If you are a fair skinned person who burns at the mere mention of a hot day, then this article is for you. It is hard that you aren’t able to enjoy a summer’s day with as much carefree abandon as your darker skinned friends, isn’t it? Also, I bet you’d love to have that sun kissed look too… Let’s look into ways of how to tan with fair skin and freckles.
Fair skinned people tend to produce less Melanin, the compound that is responsible for pigment, or colour, in the body. If you have less Melanin in your body, you are generally far more susceptible to sunburn and skin damage caused by the sun’s rays. But this doesn’t have to be the end of the world – you can still enjoy a summer’s day and a beach picnic with friends, without worrying too much about your skin.
Those with fairer skin are generally more prone to damage by the sun, and the issues that come with sun damage, such as burning and skin cancer. However, this doesn’t mean you have to spend your entire life as a vampire, avoiding the sun for the rest of time!
How To Tan Safely
Whatever your skin type, there are a few guidelines that you should always follow when you are topping up your tan:
- No matter what your skin type is, you should always use sunscreen. The bare minimum you should go for is SPF30 in hot weather, and SPF15 for the rest of the time (yes, even in winter!)
- Time it. The sun’s rays are at their strongest between 10am and 4pm, so stay indoors or in the shade during these times if you really want to avoid sun damage.
- Giving your body a good scrub before you apply your sunscreen will remove dead skin cells, and allow a much better absorption of that vital sun protection.
- Move around. Instead of lying out on the beach in the full sun for hours, make sure you keep moving and changing positions. This will reduce the possibility of burning.
- Don’t stay out too long. Even if you are naturally dark skinned and don’t tend to burn, you should always keep an eye on your sun exposure time, and not spend hours and hours in the sun. Some fair skinned people should only do 15 minutes at a time.
- Avoid sun beds. Bizarrely, we tend to think that a tanning bed is safer than sitting out in the sun. This is very far from the truth! Sunbeds use the same principle as the sun – they use UV rays to stimulate Melanin production – and just 20 minutes on a sun bed is equivalent to a good few hours lying in the sun without sunscreen.
Here is a little video explaining why tanning beds are really not the best ideas:
How Can I Tan Instead Of Burn?
If you are determined to get your sun kissed glow from the sun itself, rather than from bottles, then you can still do this – as long as you do it safely. Follow these tips to ensure that you get get a bit of a glow without damaging your skin:
- Don’t stay out too long.
- Wear a wide hat to protect your face.
- Take breaks from the sun at regular intervals.
- Always use sunscreen.
- Avoid tanning beds (this piece of advice is actually for all of us, not just the fair skinned among us, as tanning beds can contribute to the formation of skin cancer).
- Don’t sit out in the sun between 10am and 4pm.
- Eat foods rich in Lycopene. Fresh fruits such as Watermelon, Guava, Papaya, Grapefruit and Tomatoes can help your skin to improve its sun resistance, as well as improving your chances of getting a delicious healthy glow.
How To Tan With Fair Skin And Freckles
If you want a beautiful, healthy glow that looks like you’ve spent a fortnight in Barbados but you have fair skin and freckles, your best bet is to fake it. Fake tans, bronzers and sunless tanning products are safe to use; they look realistic and natural, and (as long as you apply them carefully!) they can exactly replicate the effects of 2 weeks in the sun, without the worries of skin damage or burns.
There is a huge variety of fake tans out there these days, so it won’t take a lot of searching until you have found the best one for you. It may feel like you are not doing “the real thing” – but trust us a bit of fake tan is much better than accidentally burning yourself. It’s painful and unsightly, and you’d have to spend weeks sitting indoors waiting for the effects of it to disappear, so fake it to make it!
Final Words
If you are a fair skinned and freckled person, you may have despaired in the past that you will never be able to enjoy a healthy glow from the sun like your darker skinned friends. Now that you have some tips on how to tan with fair skin and freckles – and now that you know how to do it safely – you can enjoy the summer with everyone else!
