Thread: A Safe Tan...

I'd say as *humans* we owe it to ourselves.

I do not have any melanoma that I know of but I anticipate having something go bad later in life. I have a lot of sun damage. It will out eventually. That said, my mother is 70 this year and her dark spots are all OK (and she tried to tan, a LOT, in the 70s), and so far as I know Dad is also fine at nearly 79 and never a touch of sunblock. It's exceptionally common here.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

I'd say as *humans* we owe it to ourselves.

Yes. This is especially true. I couldn't help but to emphasize the dancer part because some of us might feel additional pressures to fit certain standards of exotic beauty. To be completely honest, this was a factor in my own earlier decisions. Now, I know better than that.

At least in the US, the attitudes toward "recreational tanning" are starting to shift. Seems like so many of us know somebody who has had skin cancer. Not to mention, I've been noticing an array of glowing natural skin tones on the red carpet this last year or so. I've seen very little of that OTT "fake bake" look.

Out of curiosity, I wonder if Obama ever went through with implementing that tanning tax...

Oh,yes I remember that!
Coming from a guy who looks like Italys answer to George Hamilton himself >;-D

Oh SILVIO. You're so ridiculous. I'm so glad you're not MY leader but you do make a slow news day fun.

thread highjack, as i'm sooo happy with my new pics: you just need to find photographers who can make your white white white pale pale pale skin look edible.
;-)

i'm never going back to tanning, i think i'm even going to ditch the tan from a pot and sprays etc

wasnt the sun safer back then than it is now... hole in the ozon and all that?

Originally Posted by zumarrad

I'd say as *humans* we owe it to ourselves.

I do not have any melanoma that I know of but I anticipate having something go bad later in life. I have a lot of sun damage. It will out eventually. That said, my mother is 70 this year and her dark spots are all OK (and she tried to tan, a LOT, in the 70s), and so far as I know Dad is also fine at nearly 79 and never a touch of sunblock. It's exceptionally common here.

hence i found out the hair was easier to change than the skin :-)

not that i'm suggesting all pales girls go red, i wanna be UNIQUE. LOL.

Originally Posted by BreaMorgiane

I know that when I lived in Hawai'i, people always asked me, "Why aren't you tan?"

I was. Now that I'm back home in the frozen tundra I can't find a light enough foundation for my skin!

I like zumarrad's "I don't tan, I weather". ..g.:

I wonder how many Irish people get told, "But you're not a redhead!"

Originally Posted by artemisia_danst

thread highjack, as i'm sooo happy with my new pics: you just need to find photographers who can make your white white white pale pale pale skin look edible.
;-)

Yes! You are so right. Digital photography can make anybody's skin look a lot worse than it really is, and sometimes the camera picks up a ghost-like pallor if the white balance is off. The right lighting and post-processing will make you glow!

No more "Man Tan" for me, either

Brittziggy, let us know the results. And best of luck to you!

I have a mixed heritage and I would burn before I would tan, then just get darker. But then I started going to tanning beds and that's when I started noticing different patterns on my skin. In all my life I never had problems from the sun (yet?) but just a couple of summers in a tanning bed and I noticed my skin changing. To me, they are ten times worse than the sun.

Fotia, this is not just your theory but increasingly doctors say this too. Years ago sunbed centres would freely advertise sunbeds help avoid (!) skin cancer for they are using the UVA only I believe (or UVB?).
Total rubbish - at least where I live this misleading and downright false advertising is forbidden now, and laws are being passed on minors being prohibited from sunbed tanning since it is proven young skin gets irreversibly damaged by sunbeds (much more aggressively than by natural sunlight).

I am glad I never went - I do need to be more careful with the "real" sun though. It does have its clear benefits though as long as one does not continuously burn to get that chocolate colour (which I admit I was doing a lot in my early college years - loved to be very dark :( ). Sunlight has positive side effects of hormonal and vitamin nature (I keep forgetting which vitamin it is - vitamin e?). It cures some types of impurities on the skin.. but of course that all goes for moderate exposure.

