ADVICE: The Perfect Tan!!

miQ tanning on Bavaro Beach

We all want it! From the second we arrive at the beach, the first thing we think of is a tan!  We need the tan to prove that we had gone away and enjoyed the sun, we need the tan to look good and most importantly, we need that tan to look good lol!

Lets face it, most of us roast ourselves to the point where we get burned and from experience, sunburn is NOT comfortable.  Your skin hurts all the time.  In the heat, in the cold, in the pool, in your shirt, in the blanket, it just HURTS!  I had one bad case of sunburn and I never want another one EVER!

this is what you call sunburn

I see a lot of people roasting themselves on the beach.  Everyone has their own system and strategy.  Some turn on a timely basis, kind of like a rotisserie.  Others just lie there and grab every second of the sun at all costs, even if they do look purple.  That my friends is NOT a prefect tan.  That is skin cancer waiting to happen!!

We have gone many times and I think we have finally perfected how to get the perfect tan.  Keep in mind though, this piece of advice works for OUR skin type.  It may not work for others.  The 3 things you should consider before you head out to vacation is Before, During and After.

Before: If you are fair skinned and get sun burnt easily, maybe tanning isn't the best thing for you.  Just accept it and loathe on that 70 SPF and let your pictures do the talking.  Another thing you can do is go to a tanning salon to get a base so that you don't get roasted the minute you get there.  It worked on me when I first started to visit down south, and I know it has worked for other people as well.

You should also buy all your sunblock before hand.  Sunblock is expensive at all resorts because they know you need it and have no other choice but to pay if you run out.  Get a variety of SPF's when you do.  We normally get a bottle of 45, 30 and 15 preferably waterproof.  Make sure you do your research as to which one to get.  Some are very hard to apply and some wipe of right after you sweat!  The brands we go for usually are Hawaiian Tropic and Neutrogena.  You should also buy some after sun care as well as one bottle of spray block.  It's good to use on your feet and legs when you don't want to rub the sand thats stuck onto them.

Leesh hydrating in the shade during peak hours

During: The best piece of advice I can give you is stay away from the sun from 12:00 pm-2:00 pm!  This is where most people get burnt!  The assumption is that you will tan faster this way, which is true, but you will also get BURNT faster!  Try to stay in the shade or in the water.  Basically, keep your skin cool during these times.  You still tan while you are in the shade.  The sand and ocean act like a mirror and bounce the rays off to your skin so you can get some decent gradual sun.

If you want to tan faster, my best advice is to be in the water for as long as you can.  You can get an awesome tan that way.  You still however need to apply sunblock too and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep yourself hydrated all the time with WATER not beer or alcohol!

After:  After a nice shower, apply a deep conditioning lotion.  I use Vaseline Cocoa Butter.  It's AWESOME!  Only use the Aloe if you are burnt in some areas.  This helps cool the skin down but it does NOT act as a moisturizer.  You still need something to prevent the peeling.  If you are burnt, wear long sleeves to sleep and try to keep your room at a comfortable warm temperature.  I find the cold stabs into your skin when it's burnt.

When you get there, people watch.  Compare the people that sit in the sun all the time to the ones that do it all in moderation.  One normally looks like a nice bronzed healthy person and the other looks like a boiled lobster in the buffet.  Take your pick to which tan you prefer.

Here is a rule of thumb...if you think it's too hot for your skin, chances are IT IS!

Happy Tanning!