#30 Base tan to prevent sunburn is BS

Another skincare myth we’re going to expose today is that getting a base tan will help your skin not burn as easily. Let me drop a big truth bomb here… tanning damages skin cells and there is no such thing as a healthy, safe tan. 

But tanned skin is attractive and a sign of good health, right?! In reality it damages and ages your skin and increases your risk of skin cancer. That risk goes up even higher if the tan started out as a sunburn. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a single blistering sunburn can double a person’s lifetime risk of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. 

Sorry to ruin it for you if you love tanning out on the beach...

In a 2017 Harvard study, 5 million people in the United States were treated for skin cancer that year. And this number doubled from 10 years ago and still continue to rise today. 

And if you’re thinking tanning beds… the argument that they do not cause skin damage or skin cancer is not true either. UVA radiation from tanning beds is 12x stronger than that coming from the sun. So it lead to more harmful skin damage than going to the beach. Not to mention the UVA is responsible for most of the aging of the skin because UVA rays penetrate the skincare deeper. So in short, tanning beds age your skin 12x faster than being out in the sun. And you know UVA exposure is responsible for 80% of the aging of the sun overall. So if you just pay attention of that, you will enjoy healthy good looking skin in the years to come. 

But it’s not all lost if you want that bronzy beach tan without damaging your skin or increasing your risk for skin cancer. Self-tanners are the safest way to get it. Sunless tanning lotions, sprays, or gels, work by temporarily adding color to the top layer of skin. If you go that route, consider exfoliating with a scrub in the shower before applying a self-tanner… this will get rid of any dead skin cells so you can get an even application. 

These products are better options to protect yourself than a base tan if you are worried about a sunburn. And follow the basics about sun protection as much as you can. Stay out of the sun when it is strongest from 10am to 3pm. Apply a broad spectrum SPF of 30 or more. If you’re out, every 2-3 hours. And even more often if you’ve been sweating, swimming, or wiping your skin with a towel. Long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats, long pants also offer really good protection. And remember that you can still get a sunburn even on cloudy days. So don’t ignore the sun just because you can’t see it.

And for all the tan lovers… I believe that your natural skin color is beautiful. And there is no real need to change it.

That’s all for today. See you in the next one. Click the subscribe button so you get notifications of future episodes.