Although this does make sense when you think about it - to get a sun tan, one often needs to be exposed to powerful rays for extended periods of time. This is akin to putting your arm into an oven or near very powerful chemical rays... I'm no doctor but intuition should tell me that it is not a safe thing to do. Besides the obvious health risks involved, the sun will cause premature aging, hyper pigmentation, spots, and "leathering" of the skin. LEATHERING, how gross does that sound? One quick look at any of the formerly/currently tan-happy celebrities approaching middle age can attest to this. Examples abound.
This information by itself is not that radical. However, being a former tanning-bed enthusiast myself, I have often told myself excuses such as "a gradual tan is safe" and "I won't get skin damages as long as I wear a sunscreen/ get a base tan". When you really think about it, those things will probably only prevent a sunburn. But as always, as soon as your skin colour is changed by the sun, the damage has already reached deep within.
I now shudder when I think about in my younger years, when I used to go tanning at salons or under the sun every chance I get. But I must admit, I still like the look of my skin tanned, especially for the summer time. I look healthier, more fresh, and my arms and legs look more toned. Lately I've been able to fake a pretty good tan from bottles instead of from the sun. Here are some good ones that I recommend:
First off is the Jergens Natural Glow in a tube. This stuff is good - the colour shows after one application, and you can build up to a medium tan in around 3-4 uses. But it was a little greasey, which made me feel uneasy about putting it on my face. Also, the tan would often be rather orange.
Next up, Jergen's new natural glow mousse. This is my favourite. It gives a buildable tan gradually, thus avoiding the perils of streakiness with one faulty application. It feels very lightweight, and has no greasey feelings to it. It was around 10 dollars, which felt like a lot for such a small bottle. But the mousse is very rich, and a small golf-ball size could cover both of my legs.
Lastly, I've tried the St. Tropez lotion. This gives the most dramatic tan. It also has a colour guide - an added colour to let you see where you've applied the lotion to. I was able to go from a NC25 to a NC40 in two applications. However, it is not my favourite - due to the fact that the results are so dramatic, it can get streaky unless applied carefully. Also, it has this odour that resembles wet socks... Overall, I like to use the St. Tropez for my body, and the Jergens mousse for my face, because streakiness would show up more on facial skin.
This summer, I've also beefed up my sun lotion routine, forcing myself to put on a SPF 30 all over every time I go out. The spray bottle is for days on the beach when I have to reapply - it has yet to be tested out. I have used the lotion, which is actually said to be "non comedogenic" and "designed to be used under makeup". While the former may be true, it definitely feels oily and sticky under makeup. I wouldn't recommend it for uses on the face. I haven't found a facial sun block that doesn't feel too greasy on my face yet. But I have heard very good reviews on the Neutrogena "dry" sunblock, which was also recommended by pinkiecharm in her video. That shall be my next drugstore acquisition :)
Anyway, here's the URL for the video, I encourage you all to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLJl0uvnHcA
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