I am somewhat sceptical with the sun screens though. They are chemistry, and I have a feeling they may be causing long term effects not yet studied. It's been only a few years that virtually all skin care products contain sun screen. Even as long as 20 or 30 years (which is nowhere close to the massive spread/inclusion of sun screen in EVERY product almost known maybe in the past 8 to 10 years at most) is nothing in medicine to be able to estimate long term effects of putting a chemical screen to natural sunlight on your skin EVERY day.
As I am not the very sensitive skin type (for them it is clear they need to wear sun screen to not burn massively) I must say I stick with natural daily face creams, and refuse to use sun screen every day. Only when I sunbathe. But maybe this is just chemistry paranoia and time will prove me wrong ;)

Originally Posted by dinavienna

Sunlight has positive side effects of hormonal and vitamin nature (I keep forgetting which vitamin it is - vitamin e?). It cures some types of impurities on the skin.. but of course that all goes for moderate exposure.

It's vitamin D. I've read that most people--women, especially--do not get enough vitamin D, and also that the US RDA of that vitamin isn't really enough. I take vitamin D supplements, especially in the winter when I spend less time outside.

Thanks :) I wonder if I will be able to memorize it this time!

Satin I hope everything goes well with the mole(s). Removal doesn't hurt too much and it's all outpatient... they give you local injections for the pain, shave and cut it out with a razor and scalpel, then plug it up with gauze, and you're good to go drive home. A couple of mine sucked, because they wouldn't stop bleeding, so they had to be cauterized (burning flesh smells nasty, and it hurts!). The wound will itch as it heals. If you follow the doc's orders for keeping it clean, your scar shouldn't be bad. It will be raised and pink for a while, prob for several months, but then will turn back to your normal skin color and not be as raised.

I've had 4 cancerous moles removed from my body. They were all in places that rarely ever see the sun, but having those removed has kept me from doing the tanning thing thankfully.

Vitamin D is INCREDIBLE by the way. It's a really essential vitamin, especially for those of us who work indoors and don't get enough sun exposure.

thanks for this post. i just recently fell victim to the comments of my pale skin and have been going to the tanning bed for a month. I am stopping today! I am almost 30 yrs old and I never laid in a tanning bed prior, but i let some stupid comments get to me. Again, thank you so much for this thread!

Good for you, Chyzanne! I know some very pale dancers who look gorgeous up on stage. If you pick a costume and makeup that flatters your coloring, you'll look great.

thanks, girl!

Originally Posted by dinavienna

It cures some types of impurities on the skin.. but of course that all goes for moderate exposure.

Not really.

I am somewhat sceptical with the sun screens though. They are chemistry, and I have a feeling they may be causing long term effects not yet studied. It's been only a few years that virtually all skin care products contain sun screen. Even as long as 20 or 30 years (which is nowhere close to the massive spread/inclusion of sun screen in EVERY product almost known maybe in the past 8 to 10 years at most) is nothing in medicine to be able to estimate long term effects of putting a chemical screen to natural sunlight on your skin EVERY day.
As I am not the very sensitive skin type (for them it is clear they need to wear sun screen to not burn massively) I must say I stick with natural daily face creams, and refuse to use sun screen every day. Only when I sunbathe. But maybe this is just chemistry paranoia and time will prove me wrong ;)

Try a sunscreen with micronized titanium oxide and antioxidants. I use this one: Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 15 & Antioxidants. I have had issues with sunscreen breaking me out (on my face) but never with this one. And a BIG HAT. Seriously, you NEED to screen your face EVERY DAY. You could also try a mineral makeup with an SPF.

Originally Posted by maiaraqs

Try a sunscreen with micronized titanium oxide and antioxidants. I use this one: Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 15 & Antioxidants. I have had issues with sunscreen breaking me out (on my face) but never with this one. And a BIG HAT. Seriously, you NEED to screen your face EVERY DAY. You could also try a mineral makeup with an SPF.

Does it feel oily? I still can't find a sunscreen that's not oily and makes my skin break out.

