How harmful ultraviolet is, doctors have been explaining to us for decades. Having learned this, some began to be afraid of sunbathing … although they could receive only benefit and pleasure from sunbathing.
During the last two decades, passions around tanning have boiled almost continuously. Doctors constantly lengthened the frightening list of consequences of sunbathing, blaming them for almost all ailments of the human body – from allergies to oncology, from aging to herpes, from hormonal disorders to vascular diseases. Sometimes – and this is understandable – the threat was even exaggerated: the excessive passion for tanning, which became fashionable by the end of the last century, had to be somehow stopped. But bronze skin was already considered almost an obligatory attribute of a happy and prosperous life, a sign of success and prosperity – it was not easy to change this attitude. A case in point: a huge number of romantic scenes in popular films and TV shows played out at pools, at beach parties and in waterfront cafes. Their heroines openly demonstrated “slender chocolate-colored figures” – the standard of beauty sung by Hollywood. Tan has become one of the symbols of emancipation, luxury holidays, resort romances and lightness of being. Everything that city girls dreamed about, languishing in boring offices in Europe and America. And the darker the skin of their colleagues after the vacation, the more, it seemed, exciting adventures they managed to survive. How many will remember wrinkles and oncology at the age of 20, if thoughts are more and more about love and sex? And in this, as it was clear from the same Hollywood films, only tanned ones could succeed …
From sunrise to sunset?
It took a long time to change priorities. But once Coco Chanel was able to introduce the fashion for tanning with just one phrase. She returned to Paris tanned, and in response to the puzzled looks of her white-faced friends, she dropped: “We were drinking champagne on deck, sailing from Saint-Tropez, and the wind blew my hat. But why leave a cheerful company for such a trifle? Everything was chic in this phrase: the sea, the yacht, champagne, Saint-Tropez, refined society … And already in 1920, fashion magazines, though not without skepticism, noted: “Many ladies can no longer be compared with lilies and roses. They prefer to accompany sea bathing with sunbathing, which is why their skin takes on a “furrier” shade. But, contrary to critics, the fashion for a tan quickly took root. And it turned out to be beneficial for many – from manufacturers of swimwear and cosmetics to owners of beach hotels. Therefore, despite the fact that doctors sounded the alarm in the middle of the last century, no one wanted to lose profits. It took years to convince sunbathers that we have every reason to be wary of ultraviolet light. And years – to return to fair skin former sympathy and popularity.
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- Diet for a beautiful tan
Today, faces “overcooked” in the sun, peeling noses and red shoulders for many look more like a sign of poor health literacy or even vulgar taste. But on the other hand, due to the natural features of our country, the untanned skin of Russian women often has an unhealthy, grayish tint. And how can you convince us that it is beautiful! In addition, many are already well aware that the hot sun after long cold weather gives the body not only pleasure, but also a completely necessary portion of vitamin D, which supports immunity, affects the state of the nervous system, heart function, blood clotting … So is it possible to sunbathe without harm but with pleasure and health benefits? “Today, there are many opportunities for this,” says Professor Jacques Proust, head of the gerontology department at Clinique de Genolier, Switzerland. – Yes, we know that ultraviolet is dangerous. But forewarned is forearmed. With proper use of sunscreens, adjusting our diet, and controlling the amount of time we spend in the sun, we may well be able to sunbathe without serious consequences for youth and health.” The professor is optimistic and calls, without going to extremes, to trust modern cosmetology more.
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- 7 strokes for a summer portrait
Line up defense
A few years ago, the European Commission vetoed the name “sunscreens”, replacing it with “solar”: it was proved that none of them has the ability to completely block ultraviolet *. And if until recently it was possible to find creams with SPF 70 and even 100, now the maximum degree of protection is set at 50+. But this is not enough, the professor emphasizes. After all, in fact, the SPF figure only shows how many times the degree of self-defense of our skin increases. That is, how much longer we can stay on the beach with this tool than without it. So, if a person burns in 10 minutes, then after applying milk with SPF 50, he will be able to stay in the sun for about 8 hours. And if the skin turns red after 5 minutes, then the effectiveness of the same preparation will last only 4 hours. But this is the case if the agent is applied in a generous layer, allowed to completely absorb and lie still – after all, creams are easily washed off on sand, clothes and towels. That is why experts unanimously recommend updating protection more often. This is especially necessary if the skin begins to “bake” according to the sensation: modern creams, in addition to ultraviolet filters, also include those that protect against infrared (thermal) rays. This makes it easier, on the one hand, to endure heat, and on the other hand, to feel with your skin when it is time to renew the protective layer.
“Solar Vitamins”
What is the difference between vitamin complexes for preparing for tanning and other nutritional supplements? The composition of these dietary supplements is aimed at increasing the self-defense of skin cells and optimizing the production of melanin. But in any case, not to increase (as many mistakenly believe) the production of this substance. Melanin is insidious, and uncontrolled activation of its production is fraught with melanoma, one of the most serious oncological diseases. Therefore, “solar vitamins” simply provide melanocytes with optimal conditions for normal operation. Indeed, in essence, melanin was created by nature in order to absorb and neutralize ultraviolet radiation. And if the production of this pigment continues uninterruptedly, then cell damage in the sun will be minimized. But taking dietary supplements does not preclude the use of creams with SPF. Indeed, even in the proper amount, melanin neutralizes only B-rays of ultraviolet radiation and is practically powerless in front of its A-radiation, due to which deep skin damage occurs. M. T.
But if the difference in the indexes only speaks about the possible time spent in the sun, another question arises: should the SPF level be reduced or not? Experts answer: it all depends on what result we want. If pronounced sunburn – then reduce. If it’s just a fresh complexion, coupled with maximum protection against aging, then no. Another important point is the choice of a specific drug, especially since there are a great many of them today. Traditionally, the “pioneer” in this area, the Lancaster company, has the widest solar assortment. Several lines for the face, body, children and men, as well as a huge number of “narrowly targeted” products (from those that prepare for tanning, to super-long, sports sprays, products for oily skin, and so on) make the brand the undisputed leader in this segment. The solar series Sisleÿa, Sisley, as well as Génifique Sôleil, Lancôme are distinguished by their targeted anti-aging focus. Owners of sensitive skin highly appreciate La Roche-Posay products: the composition of its products is based on the water of the thermal springs of the same name, which is officially recognized as effective in the treatment of many dermatological diseases.
So, we can sunbathe – with intelligence, calmness and calculation, extracting only benefit and pleasure from sunbathing. After all, the task is to make the skin only a little darker, by half a tone, while maintaining its softness and youth. This is precisely our desire. And this is exactly what dermatologists have been trying to achieve from us for so many years.
* European Commission sun protection recommendation 2006/647/EC.