Just when did dark skin become the fashion? In days gone by, only the working class had sun dried and bronzed skin because they spent day after day labouring in the fields. Pale skin was not only a fashion trend, but a sign of wealth and aristocracy. That’s certainly not the case today. Now glowing, tan skin is a sign of good health and the ability to vacation year round in warm climate – in other words – tan is now the symbol of prosperity.

Just how can you get that bronzed look and keep it without harming your skin and your health? There are a variety of tanning lotions that can give you a tan that is natural and lasting but doesn’t cause harmful drying or the prospect of skin cancer due to extended exposure to the sun. There are also tips to applying sunless tanning lotions that will never make your tan look like it came from a bottle.

What’s Inside Tanning Lotions

Tanning oils and crèmes meant for the outdoors need to have one important ingredient and that is PABA. This is the ingredient that protects the skin from harmful rays from prolonged exposure. A lotion with a PABA 15 protects the skin 15 times more than untreated skin. For faces, year round protection with a PABA rating of 15 is essential to keep wrinkles from creeping in sooner than they should.

Other ingredients are intended to make the skin moist and work with the sun to change the pigmentation to a golden or bronzed brown colour. Many of today’s lotions can nourish and hydrate skin while you tan.

Sunless Tanning

Are you working all day long throughout the week looking forward to a weekend at the beach? It seems the weekdays are beautiful, while the weekends are filled with rain. The solution may be using a sunless tanning lotion.

Old formulas of sunless tanning crèmes left the skin with a distinct orange tinge. On top of that, your bed sheets and pyjamas would be covered in it as well. The new formulas are nothing like their predecessors. These give you a natural looking tan without the mess or odour.

There are sunless tanning products ( http://www.tanning-lotions-tips.com/sunless-tanning-products.html ) intended for faces and others for bodies. The key to getting a natural look is to no go too dark. If you are fair skinned to begin with a dark, dark bronze will not look natural. You need to choose a product that will give you a more golden look.

When applying sunless lotions, be sure to do it right after a shower. Make sure to cleanly shave hair from legs before applying. The skin has been freshly exfoliated and is moist. Rub the lotion in circular patterns to ensure even coverage without finger streaks. Then take your damp towel and gently buff your knees, elbows and along your hair line. This will prevent a darker ridge from appearing in these places. Knees and elbows usually have rougher skin and the colour can collect there. The same problem of lotion getting caught in the hair line can be a dead giveaway that the tan is from a bottle.

If you like to worship the sun, do so safely. Skin cancer is on the rise worldwide. It is important to protect skin today. Damage from the sun can take up to 20 years to show up. So if you are burning your skin in your teens and 20s you’ll see the signs by the time you are 40!