I hate to break this to you, but there is no such thing as a healthy tan. A tan is a sign of sun damage that could possibly lead to skin cancer and definitely will lead to premature wrinkles.
You don’t have to give up being in the sun as long as you wear protection. Here are some tips to make sure you don’t make like a banana and peel:
1. Clothes are the best sunscreen.
But not if it’s white. If you can see through the shirt, so can the sun—and give you a burn. It’s true that your best best is wearing dark, tight-woven clothing that covers exposed skin, but really? Who’s going to do that? Instead, try the Skin Cancer Foundation’s recommendation of SunGuard, a laundry additive that contains a sunscreen. Seriously. Toss it in the wash, and your clothes—white or dark—will get an SPF 30 protection for up to 20 washings.
2. Choose a sunscreen with antioxidants.
Sunscreen alone doesn’t block all the damaging rays from the sun. For example, an SPF 50 blocks out 98% of UV rays. Antioxidants can block the UV radiation that can sneak in through the sunscreen.
3. Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going outside
And reapply every 2 hours. Sooner if you’ve swum or toweled off. By the way, there is no such thing as “waterproof” sun block. It wears off in less than 90 minutes after getting wet.
4. Read the back of the label to make sure you’re getting UVA and UVB protection.
Front labels can be misleading. Never mind what they say, read the ingredients. For UVA rays (they cause aging) look for: Avobenzone, Ecamsule (Mexoryl), Zinc oxide, or Titanium dioxide. For UVB rays (they burn skin) look for: Octyl methoxycinnamate, Octyl salicylate, Octocrylene, Zinc oxide, or Titanium dioxide.
5. A silver dollar on your face and a Ping-Pong ball on your body.
Studies show the average person puts one-tenth of the amount of SPF needed to reach the number that’s on the bottle. I can feel the burn already. Squeeze out lotion the size of a silver dollar for your face and a Ping-Pong ball for your body.
One last tip: It’s ok to use last year’s bottle of sunblock. They have a shelf life of about two years. Don’t be mistaken for a leather chair—use lots of sunscreen!
UPDATE: FDA Announces New Sunscreen Labeling Regulations
Good news for consumers: Starting in 2012 sunscreen manufacturers will have to explicitly state (and more importantly, prove) whether they protect against UVA, UVB or both. Currently, they do not. Many simply state “broad spectrum” protection, implying that they block both kinds of rays when they in fact do not. For more details click here.