What is Sun Tan?

Tanning is your skin’s response to exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) radiations from the sun. As soon as it comes in contact with the warm rays, your body starts producing melanin and Vitamin D. Melanin is a natural substance that gives colour to your skin and hair, and does double shifts to protect your eyes and skin from the same (photoprotection). So, more and more melanin gets produced in the body causing a visible darkening of the skin around the area directly in contact with sun rays.

Is It Always Bad?

Moderate exposure to sun causes moderate tanning which is not harmful to the body in any way. But getting overexposed causes sun burns, pigmentation, a depression in the immune system and premature ageing of the skin. Besides sun spots, your skin may also experience fine lines and wrinkles.

HOW TO AVOID GETTING TANNED?

Tanning is a temporary event that leaves a long-lasting shadow on the surface it happens. The longer the exposure to sun, the longer it takes to recover from the skin darkening it causes. Most of us are too casual about it because the time we spend in the sun is limited, but you’d be surprised to know how you’re getting tanned bit by bit everyday without even noticing. If you wear a ring, just compare your skin tone from under the skin and that around it. The fairer portion is the original colour of your skin, which is somehow the only part of your hand that has managed to maintain it. The good news is, unlike stepping out in the sun, tanning is not inevitable. You can protect yourself from it by the following simple ways.

Use a Good Sunscreen Before Stepping Out

Prevention is better than cure. You can’t aim for an unrealistic scenario where you don’t step out in the sun at all unless you find another source of energy that’s cleaner than the sun itself. Until then, keep your guards up against the bad guys transporting themselves along with the good sun rays. Who, you ask? Well, not the entire package emitted by the sun is harmful for the skin. But the UVA and UVB rays within the ultra violet range are extremely harmful for us. Not just for the skin, but also for the eyes and the entire immune system. So, make sure you apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with a high SPF to create a shield around all parts of your exposed skin and prevent tanning.

Seek Shade and Avoid the Harsh Sun

Early mornings are the best time to allow yourself some basking in the sun. Once you start feeling the heat, abort the mission immediately. Avoid stepping out in the sun for longer durations and if it is absolutely necessary do so at later hours of the day, wear sunscreen, eye shades, a hat and other protective clothing to safeguard yourself. Wearing all of them at once may not be possible every time you let yourself out, but you get the point: maximum defense.

HOW TO REMOVE TAN?

There are many ways you can undo tanning on your skin, including elaborate home remedies and easy skincare rituals. The home remedies should be followed with caution as unsupervised application of highly acidic substances on skin may cause irritation. Let’s see how you can remove tan easily from your skin at home.

Lemon & Honey

Lemon juice is a strong bleaching agent, which helps lighten colour, including that of excess melanin in the form of tanning. Just mix it with some honey to make sure you don’t dry up your skin too much with the highly acidic texture of lemon. Apply this on your skin and let it stay for 30 minutes. Wash with cold water.

Turmeric & Besan

Turmeric is a popular ingredient in our culture that is used on skin to make it brighter and more radiant skin. This is due to the skin lightening qualities of the rhizome. Just add a spoonful of turmeric to a large bowl of besan and make a thin paste by adding water or milk. Apply it on your face and scrub it off right before it starts drying. This naturally exfoliates your skin and also helps remove tan over time.

Potato Juice

This may sound weird, but those with some background in science (or access to a wise grandmother) know that potato is also a natural bleaching agent. Just juice a raw potato and apply it on your face. Let it stay for 10 minutes till it’s completely dry. Rinse with cold water. 

Activated Charcoal

Charcoal is one of the most trusted ingredients that can help you with managing skin tans. It helps remove dead skin cells and deliver even complexion due to its cleansing properties. The Charcoal De-tan & Detox kit from Bombay shaving Company is a complete skincare solution to reveal your natural glow by not only removing the tan but by detoxifying the skin as well. Follow the facewash, scrub, mask ritual regularly for best results.

Coffee

Coffee powder is a natural skin exfoliator and the caffeine present in it can help increase the glow of your skin. You can use it with lemon juice or milk. Add few drops of fresh lemon juice in coffee powder and make a paste. Apply it on the affected area and let it stay for 10 minutes before rinsing with cold water. Alternatively, make a thick consistency paste off coffee powder with milk and apply on the affected area. Rinse with lukewarm water after 10 minutes.

You can also go for the Coffee De-tan Facial Kit from Bombay Shaving Company and get ready made Face Wash, scrub, mask and face pack to remove the tan from your skin and give yourself a glowing face. 

MYTHS AROUND TANNING

Cloudy skies Mean I Won’t Get Tanned.

It only sounds logical, right? But if all those horror movies are to be believed, the evil always gets you when you let your guard down. Clouds do allow small amounts of UV rays even through their dense cover. So, when you think you’re enjoying a cloudy winter afternoon strolling in the park, your skin is still producing extra melanin to shield it against the leaked ultra violet rays.

I Can Skip Tanning By Applying Moisturizer After Exposure to Sun.

You need to treat your skin with more than just a moisturizer to soothe the sunburns. All that a moisturizer can do is replenish some hydration to your dehydrated skin. But the sundried skin will still go through process of peeling.

An Umbrella Can Save Me From Sun Tan.

While we’ve seen way too many people holding their umbrellas over their heads as they walk in the sun, all it does is save them from the heat. The UV rays still make their way through the fabric of the umbrella and still burn your skin. Thick hats can help and, of course, the good old sunscreen.

I Can’t Get Tanned In Water.

This is how your senses play with you. When you’re in a pool on a hot day your body feels refreshingly cold because of the low temperature of the water, but the sun rays easily pierce through its surface and start working on your skin like it would on land. In fact, you end up getting even more burned because of all that reflection. Extreme tanning due to reflections happens in high altitude areas with snow.

IN SHORT…

Use a sunscreen. There’s no escaping that unless you want to spend weeks and weeks recovering from the suntan. Use skincare regimens formulated with super ingredients like activated charcoal and coffee. They not only help you de-tan but also push extra benefits into your skin.