A “total screen” solution is not synonymous with an anti-tan formula! Moreover, it is high time to put an end to some received ideas…
First, be aware that a so-called “total screen” protection does not exist! This mention is also now prohibited on the labels. However, you will of course find very high protection indices (50 is the most common). However, even these ultra-protective sun products cannot guarantee 100% total protection. Therefore, a few basic rules should be followed:
- choose the right protection index according to your phototype;
- do not expose yourself between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to avoid the increased harmfulness of UV rays;
- expose yourself to the sun gradually and gently: start with tanning sessions of 15 minutes, and never expose yourself for prolonged periods;
- renew the application of the sunscreen product every 2 hours (or following 2 baths of 20 minutes on average).
Tanning: a natural phenomenon
Tanning is precisely a natural process of protecting the skin once morest the sun’s UV rays. Melanin, a natural pigment, is integrated into the surface of the skin to prevent these UV rays from penetrating further into the cells, which can ultimately cause cancer. It is therefore melanin that creates this famous tan, and it takes several days before rising to the surface of the skin. Hence the need to gently prepare the skin for tanning. By popularizing, we can say that sunscreen products partially replace melanin by absorbing solar UV rays that come into contact with the skin. But this natural protection created by melanin is not enough to protect once morest the harmful effects of UV rays, which also have virtues: their action on moralein particular, and the synthesis of vitamin D.
Tanning and total screen: what regarding?
As we have seen, the notion of sunscreen does not actually exist. Thus, sunscreen products cannot absorb all the UV that hits the skin. the tanning phenomenon therefore comes on naturally, even with a very high SPF (like SPF 50+), regardless of the texture of the sunscreen product used (cream, fluid, lotion). This protection is also essential to avoid burns (the famous sunburn) and serious skin diseases, such as cancer. It also slows down skin aging caused by UV rays. Using sunscreen therefore allows you to tan; better, it allows you to tan intelligently and in complete safety. Good to know: the tanning mechanism kicks in following 15 minutes of continuous exposure to the sun.