Tanning, an activity done to darken the skin’s tone, often gets a well-deserved bad rap.
After all, risks of tanning include premature aging, eye damage and skin cancer.
But, what about my vacation?
According to Greatist, many people who don’t tan often still believe getting a “base tan” before vacation will reduce burns by increasing melanin, the stuff that protects you from UV damage.
Getting a base tan does help, kind of, but it only equates to an SPF of 3 to 4, which is not nearly enough to protect you.
And, because you exposed yourself to harmful UV damage in the tanning salon in order to achieve this, the base tan causes more harm to your skin than good.
Don’t sacrifice your skin’s health for a bronzed look. Instead, use a sunscreen, stay in the shade as much as possible and reapply sunscreen often, or, you can always get a spray tan. Same look, way less risk.
Wondering which types of sunscreen you should buy for your family? Check out this video, in which Dr. Aleah Gibson with St. Elizabeth Physicians explains the best kinds of sunscreen for your family, and deciphers the SPF, or sun protection factor.
