing sports, general physical activity outside.
Moving on to sunblock. It’s perfectly fine to wear a sunblock while you’re outside doing your thing, but you need to know how it works in order to get the most out of it.
Let’s start with the numbers. Contrary to popular belief, the number on the bottle of sunblock is NOT representative of the level of protection you’re getting, but the time you’re being protected. Here’s how it breaks down: the average person’s skin begins to burn after 10 minutes of sun exposure, you multiply that times the number on the bottle, and your result is how long you can safely stay in the sun. So if you have SPF 15 it would be 10 x 15 = 150 minutes of safe sun time. After that 2 and a half hours of protection, you can’t simply pop inside and reapply your SPF 15, because you’ve maxed out that filter, so you have to either a.) stay in, or b.) apply a filter that was meant for a longer period in the sun, so if you plan on being out another 2 and a half hours, you need to apply an SPF 30.
Other important things to know about sunscreens:
- The FDA doesn’t approve SPF over a 30, so while you may find up to a 70, they are not regulated by the FDA.
- 90% of the sunscreen you pick up only filters UVB rays, which are the burning rays and not the cancer causing rays. If you want both filtered you have to pick up a UVA/UVB or “broad spectrum” SPF
- A moisturizer with SPF 15 and a makeup with SPF 20 do not an SPF 35 make. Your filters are not buildable. No matter how many different types of sun screen you put on, your protection is only as good as the highest number.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest I’ll get on to what I meant to be talking about in the beginning of this post. If you want a tan, and you don’t want to risk being in the sun, there are always sunless tanners. Sunless tanners, which are notorious for their orange hue, but that are getting more and more sophisticated all the time. I know quite a few people who will go shamelessly Umpa Lumpa, rather than have to be pale in the summer.
For those of you who might be curious about some of the top selling sunless tanners, I’ve made myself a test patch, for your viewing pleasure.
– The new Kardashian tanning gel
– Bliss A Tan For All Seasons
– Too Faced Tanning Bed In A Tube
– The new Philosophy The Skinny
– Fusion Beauty’s Tan Fusion
– Clarins Delectable Tanning Mousse
These are all developed over 12 hours, most took 3 hours to even show up. Judge for yourself who is orange and who is not! =)
11 comments
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May 20, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Sean C
Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
May 20, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Jim Marks
The only thing I’m going to say is that skin cancer is the single most common form of cancer that Americans get (yes, more than lung cancer from smoking and more than breast cancer or prostate cancer) and that skin cancer is also one of the most aggressive cancers, and is exceptionally difficult to treat. Skin cancer kills a *lot* of people.
Statistically, the percentage of our population that has swung to the extreme of avoiding the sun at all costs is still a very fringe group. *Most* Americans still think that if you have a “base tan” you can go out in the sun more or less indefinitely without burning and other such nonsense ~ and that nonsense may be the death of them.
It isn’t that tan is beautiful or pale is beautiful. On a Celtic person, pale is beautiful. On a Brazilian, tan is beautiful. Ebony is beautiful if you’re from the Congo and almond is beautiful if you’re from Beijing. Beautiful is working what you *have* instead of working to have what you lack.
Orange isn’t beautiful because no one is naturally orange.
Turning your skin to leather isn’t beautiful unless you’re planning to have your corpse made into a jacket.
We mistake pale for pallid and we mistake toasted for tan. I grew up in the 80’s, the golden age of bleached blonds with deep tans. It couldn’t have been less natural, and when I look back at it now, I cringe.
In the 90’s pale became chic because pale became linked to being natural, but we forgot all about the people who are naturally dark.
As with all things, balance is the key.
May 21, 2010 at 12:03 am
prettysmart girl
I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said. I didn’t mean for this to be a “I hate sunscreen and don’t believe in using it” post, and maybe I should go back and edit it a little so my views are better understood.
I think sun screen is fine, I think it’s important to use it correctly, else you’re really not doing yourself as much of a favor as you think you are. But, I’m not a fan of having it in every single product I put on my face or body.
I am trying to get more comfortable with being the color I was born to be and I’ve never been alright with wearing the fake stuff (which is why I wanted to post the picture… because no matter what they tell you, it’s going to come out orange). It’s just hard to break old habits… and the truth is… women feel more attractive tan, because there are a lot of imperfections, such as cellulite and varicose veins, that tan skin helps to hide. You can argue with me on that one, I expect it =) but I am the one who works in the cosmetic industry and I can give you a laundry list of products that are meant to help make those two problems less obvious and almost all of them have to do with self tanners.
I will say though that sometimes tanning is frustrating in the same way that women who wear athletic clothing when they aren’t doing something athletic are frustrating. It’s like trying to give the illusion that you’re someone who’s sporty and out in the sun all the time when really you spend all your time in the mall or sitting at a desk.
May 20, 2010 at 7:22 pm
sunbed
We are all beautiful, its an individual choice, there are so many campaigners saying don’t do this, don’t do that. As long as we are adults, and make informed decisions then people should relax.
We love a tan, we are also sensible with the risks we take. Life is a risk, crossing the road is a risk, just be sensible.
Fake Tan is great, we use loads. Take a look at He-Shi Express Liquid. This is a great Self Tan from Ireland. They were the sponsors of Miss Ireland recently in Miss World, and the product has had great reviews.
Take a look at a great site we use at http://www.tanslim.co.uk. Loads of advice, tips etc. Also see http://sunbed.wordpress.com
May 21, 2010 at 12:07 am
prettysmart girl
I can see what you’re saying… however, from the angle of “life is a risk”, I wouldn’t necessarily put tanning, in and of itself, into that take a risk category. I mean, getting sun because you’re out doing fun things in the sun is one thing… getting a tan for being tan’s sake is almost like smoking for a lot of people. It’s addictive.
It just seems a little bit different to me.
June 21, 2012 at 7:13 am
confessionsofbeautyaddict
Thanks! Was trying to figure out which one to buy and your picture definitely helped! Also glad that you posted the info about the sunscreen!
May 21, 2013 at 10:07 am
Tyler Lane (@Tytyloveshawaii)
the picture of the products, you mentioned that they were all developed over 12 hours, is the picture of the products after you washed the bronzer/guide color off?
May 22, 2013 at 12:47 pm
Katie
Yes, the picture is after I’ve showered so the guide color is all gone. =)
May 21, 2013 at 10:08 am
Tyler Lane (@Tytyloveshawaii)
also, what skin type are you? do you tan easily in the sun/tanning beds? or are you fair skin?
May 22, 2013 at 12:47 pm
Katie
I’m fair, not the fairest of the fair, but I’m still pretty light. I tan relatively easy in the sun, I wont use beds because they dry my skin out like mad. =)
May 21, 2013 at 10:09 am
Tyler Lane (@Tytyloveshawaii)
.