Tanning, Tanning, Tanning!

Having just returned from a short beach holiday in Spain, I thought it poignant to write about tanning today.

tan·ning

   [tan-ing] noun: a browning or darkening of the skin, as by exposure to the sun defined by www.dictionary.com 

 As most of you probably already know...I tan..I tan all the time.  It's not what you think, it's not only about bronzing my skin which in fact, does make me look BETTER, but it's also about the warm sun or uv light hitting my skin, making me feel warm, making me feel stress free...like i'm on a beach in Tahiti even though I'm at some "Solarium" in Prague taking in my rays in the MegaSun 6000 Sun Bed!  It takes me away, to a time when tanning was part of my daily summer and later, winter regiment.

I get it though,  we need to protect ourselves as with anything we may do on a regular basis that could be harmful, like driving a car or walking across the street, "Look both ways!"  YES, of course I believe in protection.  Any serious tanner does.  I'd even dare to say that we believe more in short term exposure for long durations for safety and all exposure includes some type of:

sun protection factor    
n.  Abbr. SPF 
The degree to which a sunscreen, suntan lotion, or 
similar preparation protects the skin from ultraviolet rays, 
usually expressed numerically.
www.dictionary.com

If you don't use spf products, please start.  I use spf every time I go in the sun or near a tanning or sun bed.  I have some of my favorite, but its important to make sure that you start with something that doesn't allow you to burn.

The basic issue here is not to burn in my book.  You don't want to look like the annoying orange walking around the office or into your next social gathering, you want brown skin...or at least I do.  To achieve this I reapply constantly and make sure to not use 0 factor for more than 10 minutes EVER.  I then move up the factor chain as the day progresses.  In simple terms, I start with a Hawaiian Tropic Spray Oil in factor 4 or 6 depending on how tan I am already...know your burning limits and constantly reAPPLY.  I then move onto a spf 8-12, again based on exposure and color of skin, but believe me, by 2 hrs into the day I've moved onto 30+!  No BURN equals Good Tan and it's better for your skin.  I'm not advocating here. If you don't like the Sun, stay indoors, but if you go outside put on the sunscreen.

Finally, if you do choose to worship the sun, do it in style

www.suncanihvar.com in Croatia
www.hotelguadalmina.com in Spain

Health & Wellness Spa Retreat, Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand

Email direct for more good recommendations on where to stay on a Tanning Holiday!
etoilenation@hotmail.com

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND COMMENTS!