I've been sitting here pondering what to write about, and my mind is an absolute blank. All I can think about is the flaming heat emanating from my arms, legs and face. Yes, folks, I got a bit of a sunburn today. So since I have foolishly failed to adequately protect my skin in a vain attempt to get a tan today (they really do mean it when they say reapply sunscreen frequently!), I figured I'd talk about the safest way to tan - sunless tanners!
Before I get into sunless tanners, I thought it would be interesting to examine the lure of the suntan. Who decided that brown skin was in? Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, a suntan was considered completely undesirable. A tan indicated a person spent a lot of time outside, which indicated the person was a manual laborer. While those workers were outside bronzing their skin as they worked in the fields, the wealthy classes lounged inside, in their pale splendor. However, in the 20th century, that all started to change. The working class started working inside at factory jobs and the like. Meanwhile, the wealthy class had the leisure time to spend time outside in the sun. Since then, the suntan has continued to evolve as a status symbol.
To safely achieve a status-symbol tan, consider using a sunless tanner. Sunless tanners are quite an ingenious invention. The basic principal is that the lotion (or spray, or towel - there are tons of options!) temporarily dyes the top layer of your skin using an ingredient called DHA. I'll be honest - the DHA can be a little stinky and very distinctive. But consider the trade off - would you rather allow the sun's rays to break down the DNA in your skin's cells (scary, huh?) in your attempt to get a glowing tan, or would you rather get a gorgeous tan by applying a lotion that, albeit stinky, keeps your DNA intact?
Before I get into sunless tanners, I thought it would be interesting to examine the lure of the suntan. Who decided that brown skin was in? Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, a suntan was considered completely undesirable. A tan indicated a person spent a lot of time outside, which indicated the person was a manual laborer. While those workers were outside bronzing their skin as they worked in the fields, the wealthy classes lounged inside, in their pale splendor. However, in the 20th century, that all started to change. The working class started working inside at factory jobs and the like. Meanwhile, the wealthy class had the leisure time to spend time outside in the sun. Since then, the suntan has continued to evolve as a status symbol.
To safely achieve a status-symbol tan, consider using a sunless tanner. Sunless tanners are quite an ingenious invention. The basic principal is that the lotion (or spray, or towel - there are tons of options!) temporarily dyes the top layer of your skin using an ingredient called DHA. I'll be honest - the DHA can be a little stinky and very distinctive. But consider the trade off - would you rather allow the sun's rays to break down the DNA in your skin's cells (scary, huh?) in your attempt to get a glowing tan, or would you rather get a gorgeous tan by applying a lotion that, albeit stinky, keeps your DNA intact?
My favorite sunless tanner is a gradual tanner, which means it slowly builds up color in a way that look natural. I've tried my share of tanners, although there are definitely a few more out there I'm dying to try! But I have to say that Coppertone's Endless Summer Gradual Tanner is good stuff! The color is very natural, and even if you apply the lotion every day, you don't end up with ugly splotches after a few days, as I've experienced with other gradual tanners. The smell is very non-offensive (I've used much worse), and it dries pretty quickly!Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy a day in the sun (with SPF 45) every now and again. But I'm going to rely on my favorite self tanner this summer to help me achieve my bronze glow.
