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Well, who doesn’t like the bronze color of the skin after the holidays! A tan of a beautiful shade is the real pride of vacationers, but for everyone it remains on the skin for different times: for some, it is washed off a week after the holidays, while others rejoice at the chocolate skin tone until the very cold. Why is this happening and is it possible to somehow preserve the tan for a long time?
The durability and quality of a tan depends on three factors. First, from heredity. Secondly, from the production of melanin in the body – the pigment that gives the skin a golden brown tint. Thirdly, on the health and degree of skin hydration. And if it is impossible to influence the first factor, then everyone can correct the other two. There are several rules, following which, you can keep the bronze tan color longer than usual.
Proper hydration of the skin before sunburn
If you want the tan on your body to last as long as possible, you will have to take care of this long before you go on vacation. At least a month before traveling to the sea, you should start taking proper care of your skin. Dry and flaky, it does not lend itself well to tanning: it quickly burns out, and then the epidermis just as quickly peels off. In addition, on a smooth surface of the body, the tan lies more evenly and faster. Hence one more piece of advice: before going to the beach, be sure to exfoliate and remove all dead cells. For normal to oily skin, scrubs and peeling mixtures with fine abrasive particles can be used. If the body is very sensitive, then a non-abrasive peel should be chosen. These can be products based on fruit acids and emollients. Peeling or scrubbing is best done 3-4 days before a trip to the sea.
In addition, 2 weeks before the holidays, it is useful to start using a special serum that stimulates the production of melanin. It also contributes to a beautiful and quick tan.
How to sunbathe
How long the bronze on the body will last depends not least on the correctness of sunbathing. Remember: getting tanned and burning out are two different things. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the recommendation of dermatologists and expose your body only to the morning and evening rays, that is, sunbathe until 11 a.m. maximum, and in the afternoon go to the beach no earlier than 16-17 hours. Do not forget about protective creams. It is better to give preference to products with a coefficient of at least 15. In addition, during the day it is necessary to regularly renew the layer of cream on the body. This should be done every 4 hours or every time after swimming.
Proper skin care after sunburn
The sun dries out the skin. The sooner it loses moisture, the sooner you will say goodbye to your bronze tan. Therefore, if you want to maintain a beautiful body color, take care of restoring the lipid layer.
To do this, it is useful to use special cosmetics from the “After Sun” series. Many people think that after the beach, it is best to moisturize the body with oils. Meanwhile, cosmetologists advise in the summer to choose products in the form of lotions, mousses or gels. They have a lighter texture, and thanks to a special formula, they are absorbed into the skin (including its deep layers) faster than oil and do not create a feeling of “heaviness” on the epidermis.
If your goal is to moisturize your body and keep your tan longer, then after sunbathing it is useful to use products enriched with nutrients and substances that protect the skin. Products with carotene (carrot) oil have a very beneficial effect on the body, since beta-carotene helps to fix the tan. Coconut oil is also beneficial for tanned skin. It contains hyaluronic acid, which increases hydration by 4 times. In addition, this oil provides the body with natural UV protection. Shea butter regenerates and moisturizes the skin, so it is also useful after sunburn. In addition, this product contains vitamins A, E and antioxidants. But what is really indispensable for those who want to keep a bronze tint on the body for a long time is cocoa butter and walnut extract. These products act as natural bronzers on the skin.
If you want not to lose the chocolate color of your skin for a long time, for some time after the holidays you will have to give up sauna visits and long hot baths. They contribute to the rapid evaporation of moisture from the skin and the death of the tanned layer. And in order to keep the summer tan until winter, you will have to stock up on special bronzers and visit the solarium 1-2 times a month.
Diet for tanning
Many believe that the quality of sunburn depends solely on the duration of sunbathing. But Ian Steven, a professor at the University of Bristol, believes that there is another important factor affecting the preservation of bronze on the skin. This is a diet. Let’s say more, the scientist has determined which products determine the quality of a tan.