Originally Posted by Lesedi

Does it feel oily? I still can't find a sunscreen that's not oily and makes my skin break out.

Lesedi,do you live in a humid climate?

My favorites in hot,humid conditions and when I have oily skin are Biore UV Perfect and Sofina UV Perfect.
Both are very matte without a white cast,especially the Sofina Nuance Up and Bioré UV Bright.

Beauty Up My Life » Biore UV Perfect Face Milk SPF50+ PA+++

Product Recs - Sunscreens

Since Swedens weather can be harsh and drying in the winter(we´re talking -22 Fahrenheit without humidity)I switch in the winter.

Originally Posted by Lesedi

Does it feel oily? I still can't find a sunscreen that's not oily and makes my skin break out.

I use Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15 and it's not bad.

Typically, I avoid any sort of non-natural cosmetic products but it's hard to find sunscreen. I have to wear sunscreen, though. I had a cancerous mole removed (left with an 1.5" scar, too) a couple of months ago and was given the 'wear a big hat' speech by my dermatologist.

I used a SPF 50 last summer for my face but it broke me out so badly. I used as little as possible and even mixed it with pure aloe vera gel to cut it down so I wouldn't breakout too badly.

I remember reading somewhere you have use a tablespoon just on the face to get the amount of SPF stated on the sunscreen. Don't know how true that is, but I don't really like the idea of supersized zits in order to be safe.

Is mineral make-up stuff really helpful against sunburn? I have never tried that on it's own.

Originally Posted by elenya

I used a SPF 50 last summer for my face but it broke me out so badly. I used as little as possible and even mixed it with pure aloe vera gel to cut it down so I wouldn't breakout too badly.

I remember reading somewhere you have use a tablespoon just on the face to get the amount of SPF stated on the sunscreen. Don't know how true that is, but I don't really like the idea of supersized zits in order to be safe.

Is mineral make-up stuff really helpful against sunburn? I have never tried that on it's own.

I cannot comment on mineral makeup/sun protection. but you may want to google "mineral makeup break out" before trying. I had heard good and bad things about mineral makeup in the past - apparently many people have the most wonderful experience with it, and some have bad break outs of their skin due to it. I tried mineral blush first, expecting it to be good for my skin (I bought bare escentuals and maybelline products) but exactly where I used my mineral blush (on the apples of the cheeks only) I had zits (had never had them before on that spot - they appeared after 5 or so consecutive days of using the mineral blush - and they disappeared within days of stopping it).

I still have the makeup and bronzer ("warmth" by bare escentuals), and am hesitant to try them. I would try mineral makeup - but be very careful to watch the skin reaction.
you should get lots of experience and opinion entries when you google it!

Amen. My "second mom" died from melanoma - too much sun and fake baking. My dad has had a patch removed (farmer boy in Nebraska) as has my FIL (farmer boy in Africa.)

I'm 1/4 Lebanese but look like Haifa (sp?) because of the 1/4 irish parts - I never try to tan. Until recently (very recently) white skin indicated you were in the upper class and did not have to work - pale was good!!!

We live at 8300 ft so the sun is very intense. I tan and burn even with sunscreen on just by being outside, though I try very hard not to. It's difficult to love playing outside in the mountains and not look like it.

I use a bronzer on my face for glow cuz I like the way it looks. I try not to have too weird a tan from my outdoor activities when I am wearing dance outfits, but frankly every member of our mountain troupe has funky tan lines from having fun outside (with sunscreen.) My tan lines are permanent and I pray they don't come back to haunt me!!

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

.

the stuff Loreena McKennit's album cover artwork is made of!

:D you are too funny

I've had the best looking results with tan in the can by Sally Hanson. I've used it on my legs but I used it this past autumn on my midriff and it looked great. I get these "farmer" tans just from walking around outside or sitting by the river at lunch time (even with sun block I'll tan). So when I had to "match up" to even out the color on the rest of my body, this product really matched up well. It doesn't rub off on your clothes or costumes either.