There is a wealth of long standing research on the health risks associated with over exposure to the sun.
When it comes to your skin, the number of you looking for products to treat the effects of sun damage far exceeds the demand for acne and blemishes solutions.
Sun damage is a real problem which causes cosmetic issues such as premature aging, red dots and blotching, dry patches, and sun spots.
Over exposure can also lead to serious health concerns like skin cancer, cataracts and other eye damage, and immune system suppression.
We have seen a significant increase in the number of people with awareness of sun exposure risks and an increase the number of regular sun protection users.
However, many of you still desire that sun-kissed tan that is so very hard to duplicate through indoor methods.
Self-tanning, at home or in the salon, can give less than desirable results.
They can often be messy, streaky, orange, and fairly short lived.
You can, however, significantly improve your self- tanning experience and outcome with a few tips.
1.
Get some sun first whether it's natural light or a short stint in a tanning bed.
Some will be mad at me for recommending it, but it's true.
And if it helps you start a nice color for the summer so that you'll use more sun protection all year, then I've just lowered your overall exposure and your risk.
2.
Exfoliate before doing any indoor tanning.
Without exfoliation, the tanner will streak and you'll have increased absorption (causing darker color) on dry spots such as your elbows and knees.
3.
Get a spray tan first before you use self-tanner at home.
I love the Mystic tan.
If you are light skinned, stay with the light.
Other tips for a better spray tan: DO - Use the light and pay extra for the booster.
This will make your tan more even and make it last longer.
DON'T - Use the bronzer.
Unless you dark already, the bronzer just looks too dark and tacky and comes off on your clothes.
DO- Use the lotion on your palms and bottoms of your feet otherwise they will turn color.
Also make sure you put the lotion between your fingers and toes, along the side of your hands and feet, on your light skinned wrist area, and up the back of your ankle.
DON'T - Take a shower or exercise (i.
e.
sweat) for at least 5-6 hours after your tan.
If you take a shower earlier, you will wash away a lot of the color and would be wasting your time.
4.
Touch up at home with a self-tanning lotion or foam daily.
I prefer the foam because it is lighter and spreads more evenly.
This touch up will help your tan to stay even and last longer.
5.
Moisturize on a daily basis.
This will help your skin to look vibrant and will help your tan last longer.
6.
REPEAT steps 2-5 every 10-14 days.
(If you feel like you are losing your tan earlier that this, its okay to repeat every 7-10 days).
Enjoy your sun-kissed tan and your much improved skin health!!!