Getting a Tan the Safe Way
Beauty of Bedford Salon Magazine
Will You be Faking It This Summer?
Selina's Weekly Beauty Tips
Essential Mask
My favourite product ever has to be the Karin Herzog Essential Mask. Use it before makeup for a real pick me up, skin will look so radiant and your makeup will stay on much better too. Plus it smells lush!Having a tan makes you feel happier, healthier, slimmer and younger. For this reason the popularity of sunbed use has soarn in recent years. It hasn't always been this way though. Even earlier than the 10th Century, skin colour was a visible class definer with the ruling class being very pale while the working class were much darker, signifying a life of outdoor labour. People went to great lengths to be white - the Romans used lead paints and chalks, then the use of arsenic became popular, all of which gave way to poisoning and eventual death.
It was during the 1930s that the tan began its route to popularity with the help of Coco Chanel and the 1960s saw the introduction of the sun lamp. The popularity of tanning salons continue to rise even today but to what effect?
How Do We Tan?
Looking for a Good Tan
When our skin is exposed to the sun, the UVB rays stimulate melanin production and it is the exposure to UVA rays that cause the melanin in our skin to oxidise and darken. The darkening effect (tanning) is our skin's way of protecting itself from too much UV light. So in effect, a tan is actually skin damage.
Health Benefits of Having a Tan
Exposure to the sun is necessary to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D is necessary for the body's skeleton to absorb calcium and therefore strengthen your bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis. But it has been argued by doctors and dermatologists that our bodies receive an adequate intake of vitamin D through normal sun exposure and dietary intake. Sometimes, sunbeds are advised as part of a treatment to help sufferers of psoriasis and dermatitis however, this should really only be under medically supervised conditions.
The main benefit of a tan is an increased feeling of general wellbeing. However, this feeling of wellbeing can be far outweighed by the negative aspects of having a tan.
Dangers of Tanning
There have been lots of reports recently highlighting the dangers of tanning and sunbed use. There is now a direct link between tanning - be it with natural sun or sunbeds - and skin cancer. In the UK, there are now around 70,000 cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year and this is rising. As trends for being tanned increase, popularity for sunbeds has also increased. The World Health Organisation is calling for tougher laws regulating the use of sunbeds and they have stated that under-18s should never use them. In fact, popularity for sunbeds have increased so much that Cancer Research UK have launched their SunSmart campaign in order to make people aware of the dangers of tanning and to work towards stricter guidelines within the Tanning Industry.
Its not just skin cancer that we should be worried about. Tanning also causes premature ageing - wrinkles, sagginess and loss of elasticity - and if correct eye protection is not worn during sunbed sessions, cornea damage.
There is No Such Thing as a Safe Tan
No Such Things as a Safe Tan
Achieving a tan through the natural sun or through the use of sunbeds, the answer is still the same. A tan is still skin damage, be it skin cancer, fast forwarding the ageing process or damage to your eyes.
So what are we to do to get that bronzed healthy look?
There are lots of self tanners on the market, so no longer do we have to settle with streaky legs or orange blotches on our skin. Our favourite at Beauty of Bedford is Fake Bake. Developed in America, and a favourite of many A-list celebrities, it works with your skin pigment to produce a natural looking tan. No obvious orange trademark, no streaks. It works from within just like the real thing but without the aid of harmful UV rays. Easy to apply, you can either do it yourself at home or pop into the salon for a full body exfoliation and then tan. The results are always fantastic and you control the colour you go. By reapplying you can get deeper, darker results.
Come into Beauty of Bedford and see for yourself the results that can be achieved with Fake Bake. Get your healthy tan without the unhealthy side effects.
— Maria