How to choose a sun tanning product?
The sun gives our skin a beautiful brown hue and promotes the production of vitamin D, strengthening the immune system.
Deep velvety tan is the dream of many girls. But how to achieve a beautiful tan and not get burned?
It's all about choosing the right sun protection product, which should be chosen even before you go to hot places. The shelves of modern stores are full of jars and tubes - sprays, oils, creams. How to choose exactly what suits you best?
Let's look into the abundance of products on offer and find out how to correctly determine the type of your skin and choose the right degree of sun protection.
Choosing a product by skin type
The ability to acquire a swarthy shade depends on the type of skin, or rather on its ability to synthesize the pigment melanin. Accordingly, the choice of a protective cosmetic product will largely depend on this important biological indicator.
It is customary to distinguish four types of skin, which you can quite easily identify by external signs.
TO first type skins include sunbathing fair-skinned blondes. They have extremely low levels of melanin, high sensitivity to sunlight and a strong need for UV protection.
People with the first type of skin do not have the ability to produce melanin in sufficient quantities and therefore need especially reliable protection from the ultraviolet radiation of our luminary.
In terms of conventions, they need to choose cosmetics with a UV protection level of at least 30-40. The degree of protection of a cosmetic product is indicated by SPF (sun protect factor).
Co. second type include fair-haired people whose skin is prone to slight tanning and less sensitive than the previous type. But they also need a high level of protection (SPF 25-30).
Third type unites all brown-haired people with slightly dark skin, capable of sunbathing. But they can also burn with excessive exposure to the sun. Therefore, people with the third type of skin are advised to choose protective products with an SPF of 15 to 20.
And finally, to people with fourth type skin refers to all dark-haired and swarthy people whose skin naturally has a very high level of self-protection. This type of skin is also called Mediterranean, since it is precisely this type of skin that the peoples inhabiting the shores of the Mediterranean Sea have. To protect it, it will be enough to purchase a light lotion with a UV filter index of 10-15 units.
To determine your skin type and choose the right sunscreen, you can use the tables below:
Table for determining skin type by photosensitivity
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What is your eye color? |
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Light blue, light gray |
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Blue, gray, green |
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light brown |
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dark brown |
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What is your hair color? |
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light blond |
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Light brown, closer to dark |
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Dark color, closer to black |
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What is your skin color? |
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pale pink |
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Light but not too pale |
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Light, with a slight brownish tint |
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light brownish |
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swarthy |
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Do you have many freckles? |
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How does your skin react to prolonged sun exposure? |
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Painful burns, bursting blisters |
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Severe redness of the skin, peeling |
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Noticeable redness |
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moderate redness |
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There are no burns |
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Does your skin darken a lot when you tan? |
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Almost no tan |
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Sunburn is very weak |
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Nice tan |
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Dark deep tan |
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For each question, choose the most appropriate answer and write down the corresponding score indicated on the right side of the table for this answer. After selecting the appropriate answers to all the questions presented in the table, add up the scores and proceed to the skin type determination table:
Determination of skin type by external signs
What is better to choose - cream, oil or spray?
Sunscreen cosmetics has diverse texture variations: lotions, creams, milk, balms, sprays. What to choose?
In principle, they have a very similar composition, so the degree of protection and some features of your skin will be the decisive factor here.
So, for example, for dry skin, medium and high-density cosmetics (cream, balm), which will nourish and moisturize it for a long time, are better suited.
Oily and mixed skin does not tolerate excess weight on the surface. Therefore, it is better to use a spray, liquid milk or gel. They are instantly absorbed and create a feeling of comfort.
If we talk about the ratio of "resistance-protection", then the best indicators remain with creams and lotions. They stay on the skin for a long time and can have a wide protective spectrum.
Sunscreen oils have the opposite effect. They are suitable for dark skin because they have a low barrier coefficient.
If you plan to spend time on the beach, periodically dipping into the sea, pay attention to the water resistance of the sunscreen. Inscription water resistance means good water resistance. If the tool says water proof, which means that it is practically not washed off with water.
In addition, you should know that the generally accepted designation of the sun protection factor SPF on German cosmetics can be denoted by the letters LF, in French - IP, and on products made in America - LPS.
Another important indicator that you should pay attention to when buying is the degree of protection against A and B radiation from the solar spectrum. These values are referred to as UVA and UVB. Well, if their values are related 1/3.
How to use sunscreen correctly
Even if you have correctly identified your skin type and purchased the most suitable product, you should not neglect the main rule of tanning - avoid sun exposure during the midday hours. At this time, the sun's rays have the highest level of penetration, against which even the most resistant cosmetics can be powerless.
You should reapply suntan every time you dip in water if you are using a sunscreen that is not water resistant. As for the method of application, it is better to do light patting, avoiding thorough rubbing.
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Thus, choosing the right tanning product is a purely individual matter. Be attentive to your skin and you will definitely get not only the pleasure of the time spent on the warm seashore, but also a beautiful deep tan that attracts the attention of others.
