Summer is increasingly on our minds, and we’re thinking about the sun, the beach and sand, and why not, right? Getting a suntan that makes your skin look and feel spectacular is great. However, we must take certain precautions before heading out in the sun for long periods of time, and putting on sun cream once before leaving home is not enough. Here are some tips for getting the best suntan, safely.
Prepare your skin
The perfect suntan begins before going to the beach. Have you prepared your skin? If you’re thinking about spending a few days under the sun, you need to get your skin ready in advance to prevent possible damage, and the best way to do this is with a balanced diet and hydrating you well in advance. Drink a lot of water before the trip and keep yourself well hydrated throughout your holiday.
Use the best sun block for your skin
Nowadays, there are a huge variety of suntan lotions on the market, but you need to choose the one that works best for your skin type. Make sure to choose more than factor 30 and don’t forget to keep applying it during the day, especially after you get out of the sea or the pool. Remember a single application is not enough.
It’s important to understand that sunscreen works by reducing the effect of UV rays on the skin, but it doesn’t cancel it out altogether. To know which sun protection factor is best for your skin type, you need to consider that, for example, an SPF20 allows us to be out in the sun for 20 minutes, as if it were just one minute, and an SPF50, in turn, protects us for 50 minutes, as if were just one minute. You must also remember that the whiter your skin type, the less tolerant you’ll be to the effects of ultraviolet rays.
Choose the best time of the day
At certain times of the day, the sun hits the earth perpendicularly, causing greater damage to your skin, so avoid staying out in the sun between 10am and 4pm.
Rome wasn’t built in a day
Contrary to what you may believe, you’re not going to get a perfect suntan if you spend all day out in the sun. What you are going to do is seriously damage your skin. So if you’re after that ideal long-lasting tan, but don’t want to take any risks, the best thing to do is limit the time you’re exposed to the sun to less than 15 minutes per day and continue with this over several days.
After a sunny day
Protecting your skin should be before, during and after being exposed to the sun. We recommend a lukewarm bath and to use an after sun cream after you’ve been out in the sun. These can be bought in any supermarket and will help your skin to keep that suntanned look longer and keep your skin hydrated.
