Using Sun Tan Lotion

Long gone are the days of low-protection sun tan lotion, meant to deeply bronze the skin of the wearer. Today sun tan lotion works as a screen against the most harmful rays of the sun, though there are many that still allow color to develop in the skin. Historically, sun tan lotion has been in existence since the late 1930s, but it has only been in the past few decades that it has been applied as a product meant to protect and enhance the appearance of the skin. More and more safe and organic compounds are finding their way into these products, and yet many are able to be applied before going swimming or performing activities that may induce perspiration. This means that the advances in sun tan lotion chemistry are making consumers safer than ever before. In addition to sun tan lotion and its protections to the flesh of the body, there are now lip balm and cosmetic products such as facial makeup with the same UV blocking elements in their ingredients as well. Why all of the fuss? Sun tan lotion protects the skin from the harmful rays of the sun, meaning that it eliminates freckles and reduces the chance of sun burns, but additionally offers people some defense against certain skin cancers that develop from prolonged or frequent exposure to the sun. There are certain people, including babies and children, who should never be exposed to the sun without adequate sun tan lotion applied. Additionally, there are specific areas of the body that tend to suffer greatly from sun exposure, and these include: ?The back of the neck ?The forearms (especially if driving a vehicle for a long period of time) ?The skin of the face, neck and upper chest ?Infrequently exposed areas like the shoulders, buttocks and backs of legs Each of these areas is extremely sensitive to the damages from sun exposure and even a single, bad sunburn can produce devastating effects. To choose the best sun tan lotion it is important to consider the type of skin and the activities that will be performed when wearing it. For example, a fair or light skinned person, intending to spend a day out on a boat will need to choose a higher UVB and UVA sun tan lotion to ensure complete protection during their day in the sun. Each sun tan lotion has a numeric value assigned to it, the higher the number the better the sun protection, and most skin doctors and physicians believe that anything with a value of fifteen or less is the same as going without sun tan lotion at all. Additionally, if a sun tan is desired it is best to darken the skin in stages, making sure that adequate moisture is retained in the skin and that no burning or ?overexposure? occurs on any given day. It is impossible to spend time in the sun without getting some skin coloration from it, but it is important to protect the health of the skin as much as possible, and sun tan lotion is the only solution.