How to Get a Tan While Wearing Sunscreen

Take care of your skin while getting a tan.

Many people enjoy getting a tan. It makes them feel better, healthier and younger. Having tanned skin reduces the appearance of cellulite and makes you appear slimmer. A tan also is a dangerous thing, as it indicates skin damage. Thousands of people die each year of skin cancer. Laying out in the sun also can cause premature wrinkles in young people. It is a good idea to wear sunscreen every day, since sunscreen can prevent the majority of wrinkles, melanomas and early signs of aging. If you still want to get a tan while wearing sunscreen, there are a few techniques.

Things You'll Need

• Exfoliating scrub
• Loofah
• Towel
• Sunscreen
• Self-tanner
• Body lotion with self-tanner

Instructions

1. Exfoliate your skin in the shower with a loofah and body scrub that contains a gritty substance, whether it's sugar, micro-beads or crushed apricot shells. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and makes your skin feel smooth. It also primes the skin to absorb sunscreen and self-tanners.

2. Slather on a sunscreen that contains a low SPF (15 or lower). Rub it all over your skin about 20 minutes before you go out into the sun. The sunscreen usually will prevent sunburn while allowing your skin to tan a little.

3. Spray or rub on a self-tanner over your body when the sunscreen has absorbed and dried into your skin. The self-tanner will work over the course of several hours to give you a light tan that will last about a week. Self-tanners dye the dead skin cells on your body to make them appear light brown.

4. Take a shower at least three hours after you apply self-tanner. These lotions take a few hours to start turning skin brown.

5. Apply body lotion that contains a light self-tanner. It contains a tiny amount of sunless tanner solution to gradually darken your skin after each use. Rub on the lotion every day until you get the color you want, and then use it once a week wherever you want to maintain your "tan."

Tips & Warnings

• Do not lay out in the direct sun for more than an hour at a time.

References

• Sunless: Sunless Tanning Step-By-Step Guide
• Skin Cancer Foundation: Tan in a Can