How to Tan Without Getting a Sunburn

It is a lot of fun to have a nice, dark tan. Your skin looks healthier and your body looks slimmer. Tans bring out your muscles while reducing your blemishes. Overall, they are simply a great way to make yourself look better.

But getting a tan is not the easiest process. Yes, all you need to do is go outside in the sun for a while and you are bound to get a tan eventually, but at the same time you also risk getting a severe sun burn, and a sunburn can make getting the tan essentially pointless – red, peeling skin is never sexy.

So your goal should be to get a tan without burning, because if you burn you are going to miss out on some of the aesthetic benefits of getting a tan in the first place.

Note About Tans and Burning

It is important to note that there is no surefire way to tan without burning. UV levels, skin color, time in the sun, exposure to water – all of these and more can affect whether or not you burn when you are trying to tan. Any time in the sun at all can produce burning no matter how much you try to avoid it. But there are ways to at least reduce your risk of burning while still getting the tan that you want.

Methods for Not Burning

·        Limit Sun Exposure

Unless you get a terrible burn, tans do not simply pop up overnight. There is no way to go from fair skinned to dark tan overnight without a severe sunburn in between. You need to tan gradually. Your best bet is to give yourself some brief sun exposure and then either getting out of the sun or lathering yourself in sunscreen for the rest of the day. Then, 48 hours later, go out in the sun again and add a little bit of extra time. Continue this over the entire summer and your tan will start to show and darken in no time.

·        Use Tanning Oils

Tanning oils help improve the effectiveness of your time in the sun. Use good tanning oils while still limiting your sun exposure time and your skin should be able to darken more easily.

·        Cover Up When Not Tanning

Sun tanning is not the only time that you are getting sun exposure. After you sun tan, you are still going to get sun on your face, legs and arms. Make sure you wear a lot of sun screen when not tanning. These parts of your body are going to be heated up already from your time tanning, and the extra sun exposure can cause burning.

·        Consider Sunless Tanning

If you can commit to it, you should also consider sunless tanning. These sprays and lotions are designed to give you the appearance of a tan without the sun. Because you are not receiving sun, there is no sun damage, and you will not burn while still getting a great tan.

There is no way to completely avoid your risk of burning, but if you are careful out in the sun and gradually increase your sun exposure as tans start to arise, you should be able to reduce your risk of experiencing a bad sunburn.

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