Getting a nice tan....?

Question

I'm going to a theme park tomorrow and I'd like to get a nice tan, not a burn. I don't want to go without any sun protection though. can I use spf 8 and still get tan? I'm kinda in the middle of the people who don't get burnt at all and those who step outside for 10 minutes and come in burnt. you know what I mean? or what if I just use the lotion that is only made for tanning(not the "put it on and you're orange" stuff, the kind were you have to be outside in the sun), not necessarily sunblock... will I still have a change of getting burnt with that on?

thank you! (:

Answer 1

yes, you will most likely be able to tan using spf 8. my mom tans all summer wearing spf 20 and she still gets tan but shes able to protect her skin from the harmful rays.

the lotion that is made for tanning has a chemical called DHA that allows your pores to absorb more UV. it does not offer any protection against artificial or outdoor UV. the reason this turns some people orange is because they absorb too much DHA for their natural skin tone.

i reccomend using a low spf or nothing at all and waiting until you have a bit of a base tan before using actual tanning lotion. hope this helps! good luck!