Tanning Tips

Tinkerbella · Jan 15, 2007

Sun Tanning Tips

A great tan makes you look healthy and beautiful, but make sure to do it right. Protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. Below you will find tips for sunless tanning, sunburn first aide and proper use of sunscreen to protect your skin while gaining a beautiful tan.Sunless Tanning Tips

Try the light to Medium products if you have fair skin or the Dark formula if you have darker skin.
Before applying sunless tanners, cleanse and exfoliate skin with a soft loofah or cloth to achieve a longer-lasting, even tan and allow it to dry. Any dry patches will absorb too much color and your tan will look uneven.
When applying to the face, avoid spreading in or around eyes.
Use sparingly around knees, ankles and elbows where formula can develop darker. Apply a thin even coat over your body. Using both horizontal and vertical strokes or a circular motion. Use a sponge paintbrush, available at any hardware store, to apply self tanner to your back. Look for one that is from two to three inches in size. Wash before use and let it air dry.
When using spray products, spray and blend quickly and thoroughly over one body part at a time. Do not saturate. Apply a lighter amount of sunless tanning product to areas with thick, dry skin such as elbows, palms and knees.
Wash hands with soap and water immediately after application.
To tan the backs of your hands, apply with a make-up wedge in smooth even strokes being sure to blend in evenly. Tan hands and feet--If you use a self-tanner on your hands and feet, use a make-up sponge to blend well around the fingers and toes. If you take your time in applying carefully, it will look very natural.
Avoid contact with clothing, fabrics, furniture, and carpet.
Wait one hour before applying any foundation or moisturizer or before swimming or bathing.
Reapply as needed to maintain or deepen color.

Sunburn Pain Relief

Here are some tips to help relieve that painful feeling.
Take a cool bath to release some of the heat.
Wrap a cold wet towel around the sunburned area.
After you have applied the cold towels or taken a cool bath apply aloe vera juice squeezed from the plant to ease the pain.
Also try wrapping a bag of frozen vegatables in a towel and apply. Do not apply the frozen package directly to the skin.
Pop several Vitamin E Tablets and apply directly to the sunburn.
Take a dose of vitamin E. Not only is vitamin E good protection from heart attacks, but it reduces the inflammation you get from sunburn.
Don't use local anesthetic creams or sprays that numb pain such as Benzocaine or Lidocaine. If you must use them, only use a little because they cause allergic reactions in some people.
Boil some lettuce in water, then strain the water out and let it cool in the refrigerator. Apply to your skin with cotton balls or a towel. Certain chemicals in lettuce have been shown to provide relief from sunburn.
Rest in a cool, quiet room. Find a comfortable position.
Soak in cold water. Add oatmeal to the bath. Aveeno colloidal oatmeal added to a bath is very soothing to sunburned skin. Most drugstores carry Aveeno.
Drink plenty of water.
Dip a wash cloth or gauze in some milk and apply to the burn. The milk should be at room temperature or cool, but not refrigerator cold. Milk is a great remedy for any kind of burn.
Slice pieces of cucumber, potato, or apples and apply to the sunburn. These cool vegetables or fruit can help reduce inflammation.
Put sunscreen on and cover sunburned skin when you go in the sun again so you don't get burned more.
Prevention is the best medicine, as always. Thanks to our depleting ozone layer, people today are at a much greater risk for skin cancer. So, stay out of the sun between 10:00 A.M and 3:00 P.M. And always wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.

Use Sun Screen to Protect Your Skin

Apply sun protection lotion 30 minutes prior to getting into the sun. The protective filters need time to be fully absorbed by the skin.
Be sure to reapply every few hours, or more frequently if you are swimming, perspiring or toweling off.
Find the lotion(s) that's right for you. You can use different products all over the body -- say an SPF 10 the legs and an SPF 30 designed for the face and under the eyes. Just remember some people have higher or lower tolerances to the sun's effects.
Protect often-forgotten skin areas like the ears, the back of your neck, etc. Buy a PABA-free brand if you determine that you are sensitive to that sunscreen ingredient.
If you have oily skin or are acne-prone, select a water-based lotion.
Be extra-safe if sun bathing at higher altitudes and be careful near reflective surfaces (like sand & water) because their reflective attributes magnify the sun's power. Such surfaces reflect 85% of the sun's damaging rays.
Be aware of moles on your body. Always look for changes in color, size and shape. It's advisable to have moles and skin blemishes checked annually by a doctor. It has now been determined that the melanoma gene is hereditary, putting some people at even higher risk from over-exposure to the sun. Be aware, follow safe sun practices by using the proper sunscreen and in 20 or 30 years, your skin (the largest organ of the human body) will thank you!
Be sure to keep your lips protected by repeatedly applying a sunblock that is formulated for lips. Look for those that contain a high SPF level and ingredients like Aloe Vera and Vitamin E that are moisturizing and soothing.
A t-shirt is not enough protection when you are outdoors! Here's a quick rule of thumb: Any clothing that is thin enough to see through will let the sun through too. And wet clothing is an even less effective sun barrier.
The sun is strongest between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. It's almost impossible to avoid playing outside or visiting the beach between those hours. So be sure to take extra precautions during these "prime protection" hours.