10 Tips To Get the Best Tan
Tanning season is finally approaching, so here are the best tips on how to tan quickly and easily but always safely.
Published in
3 min readJun 9, 2024
- Skin prep before tanning is fundamental. Always exfoliate the day before going to the beach or to the pool: exfoliating gets rid of your dead skin and leaves fresh skin, which absorbs sunlight easier leading to a better and quicker tan. Remember to moisturize before applying sunscreen on your whole body. Use suitable tools and products in order to get professional and long-lasting results, so you won’t have to worry about it every day.
- Always check the UV index. The ultraviolet index, or UV index, is an international standard measurement of the strength of the sunburn-producing ultraviolet radiation at a particular place and time. A good tanning UV in the summer is 8 to 12, 12 being the maximum.
- Lie directly in line with the sun: make sure you’re always facing the sun, so turn your chair or beach towel depending on where the sun moves during the day.
- Getting a sunburn hoping it will turn into a tan is pointless because those types of tans never stay, they always peel and they’re really bad for your skin. From the first time that you tan, wear sunscreen every single day (yes, even if it’s cloudy), and reapply it from time to time. Use a different kind for your face and body, start with an SPF 50 then change to 30 and 15 as you get tanner. You do need sunscreen on your lips as well, and did you know you can burn your head too? Buy a specific sunscreen for your scalp, or just remember to wear a hat.
- When you’re done tanning, you must put on an after sun or any hydrating body lotion every day, in order to moisturize your skin and preserve your tan. If you get a sunburn in any part of your body, put some aloe vera gel on it so as not to start peeling.
- You will get way more tanned while you’re swimming in the pool or in the sea, and that is thanks to the sun reflecting off the water.
- Invest in a strapless top for tanning or a tan-through bikini, so as not to get tanning lines from your bathing suit straps.
- While tanning, set a timer for 20 minutes and then turn around: doing this will give you a perfectly even tan. The best times to stay under the sun are before 12 pm and after 4 pm, but don’t overdo it and remember to have breaks.
- Improve your diet. Cut your Omega 6s, especially seed oils like canola oil and sunflower oil: these cause inflammation in your body, meaning you have oxidative stress already going on in your body which will make it easier for you to burn instead of tan. Increase your daily amount of Omega 3s instead: fish and other seafood (especially cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines), nuts and seeds (such as flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts).
- Melanin is a substance in your body that produces hair, eye and skin pigmentation. The more melanin you produce, the darker your eyes, hair and skin will be: as a consequence, it’s crucial when it comes to tanning. Melanin functions as a filter, preventing UV rays from causing damage to the skin. To prepare yourself in advance for a tan, take sun supplements that help stimulate melanin synthesis: carotenoids, vitamin A, C and E, antioxidants and trace elements such as zinc, selenium and magnesium.
