What you need to know about solar radiation, how to choose the right protective agent and to keep tan longer.
Why you need to protect yourself from the sun
In small quantities, solar radiation is useful: it is a source of vitamin D and serotonin – a hormone of joy. But being in the sun for longer than 15 minutes is dangerous for the skin. The sun’s rays penetrate the epidermis and cause burns: the skin turns red, it hurts and can become blistered. 
How to sunbathe, not to do much harm to health
Rule number 1. Tan in the morning or evening
The safest time for tanning – until 10 am and after 4 pm. At this time, the sun’s rays do not reach the skin at right angles, so the probability of burning is much less. Do not worry that the sun does not bake and does not burn – it still “works”.
Rule number 2. Sunbathe gradually
The skin acquires a golden hue due to melanin – a dark pigment in the cells of the epidermis. It is produced under the influence of the sun and protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation. Melanin stands out gradually, so get a beautiful tan at once does not work.
To tan, give the skin cells to adapt and accumulate melanin. For this, tan gradually: start with 10-15 minutes in the morning or in the evening, adding 10 minutes each day. The rest of the time you are in the shade. Do not allow the skin to become hot and red. So you get a sunburn, not a sunburn.
Rule No. 3. Protect yourself from solar radiation
Solar radiation is divided into UVA-rays, UVB-rays and IR-rays.
- The most dangerous are UVB rays. It is they that cause redness of the skin, burns and provoke the appearance of cancer.
- UVA rays are responsible for sunburn and give the skin a bronze shade. This radiation is less dangerous, but not harmless. It has a cumulative effect and provokes photoaging of the skin: premature wrinkles, pigmentation and sagging.
- IR-rays are infrared radiation. They damage the DNA structure and destroy the collagen in the skin.
To protect yourself from sunlight, use a sunscreen. It will not let you burn and reduce the risk of cancer. This does not mean that if you use sunscreen, then do not tan. Means from the sun are arranged so that they protect first of all from dangerous UVB-rays and to a lesser degree – from UVA-rays, which are responsible for sunburn.
To sunscreen work, you need to apply about two tablespoons of cream on the body and half a teaspoon on the face. If you do not follow the recommendations, the effectiveness of the tool is reduced by 20-50%.
Rule No. 4. Choose sunscreen properly
The degree of protection is denoted as SPF. There are funds with SPF 15, 30 and 50. You need to choose based on your phototype: the lighter the skin and hair, the greater the degree of protection needed.
- If you have very light skin, red or blond hair and blue or gray eyes, you need a remedy with the greatest degree of protection – SPF 50. If your face has freckles or age spots, use a special face cream with SPF 50 against pigmentation spots.
- If you have a light skin without freckles, fair hair, brown, blue or green eyes, you are the representative of the second phototype. You will get money from SPF from 30 to 50.
- If you have dark hair, light or dark skin, use a sunscreen with SPF 30.
- Those who have olive, dark skin and very dark skin, too, must be protected from the sun – a means with a protection factor of SPF 15 is suitable. Even if you are well tolerated by the heat and do not burn in the sun, you are still exposed to UVA and UVB rays.
If you want to get tanned faster, you can use oil-gloss, a tanning activator with SPF 10 . It creates a smooth coating on the skin and attracts the sun’s rays, helping to tan faster, but without the risk of getting burned. The oil is suitable for people with a third or fourth phototype. If you have the first phototype, you can not use the product: it will not protect you from the sun. Those who have a second phototype, oil can only be used in the first hour after sunrise and at the last hour before sunset. Apply it to the skin for 15-20 minutes before going out and update after bathing.
Rule number 5. Prepare the skin for sunburn
A scrub or mild peeling will cleanse the skin of contaminants and dead cells in the epidermis. Thanks to this, the tan will lie evenly and stay on the skin longer.
Rule number 6. Wipe after bathing
Water droplets work like lenses, collecting and focusing the sun’s rays on the skin. If you do not wipe the skin dry, you can easily get burned.
Rule number 7. Update the sunscreen
Apply the cream every two hours and after bathing. You need to update it because sun filters are gradually losing sunlight.
Rule number 8. Protect yourself from the sun even in water
During bathing, the heat is not felt, because the infrared rays do not penetrate into the water. Because of this, it seems that it is safe to stay in the water – the sun does not heat and does not burn. Nevertheless, water penetrates health effect and measures against UV radiation .UVA- and UVB-rays – they are responsible for sunburn and cause dangerous consequences. Therefore, when swimming, also protect yourself from the sun. And protect the skin of children who like to play with the sand near the water.
Rule number 9. Moisten the skin after sunburn
Dry skin peels off and renews faster, so the resulting tan quickly goes off. To keep the bronze shade longer, avoid scrubs and sponges and moisturize your skin every day after sunbathing. For this, a moisturizing cream with panthenol and hyaluronic acid is suitable. For example, hyaluronic balm after the sun Bronzeada Librederm. It soothes and moisturizes the skin after exposure to the sun, prolonging the tan twice. Do not believe folk recipes and smear the skin with sour cream or butter – it can cause allergies and lead to the reproduction of bacteria on the skin