When choosing products for the diet, Ian Steven proceeded from the fact that our body needs two pigments for tanning: melanin and carotenoids.
The first is produced in the skin under the influence of sunlight. The second can make the skin noticeably darker even without the influence of the sun. In addition, carotenoids protect our body from harmful UV rays. So, Ian Stephen discovered that if you eat certain types of foods 5 times a day for a month, the skin will quickly become swarthy, and the tan will last longer than usual.
The most useful tanning products
Carrot. This is one of the best sources of beta-carotene, and it is this substance that is indispensable when you want to keep the bronze on your body for a long time. In order for the skin to quickly acquire a chocolate color, it is useful to either drink a glass of carrot juice or eat two fresh vegetables before sunbathing. Then, eating carrots daily will help maintain your tan.
Apricots. Their sweet taste is liked by both children and adults. And this nutrient-rich fruit is very good for the skin. Iron, phosphorus, bioflavonoids, B vitamins and beta-carotene – all this not only protects against harmful ultraviolet radiation, but also contributes to the appearance of a healthy tan. It is believed that if you eat at least 200 g of apricots daily, the tan color will be more intense.
Peaches. If you regularly consume peaches during the summer season, you can not only increase the reserves of potassium, iron, beta-carotene, vitamins C and B, but also activate the production of melanin pigment in the body. Together, this contributes to the appearance of a beautiful tan without burns.
Tomatoes. These vegetables are good for everyone to eat, as they contain a lot of B vitamins, various minerals, as well as lycopene, which is good for the heart and skin. Due to the special chemical composition, tomatoes prevent the malignant degeneration of skin cells, and also accelerate its tanning. According to the scientist, for a good tan, it is useful to consume at least 60 g of fresh tomato juice per day.
Melon. This sweet fruit is also useful to include in the daily diet for anyone who wants to keep a summer tan for a long time. Melons are rich in B-group vitamins, ascorbic acid, iron and, of course, beta-carotene, which enhance the color of the tan. To experience these benefits of melon, you should eat 300 g of fresh melon daily.
Greens. Parsley, dill, basil, cilantro, spinach are also on the list of foods that should be eaten by anyone who dreams of beautiful tanned skin. Leafy greens are an excellent source of vitamins and antioxidants that protect the skin from UV rays in the summer. By the way, the greens are very useful after the abuse of sunbathing, as it contains substances that eliminate swelling and redness of the skin.
Grapes contain antioxidant substances that protect skin cells from malignant transformation, which is very useful during the beach season.
Broccoli. This vegetable must be in the diet of people who care about the beauty of their tan. In addition, the composition of the vegetable contains elements that prevent burns, even in case of excessive sunbathing (it works as an ambulance for sunburned skin).
Watermelon. This huge holiday berry is useful as a tasty source of liquid. In addition to the fact that watermelons are almost 99% water, which maintains skin moisture, they also contain substances that make the body tan faster and more evenly, and the tan is longer lasting.
Seafood and sea fish. For the skin, this group of products is primarily useful as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which prevent drying out. But if we talk about oily sea fish, then a product that is not subjected to heat treatment will bring more benefit to the skin. That is, choosing, for example, between fried trout and herring, it is better to give preference to the second one. In addition, seafood and fish are rich in vitamins A, B, D, E, and also contain a lot of the amino acid tyrosine, and these substances are excellent helpers for tanned skin.
Asparagus. The healing properties of this vegetable are known to many. If you regularly eat asparagus, you can strengthen the immune system, improve the functioning of the digestive system, and also get a beautiful tan. In addition, asparagus contains substances that reduce the risk of cancer.
Liver and red meat. They are useful to everyone and always, as they contain many vitamins, minerals and other valuable components, without which the proper functioning of the body is impossible. Red meat and liver have a lot of tyrosine, which stimulates the production of melanin, which means it contributes to a beautiful tan.
