Your skin, the sun, and other such summery matters

Summer is officially upon us (in the northern hemisphere, at least), and that means warmer weather and sunny skies. For some of us, this means sunbathing by the beach, but for others this means trying to avoid sunlight exposure as much as possible. Up until the early 1900's, fair skin was ideal, as tanned skin was considered characteristic of the social or lower class, as those who worked for hours in the sun had tanned skin. Societies would use chalks, lead paints, and even arsenic to whiten skin! Less dangerously, women would carry parasols to shade themselves from the sunlight.

This ideal changed in 1923 when Coco Chanel returned from the French Riviera with a deep suntan, which she claimed to be from staying out in the sun too long, yet her fans began to adopt the trend. In addition to Coco, Parisians adored Josephine Baker, a caramel skinned African-American singer, and wanted darker skin like her. These two women were the forerunners of the tanning trend.

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Precautions should be taken if you desire a darker complexion, because the suns rays can be harmful, and put you at risk for sun burn and even skin cancer. If you choose to tan, always use a sunscreen, and apply it generously. If you don't put on enough sunscreen, you're not getting full protection. Using a higher SPF sunscreen will allow you to reduce the amount applied, in case you are uncomfortable with slathering on a low SPF for full protection. Ideally, you should be using a sunscreen that blocks UVA AND UVB rays, as well as being hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic - this means it won't irritate your skin or clog pores. Also, make sure you reapply it after swimming, or if you're doing an activity that causes you to sweat.
Tanning beds are NOT a safe alternative to natural sunlight, both cause exposure to UV radiation that can increase your risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging. Tanning beds mostly emit UVA rays, the kind that increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Your safest bet for a golden tan without exposing yourself to harmful UV rays is by using sunless tanning products. To create a believeable tan, use different products for your face, chest/torso, and legs, because using only one product will create a flatter look. By using different products meant for different parts of your body, your sunless tan will be more believable.

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Now, you might be the kind of person who finds fair skin ideal. Obviously, you will want to stay out of the sun, particularly from around 11 am - 2 pm, where the sun is at its strongest. You can't exactly shut yourself in a closet for the whole season, so when you do go out, use a parasol or umbrella with UV protection to shade yourself from the rays, and apply a high SPF sun screen. I suggest using a spray on variety, since they go on much lighter. It's also a good idea if your facial products contain UV protection, but it's generally not enough for full protection. Cover up with cute hats, sunglasses, and light long sleeves.
There are also skin lightening products out there, but do your research as some can contain harmful active ingredients, such as mercury, so use caution, read reviews, and know what's safe to use!

I hope you found this article informative, whether you prefer lighter or darker skin! Next time I hope to have an entry relating to what color clothing looks best with different complexions, so stay tuned!
Also, I encourage you to comment and leave feedback so I know if I'm keeping things interesting or not ;)

♥ Jesi Carroll