Wanna play the question game?
- As a teen, do you/ did you spend at least 3 summers sun tanning, swimming or working outdoors?
- Have you had 3 or more blistering sunburns before age 25?
- Do you have red or blonde hair with fair skin or do you burn easily?
- Do you get more freckles after being in the sun?
- Has anyone in your family had melanoma?
- Do you have any red, rough spots on parts of your body that are not exposed to the sun?
If you answered yes to 3 or more of these questions, your chance of developing melanoma is 20-25 times higher than the general population. I'm not sure about you, but that scares me! Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer and the risk of it developing in people under the age of 40 is increasing. There have been more reports of death by skin cancer than death by any other type of cancer. The only way to decrease that risk is to wear your sunscreen religiously and stay out of tanning beds!
Now I don't know where you live, but here in South Carolina the weather is warming up and there's nothing I want to do more than to go spend a day at the beach! But of course, I won't be leaving without my favorite sunscreen. Everyone has different skin types and that requires different types of sunscreen. Do you know the right type for you? Chemical or physical? Sweat proof? Okay for sensitive skin?
Chemical Sunscreen active ingredients: Oxy/avobenzone, octicalate, octocrylene, homosalte, and octinoxate. Creates a chemical reaction and works by turning UV rays into heat, then releases that heat from the skin.
Pros:
- Spreads easily making it wearable for daily use.
- Requires less product to protect the skin because there is no risk of spaces between the sunscreen molecules.
Cons:
- Can cause an increase in brown spots and discoloration due to a higher internal skin temperature.
- Requires a wait time of about 20 mins after application before it starts working.
- Can cause irritation and stinging on dry skin due to multiple chemical ingredients to achieve UVA and UVB protection.
- The higher SPF usually means more chemicals, meaning higher risk of irritation for sensitive skin types
- Absorbs into the skin fast when in direct UV light, requiring more frequent application.
- May clog pores.
- Can cause stinging if it drips into the eyes while sweating.
- Increased chance of redness for rosacea skin types because it converts UV rays into heat, causing flushing of the skin.
Physical Sunscreen active ingredients: Titanium dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Works by sitting on top of the skin to deflect and scatter the damaging UV rays.
Pros:
- Naturally broad spectrum, meaning it protects against UVA and UVB rays.
- No wait necessary, works as soon as it is applied.
- Lasts longer when in direct UV light.
- Less likely to cause stinging for sensitive skin types.
- Less likely to be pore-clogging.
- Longer shelf life.
Cons:
- Can rub off or sweat off easily.
- May leave white cast on the skin.
- Can create an occlusive film which results in increased perspiration during physical activities.
- Can be thicker, requiring more effort to rub it in.
- Can be less protective if it's not applied generously and accurately since UV light can get between the molecules.
My opinion is to get one of each depending on what you're planning to do or if have sensitive skin, you obviously should go with the physical sunscreen. Always do a patch test and wait 24 hours to see if you may develop a reaction to the sunscreen.
I was at target the other day and while I was browsing the entire store for things that I did not need, I found a product that I think everybody needs!!
This is a physical sunscreen line by Bare Republic and it's 100% natural! They have a sport version, a kids version and they also make a tinted face sunscreen! I AM IN LOVE. Also I think it's awesome that they were able to put a physical sunscreen in an aerosol can because usually you can only find chemical in aerosols. All of these products are about $14.99 each and to me, that's worth it. Cheaper than skin cancer! It does smell like coconut though, so if you're not a fan.. I'm sorry, your sense of smell might be broken. ;)
I want to add one more quick fact before we move onto tanning! You really can't get a better sun protection than SPF 50 because it already blocks about 98% of UV rays while a SPF 30 blocks 97% and a SPF 15 blocks 94%. Anything above SPF 50 is just silly.
OKAY, so now you're mad at me cause you feel like you're already as white as a snowman and you're going to have to stay that way if you don't want skin cancer.. unless... there was this invention that created the illusion that you had naturally glowing, beautiful, tan skin.. Oh, wait, it's called Sun-less Tanner and I'm obsessed with it.
Spray tanning is my favorite but it's difficult for some people to find the right salon with the correct solution for their natural skin color. I always tell my clients to find someone who uses a solution with DHA (dihydroxyacetone) as the active ingredient because it will adjust to your skin tone and give you YOUR natural tan/brown color.
If you prefer to do your own tanning, here's a list of my favorite self-tanning products:
Banana Boat Summer Color Self Tanning Lotion, $6.74 at Walmart. Doesn't smell crazy, looks really natural and easy to use everyday. My go-to!
Tanwise Dark Bronzing Sunless Mouse, $12.99 at Sally's. Comparable to (better than) Loving Tan, that crazy expensive Austrailian tanning mouse. They also make a face gel that I love.
Fake Bake Sunless Self-Tanning Lotion, $35.00 at Ulta. Produces a deep tan that lasts longer, not recommend for the face.
Please, please, PLEASE take this post seriously. Skin cancer is a scary thing. Laying out with baby oil and spending money on tanning memberships is literally killing you!
Get beautiful skin the safe way!
What is your favorite Self-Tanner? Tell me in the comments! I love hearing from you and answering questions from my email!
Thanks for hanging out!
XO Lindsay
urestiebestie@gmail.com
