Here is a Method That Helps You to Apply Sunscreen Correctly

photo by beautiful-skies.tumblr.com

It is hot outside. You are bathing in the sun. The sun is burning on streets and on your skin. Everyone knows it: you have to apply sunscreen before ring out in the sun, but hoe does sunscreen really works, which sunscreen should I use and when should I reapply it. If you are interested in this topic then keep on reading. 

How does sunscreen work?
Sunscreen protects your skin from dangerous UV radiation which cause skin cancer, wrinkles and any other skin damages by consisting of different chemical ingredients. As I am not that skilled in answering this question in detail, Everyday Mysteries did a fantastic job in this:

"Sunscreen works by combining organic and inorganic active ingredients. Inorganic ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium oxide reflect or scatter ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Organic ingredients like octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC) or oxybenzone absorb UV radiation, dissipating it as heat. Some sunscreens protect us from the two types of damaging UV radiation: UV-A and UV-B. Both UV-A and UV-B cause sunburns and damaging effects such as skin cancer."
answered by Everyday Mysteries

Which sunscreen should I use?
Recently a serious foundation that is testing product came out that cheap sunscreens from the drugstore do protect the skin best. Expensive luxury brands or even more expensive sunscreens from the drugstore didn't had the right ratio of UVA and UVB factor. Some also claimed to have another SPF than they actually had. So here is cheap better than expensive!

photo by pinterest

Which SPF should I use?
The SPF is in proportion to the intensity of sunrays, so it depends in which region you live. If you live approx. in the 50° latitude then it's fine to use a SPF of 15 in winter and 30 in the summer. Obviously, people in Africa or even in California have to use a higher SPF. However, the choice of SPF also depends on your skin type and your self-protection tim of the sun.

Skin Type 1 (very fair skin, red hair) - 5-10 min
Skin Type 2 (fair skin, blond) - 10-20 min
Skin Type 3 (slightly bronzed skin, dark blonde/brown hair) - 20-30 min
Skin Type 4 (dark, really tanned skin, brown/black hair) - 30-45 min

So this means that when you use a SPF of 30, your personal self-protection time of the sun is multi plicated by 30. So the sunscreen would protect my skin for 5-6 hours (I am skin type 2).

When to reapply sunscreen?
Some sunscreen claim with the banner: "Once a day". Well, totally ignore that because that is definitely not true. Your sunscreen protects your skin for a certain amout of time, as I have mentioned above. Once this time is exceeded, no sunscreen in the world can elongate the time. Thus, after a few hours you just have to go out of the sun, take a break and maybe after a little while you can go back to the sun. But remember, two hours in the sun are definitely enough for everyone.

I hope you found this helpful. Please let me know whether you like bathing in the sun?

Wish you a wonderful day!

Lots of love,

Build A Summer Tan You Can Be Proud Of

As much as I promise myself to maintain my pale skin and even though my friends say that pale skin suits to me, I hate to walk around in pale skin in the summer. I think that the bright colours look so much better with a bit of a tan and I like myself much more with a bit of a tan.

I also noticed that the sunlight makes my skin appear white and that it takes ages until I get a tan in the sun. Thus, this was enough for me to start my tanning routine again.

Step 1: Exfoliate

Exfoliating glove

I used to had to exfoliate, but recently I discovered that it really makes my skin a lot smoother. By removing your skin flakes the tan will look a lot more flawless. Thus, have to concentrate to exfoliate with circular motions on your elbows, ankles, wrists and knee. You can use a normal exfoliated or a cheap exfoliating glove. I bought mine in The Body Shop.

Step 2: Moisturizing

Dove Body Lotion 

As you have already concentrating to exfoliate the part of your body where you have thicker skin, you should also moisturize your elbows, knees, wrists and ankles. This prevents from dark areas after tanning.

Step 3: THE Tanning

disposable gloves

cotton moisturize gloves

The best way to apply your tanning product is to apply it with glove. I also tried to apply it with my hands, but it takes hours to get rid of the tan on your fingers and if you are not careful than you can get orange hands or strips on the arms from the water.

As I couldn't find any tanning gloves here, which would be the best solution, I created my one. I use a disposable glove which is liquid-repellent. However, the tan can be quiet stripy with this gloves, therefore, I add a cotton moisturize gloves from The Body Shop which makes the tan absolutely strip less.

St. Moritz Self Tanning Mousse

Then you just have to wait until the self tanner is dry and doesn't bleed into your clothes, so I always wait about one hour and then I just wear black clothes. Some self tanners have to be washed up after 4-6 hours after applying it like the St. Moriz self tanning mousse, which I have used today.

And then you have your beautiful and completely not damaging tan which looks absolutely flawless. Of course, a real tan looks always a bit different, but you have to consider that it really takes ages for me to achieve such a tan. And the sun isn't the best thing, just think about skin cancer and wrinkles.

This is a bit of a longer procedure, but it is really worth it.

So please let me know whether you like self tanners and how you apply them?

All the best,