Useful substances and sunburn
In order for a product to accelerate a tan or help preserve the natural bronze on the body, it must have a certain chemical composition. The fact is that some substances stimulate the production of melanin in the body. In addition, if a person lacks certain nutrients, then under the influence of the sun, his skin becomes wrinkled faster, flakes and ages. And this is one of the reasons why for a beautiful tan you need to eat foods with a rich chemical composition.
Omega-3 fatty acids. They are necessary for the body, if only because they are responsible for the preservation of the lipid layer of the skin, that is, they retain moisture and prevent the formation of wrinkles.
Tyrosine and tryptophan from the group of amino acids activate the process of melanin production.
Beta carotene. It enhances the production of pigment that gives the skin a golden hue, and also acts as an antioxidant on the body, neutralizing the effects of free radicals, thereby preventing skin aging. But in order for the body to get the maximum benefit from carotenoids, they are best consumed with fat. To do this, salads, from vegetables containing carotene, it is useful to fill with either vegetable oil or sour cream. Oils are good for their vitamin E content, and sour cream is an excellent source of animal proteins, which are important for collagen production. Without the right amount of collagen, the skin will wrinkle very quickly. But when using foods containing carotene, it is important not to overdo it, so as not to get the so-called carotene jaundice. Although this condition is not dangerous to health, there is also no aesthetics in it, since the sclera of the eyes and the skin become unnaturally yellow. Meanwhile, it is quite difficult to achieve an overdose of carotenoids. To do this, you need to drink at least 1 liter of pure carrot juice daily for several weeks.
Vitamin E. This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant essential for skin that is regularly exposed to UV radiation. Vitamin E is one of the most beneficial substances for slowing down skin aging.
Selenium. This element is necessary for the body as protection against drying out and burns. In addition, selenium prevents cancer and strengthens the immune system.
Zinc. In order for the skin to remain smooth and retain moisture for a long time, the body must regularly receive foods containing zinc. It is especially important to observe this rule in the summer, when the body is prone to drying out and flaking (on such skin, a tan will not last long).
Lycopene. This substance is a natural organic pigment from the group of carotenoids. It is beneficial for the skin for several reasons. First, it is an antioxidant that mitigates damage from UV rays. Secondly, lycopene, like all carotenoids, promotes the production of melanin. But unlike other carotenoids, lycopene is not destroyed by heat. Heat treatment, on the contrary, makes the substance more active.
Water. Probably, many are familiar with the condition when, after tanning, the skin begins to itch. And all due to the fact that after prolonged sunbathing, the hydrolipid balance is disturbed in it. You can restore it with a special diet and drinking plenty of fluids.
Tanning diet options (table)
At least a week before a trip to the sea, it is useful to transfer the body to a special diet that accelerates the production of melatonin. Below are some sample menus that you can use to create your own options.
| Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Omelet with 2 eggs, sweet peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and cheese | Muesli with yogurt, peaches, apricots, watermelon, oranges | Watermelon, strawberry, banana, honey and yogurt smoothie |
| Snack | Green or white tea, a handful of almonds, a cracker | Cocoa or coffee with milk with cinnamon, cracker | A handful of nuts and some dark chocolate |
| Dinner | Chicken breast baked with herbs and vegetables, lavash | Broccoli soup, canned tuna salad, green beans, green peas, hard boiled egg, carrots, beets and olive oil | Boiled rice, spinach stewed with garlic and pistachios, fried salmon |
| Dinner | Seafood salad or a piece of fried fish | Boiled turkey, salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, feta and greens | Stewed liver, tomato, bell pepper and greens salad |
A rich bronze body shade is the dream of many. Nevertheless, dermatologists are constantly reminded that sunburn is nothing more than a specific reaction of burned skin. Therefore, before you choose the sunniest place on the beach and lie like this all day (even in the midday heat) in the hope of “painting over” your body in bronze, remember the warnings of doctors. Do not forget that you need to take sunbathing wisely, otherwise there is every chance to bring back from your vacation not a beautiful tan, but blisters on burned skin or even more serious consequences.