Yahoo Sports How to Get a Tan That Makes You Look Like Your Summer Vacation Lasts All Year
As a grooming writer, I’m usually one to preach the importance of “safe sun strategies”—like how to shield yourself from UV rays every single day for the rest of your life, hoping that you still look like a 35-year-old when you’re 85. But like everyone else, I want to live a little along the way, and wouldn’t mind being a crisp, golden-tinged 85-year-old who actually looks 85. In short, I’d rather be reveling in the sun’s warmth during the summer than avoiding it.
And in that vein, I wanted to get a few skincare tips from a few guys who share this sentiment in some way: We all want a warm summer glow, but there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for making that happen. So I polled an international panel of guys who get that enviable summer glow—and, somehow, manage to keep it all year long—to share how they make it happen. Best of all, none of their tips involved getting a sunburn as a base coat. For more, read on.
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Consider an SPF Oil Instead of Lotion
Vacation Chardonnay Oil SPF 30
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Paul Jebara, Freelance Travel Writer
Just like a pomade will make your hair look slick, so will sunscreen oil give your skin a summertime glow. That’s what Paul Jebara, a travel writer who’s always on the road, relies on for his year-round escapades. His current favorite is Vacation’s SPF 30 oil, above.
And we’re not talking about tanning oils, either; these are body or face oils that deliver the same sun protection benefits as a sun lotion or spray. Because of their formulations, they rest atop your skin and help it catch the light from every angle. (On the downside, they’re not very water resistant, so you will have to reapply them when you get out of the pool or ocean.) But oils apply exceptionally easily, and they tend to have plenty of nourishing ingredients, too.
Also, when he’s got a base tanJebara’s strategy switches from sunburn defense to skin moisture preservation, so he applies olive oil to his body instead.
If You Have Dark Skin, Try a Self-Tanning Serum
Tan-Luxe The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops
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Gary Thomspon, Beauty Influencer (aka The Plastic Boy)
Here’s one take that doesn’t involve any actual sun exposure. In the last couple of years, beauty influencers and editors alike have taken to the web to preach the praises of self-tanners—but not in the way they’re usually deployed (thank goodness, because some of those products turn light skin into a pumpkin-like orange). Instead, insiders like Thompson found that certain self-tanning products could add radiance to darker skin tones, while simultaneously giving them a more even complexion. Thompson’s brand of choice is Tan Luxe, specifically the Hyaluronic Acid Tan Serum (applied after cleansing, before moisturizing), and the Illuminating Self-Tan Drops (dropped into his daily moisturizer).
Tan-Luxe Super Glow Self-Tan Serum
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As he notes, two drops of the Self-Tan Drops yield “radiant” results, four drops are ‘sun-kissed’, eight drops will make you look “golden”, and 12 drops have a “bronzed” effect. “Make sure after you use the product, you wash your hands, or they’ll look like Cheetos,” he warns. And even eight hours after application, Thompson’s video ode showcases the ongoing glow and even complexion that the product delivers.
If You’re Pale, Make Sure You’re Eating Enough Lycopene
Ginger Armor Mineral SPF 50+
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Skyler Brady, Founder of Ginger Armor Skincare
Ginger Armor’s SPF 50 mineral sunscreen + moisturizer checks all of the sun care boxes for sensitive, fair-skinned folk. But wearing a high-grade, sensitive-minded sunscreen is only half the battle, according to Brady. He pairs his product with strategic consumption measures: Most notably, he urges people to consume foods high in the antioxidant lycopene after a day spent in the sun. (This includes guavas, tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, papaya, red bell peppers, persimmon, asparagus, red cabbage, and mangos.) This is because lycopene is known to improve the body’s defenses against UV damage, including minimizing the threat of sunburn. “However, remember that visible skin damage is a delayed reaction,” he adds, noting that just because you don’t see or feel your skin frying yet, doesn’t mean it’s not going to.
And for people of all skin tones, he says that the sun is strongest midday (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. typically), so while this means you need to take extra precautions—and potentially avoid exposure at these peak times—it can also be the best time to get a “quick fix” since the sun is strongest (IF getting tan is your priority). But, be sure to wear SPF when doing so, because it’s also the most prime time for an instant burn.
Use a Cast-Free, Zinc-Powered Sunscreen
Elta MD UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46
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George Sotelo, Founder of Thorsun Swimwear
Sotelo is no stranger to the sun, and is known to travel as far as Rio and Bodrum to get the best of it. He’s also frequently coordinating photo shoots to promote his swimwear line’s latest launches. For the models (and for his own skin), Sotelo relies on cast-free mineral sunscreens to help ensure there’s no chalky residue distracting from the merchandise. That’s perhaps what EltaMD’s mineral-chemical hybrid sunscreen is known for most: It delivers an invisible mineral layer of UV defense (with dermatologist-favorite Zinc Oxide as the primary shield), minus any chalky residue on skin—including on darker skin tones.
It’s not a pick for folks who prefer a mineral-only option, as its formula includes the common chemical sunscreen octinoxate to further neutralize those UV rays that seep past the mineral shield. But that doesn’t dissuade Sotelo. “It’s the only sunscreen I’ll wear daily, since it wears light, doesn’t make me break out, and doesn’t turn me pale,” he says.
If You’re Swimming or Sweating Outdoors, Get the Strong Stuff
Neutrogena Beach Defense Water-Resistant Face & Body SPF 70
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Sam Steinberger, Freelance Writer and Marketing Consultant based in Grenada
There are a lot of hurdles that brands have to clear with the FDA in order to put an SPF product on the market. And one of the most rigorous tests they endure is the water-resistant exams. In this, products have to clear one of two benchmarks to earn the distinction of “water resistant”—40 minutes or 80 minutes—and they are then allowed to claim said resistance for one of those two milestones.
However, if they fail to clear 40, they cannot claim resistance, and if they soar well past 80 minutes, they’re still not allowed to claim anything higher than 80. And while “water resistant” doesn’t mean “waterproof”, it is an important distinction for human fish like Steinberger, who spends all his time between assignments perfecting his surf skills.
“I don’t bother with any products that promise anything below 80 minutes,” Steinberger says. “Because I always apply 30 minutes before I head out, and I try to reapply every two hours [which is the ADA’s recommendation]. With that math, I usually have a clear 80-minute run at the waves before I worry about losing my sun defense. My partner is a runner and has the same mentality: She doesn’t want to worry mid-distance whether or not her skin is going to fry, especially in our Caribbean climate.”
Given their constant exposure to sun (and resulting constant glow), they opt for a no-risk high SPF 100 shield, such as Neutrogena’s Beach Defense SPF 70 above.
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