People from all around the world have different skin colors, and they vary from each other in regard to their skin tones and shades. The kind of skin one has depends from region to region and person to person, but it is mostly the former. In the west, people are of a lighter, paler color than the ones in the east. For example, people in Europe have a lighter skin color than those who are living in India.
This difference in our skin tones may occur due to various reasons and there are people with a light skin color who would wish to have a perfect tan on their body, and in order to achieve this tan, they use methods such as applying sun-tanning lotions, oils, and creams. Unlike sunscreens, tanning creams, lotions, and oils are used to make the skin darker while on the other hand sunscreens are used to prevent the same tan from taking place on our skin and also help block the UV radiations from reaching us.
What Do Tanning Lotions, Oils, And Creams Help With?
In order to achieve the wanted or desired tan, we usually go and take a long sunbath ending up spending hours under the sun. The Ultraviolet Radiation A or the UVA rays coming from the sun are the rays that penetrate through our skin and reach the layers of the epidermis. It is here that the rays trigger the melanocytes cells that in turn produce melanin, a brown pigment that causes tanning. Unlike the UVB rays that cause sunburns, UVA rays are the opposite of these rays.
The tanning products are similar in the sense that they end up attracting more UVA rays to the skin to get more tanned. It is here that instead of having a lesser, more normal tan, the skin gets a darker color by using these products than the color one would have achieved without it. If your region does not get the kind of sun to produce enough tan, you can use these products to get it for they are an ideal choice.
How Is Getting Tanned By Using Tanning Cream, Lotion, And Oil Better Than A Normal Tan?
Getting tan with the help of the natural sun rays is not such a good idea because that tan will come from the UVA rays which are harmful to us and can result in cancer in the long run. A sun-tanning lotion or oil on the other hand is perfectly safe for it contains dihydroxyacetone or DHA which causes a tan by reacting to the amino acids present in the topmost layer of our body. It helps in increasing the tanning process. Though these products are also not completely safe. Tanning products end up focusing as much of the UVA rays on our skin as is possible. Those rays are cancerous and are harmful therefore more absorption of those in our skin can be even worse.
Choosing Between Sun Tanning Lotions, Oils, And Creams
Since all three, be it a tanning oil, a tanning lotion, or a tanning cream are all used for better-tanned tone, some people wonder which one of these is better than the other and come up with debates on tanning oil vs tanning lotion.
Well, to tell you the truth, all three are used for the same purpose, and it really depends on our personal choice which one we want to use. Apart from this, lotions are used by people with oily skin-type whereas creams are used by those who have dry skin. Again as mentioned above, it is all about personal preferences and choices.
One cannot be better than the other when it comes to selecting from tanning lotions, oils, or even creams. They give the skin a perfect glow along with a suiting tan that lasts for a long period of time. Though these products increase the intensity of the UVA rays on the body, still sunless tanning products are most recommended due to their zero negative effects on the skin since they tan the outer layer on their own without taking even a little help from the sun.
Moisturizing The Skin
Sun-tanning is a slow process and it can even be dangerous to get tanned under the direct rays of the sun. It is the direct rays that can be the most harmful to the skin if our body is exposed to them for a long period of time. It is also known that the process of tanning can make one’s skin dry and make it age faster.
With the help of sunless tanning creams and oils, one can help prevent the negative effects of natural tanning and give the skin color a better glowing tan than it would have usually received naturally. Not only do the products help in tanning but also do the work of moisturizing, therefore, preventing two harmful effects on the skin, that is aging and dryness.
Are Tanning Products Safe To Use?
As stated early that the oils help get the maximum of the UVA rays to the surface of our body, but the rays are still harmful. Though many tanning oils consist of the Sun Protection Factor or the SPF, many still do not and comparatively provide a less efficient barrier from the harmful rays of the sun.
Whyte quotes that if one happens to be using a sun-tanning oil then they should take care of one thing and that is the SPF which should be around 30 which protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. But this is not the case with the tanning products since they have very low Sun Protection Factor (SPF) in them which reaches up to about 15 SPF.
The sunless tanning products are even safer for they do the work of sun tan indoors and you do not have to step out in the sun in order to get that tan on your body. Normally, tanning would lead to premature aging skin that is rather harmful to the skin but the alternative is completely safe for its users.
