If you like the look of bronzed, sun kissed skin, you’re not alone. Nothing quite says summer like a golden glow, worn with shorts or pretty summer sun dresses. For years, people tanned with reckless abandon, whether lying outside soaking up the rays of the sun or spending hours baking away in sunless tanning beds.
Dangers to Skin
In the last 10 years, however, the number of people diagnosed with skin cancer has skyrocketed. Though many people still go to great lengths to get a tan, many more have given up on tanning and tanning beds for the sake of their health. As a result, there’s been an increase in the number of sunless tanning products on the market, as those who refuse to tan still want to find a way to achieve luminous, tanned skin with a fake tan.
Natural vs Fake
If you’re trying to decide between a fake or natural tan, you need to weigh the pros and cons of each. If you prefer lying outdoors to achieve your colour, do you have enough time to spend outside to maintain it? What type of skin do you have? If it’s very fair, it might actually take a burn, followed by additional sessions outside before you achieve any sort of colour.
Natural Tanning
If you are content lying in a tanning bed to achieve your tan, you must locate a tanning salon that is convenient for you to access that offers a plan that fits within your budget. Depending on how many hours you plan to tan in a month or week, you will probably be able to buy a tanning package that will allow you to spend a certain number of hours in the tanning bed during a certain time. With this option, there are a couple of things to consider. First, you want to make sure the tanning beds are well-maintained and clean. Second, you should consider the fact that the ultraviolet rays that are emitted by tanning beds are considerably stronger than those you are exposed to naturally by the sun. Is this risk worth it to you?
Fake Tanning
If you’ve determined that neither of these options works for you, you can choose to apply sunless tanning products to your skin instead to achieve a tan. These products have actually improved quite a bit over the years and if applied carefully, can really impart a natural looking tan. There are gradual tanning lotions as well as bronzers you can apply to the body and face that simply wash off in the shower. However, with the application of self fake tan products there are also concerns. Most of them are manufactured with a list of ingredients that’s quite long. You can’t be sure exactly what you are putting on your body. Is this any more safe than lying out under the sun for hours? You also have to meticulously apply the products to make sure your tan comes out even. Your fake tan will be obvious if it’s streaky.
Though a tan is attractive in the summer months, if you decide none of these options is appropriate for you, you might need to just stay natural and be comfortable in the shade of skin you already have.
Article contributed by Mhairi Steele
