Here comes the sun... and with it comes the beach, barbecues and sun damage if you are not careful.
I love tan. I love the chocolatey-bronzey shade Daria Werbowy was sporting on runways this spring. Let’s face it – tan makes us look healthy, chic, slim, and in my case, alive.
I grew up in Southern Europe where women tan with coca-cola, baby oil, or better, olive oil. Not a single summer of my life has begun without sunburns - and ended without freckles. I know all my moles by heart; I check them regularly and even have names for the most outstanding ones.
Needless to say, I have always been reluctant to use sunblocks – until recently, when porcelain-skinned models finally dominated the runways, and ever-tanned poor Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with cancer. Maybe sun has nothing to do with it. Frankly, I am not willing to take risks.
Neither other reasonable people do – following the high rate of skin cancer Australians have been covering up their skin for many years now and have recently shown an 11 per cent decrease in the rates of common skin cancers.
It’s just that sunblocks have always been a matter of common sense, not pleasure. No one really tried to make them as pleasant to use as body creams and look as cute as lipsticks or fragrances. To me, sunblock used to me something similar to toothpaste, plain and essential. There was nothing luxurious about sunblocks until recently.
Do It Daily, says Benefit with daily sunblock boosted with a dryness-busting combination of squalane and sodium hyaluronate. And there’s no reason not to – Lancome’s Absolue Absolute Replenishing Lotion SPF 15 (available at most department stores) takes care of all signs of aging, while Neutrogena’s newest lines of heavy-duty sunblocks will satisfy the craving for moisture and staying power. Ultra-Soft Hydrating Sunblock feels and hydrates like body cream, with pleasant fresh scent, and Active Breathable Sunblock stays dry to touch and won’t rub or slick off (both available in SPF30 and SPF45.)
Contrary to the popular belief, most sunblocks below the SPF20 allow you get a decent healthy tan – minus sun spots and burns. The trick is to apply sunblocks evenly and allow spreading naturally for 10-15 minutes. I often result with a pink stripe somewhere on the back of my legs just because there wasn’t enough lotion there.
Most hardcore anti-tan activists such as Paula Begoun profess using sunblock 365 days a year reapplying every two hours. Today, most sunblocks are made to stay there even after swimming and perspiration, and by reapplying sunblock too often you may result in skin irritation or even allergies. Plus, you’ll be wasting way too much money - which is good only for sunblock manufacturers.
To make the most of your sun, plan your outdoor activity before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m., when the sun’s UVR is the weakest. When you are outside look for shade, such as from buildings, trees and beach umbrellas.
Avoid tanning lamps and beds - remember, there is no such thing as a safe dark tan. After all, Daria may as well fake her chocolatey-bronzey gleam – for how-to, check the Trends&Tips section.
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