How to Get a Natural Tan Quickly
Many of us love the look of bronzed skin, but we don't always know how to get it safely. Some of us sunbathe for hours at a time and overexpose our skin to UV rays, but this can lead of age spots, premature wrinkles, painful sunburns and harmful skin cancers such as melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. If we must lie out in the sun for a tan, we should always do so in moderation. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Exfoliate before leaving your home. If you don't, you may end up tanning a layer of dead skin instead of fresh skin.
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Rub on a liberal layer of sunscreen of at least SPF 10, if not more. You may think this will hinder your ability to tan, but having a certain amount of protection is necessary to keep from burning. Make sure you cover all parts of your body that will be exposed to the sun.
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Lay out for a maximum of 2 hours a day. Lying more can risk overexposure and burning. Avoid laying out during peak times of high sun from 10 am to 2 pm.
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Flip over every 15 minutes. If you're concerned about tanning the back of your arms and the sides of your body, try lying with your arms up and your head back. If you're on your front side, lie with your arms out away from the body.
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Drink a lot of water. It's important to stay hydrated when in the sun for long periods.
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Shower after you tan to rinse away sunscreen and sweat.
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Apply moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated. Lying out in the sun can dry skin out and make it rough.
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Lie out in the sun to tan for consecutive days instead of breaking days up.
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Tips & Warnings
The safest tans are those that come from a bottle or tube, not from UV rays.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit tanning on sobe image by Wimbledon from Fotolia.com
