Safe in the Sun

Protect Your Skin
We all know the damaging effects of too much sun - not to mention the premature wrinkles! Now that we're well into summer, I decided to put together a few times on how to protect your skin.

There are a lot of suncare brands to choose from, but you don't need to spend a lot of money to get good quality. Brands such as Garnier and Boots Soltan are widely popular and trusted, and don't cost a lot of money at all.

1. Apply Protection in Advance
You should apply sun lotion thirty minutes before leaving the house, so it has time to sink in first. Also make sure you're applying enough; there should be enough to fill a teaspoon on your face, and enough to fill an egg cup on your body.

2. Check Dates
Sun lotion's don't tend to have clear expiry dates on them, but in general, I recommend you change your sun lotion every year, as old lotion can go watery and not be as effective.

3. Don't Forget More Sensitive Area's
Such as your ears, nose and lips. It shouldn't be too hard to find a lipbalm with an added SPF at this time of year. Put a slightly higher SPF on parts of your body that you know tends to burn easily. With me it tends to be my shoulders and back, so I put at least SPF30 on them. Remember, if you've been badly burnt in one particular area before, it will be more prone to burning again in the future, so apply a higher SPF in those area's too.

4. Apply Regularly
Every hour and a half to two hours is a good ideal to aim for, even more frequently if you're in and out of water.

5. Don't Forget Your Scalp
This burns too! When you can, wear a hairband or a hat, and there are plenty of heat protection sprays for hair available. I love a hair mist from Avon called Tahitian Holiday. It's only £6, it protects your hair from the sun, and it has a yummy coconut scent that everyone always compliments whenever I use it.

6. Know When The Sun is Strongest
Between 11am and 3pm is when the sun is strongest. I'm not suggesting you don't go outside at all during these times as that's unrealistic, just take extra care to protect your skin during this time of day, and it would be a good idea to eat meals indoors at this time of day too.

Fake It
There are so many types of tan from a bottle to choose from, you can't really go wrong. I've been self-tanning for a couple of years now and have some handy tips and product recommendations for you.

The most important thing to do is exfoliate, preferably the day before. When you shave, the pores open, and if you apply self-tanner immediately after hair removal, you may end up with a join-the-dots effect. Not pretty! You also need to moisturise thoroughly, though you can skip this part if you are using a gradual tanner. The best time to tan is in the evening, as you have more time to let the tan sink in before dressing and it can develop overnight.

For a Natural Tan
In my opinion, this is the best way to go. You see the colour build up gradually over a couple of days and stop when you're satisfied. I also find it's good for maintaining a tan after your holiday.

There are a lot of gradual tanners to choose from now, but I find the original Johnsons Holiday Skin is the best I've tried. I stocked up on millions of bottles of this stuff as Bodycare have them on offer for £1 each!

It's simple to use: just moisturise like you would normally. Remember to still wash your hands afterwards. As with other self tanners though, it does stain clothes, so wait a while before dressing. It smells quite fresh (they've recently improved the scent so you won't be walking around smelling like burnt biscuits anymore) and my skin stays soft after using. This product is worth using if you're new to self-tan/nervous about getting streaky, maintaining a tan or just want a light colouring rather than full-on bronze.

Getting Bronze Evening Skin
A product I tend to use before summer evenings out is L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gel. It's tinted so you can see where you're applying it, and has a slight shimmer too, which is nice for an evening.

You can build up the colour as much as you like, as you can see where you've applied it and it begins to develop pretty quickly, after about an hour. The product is about £7, but you can find it in places like TJ Hughes for cheaper.

Gel-based, shimmering fake tanners are really nice for summer, and also suitable for beginners as you can see any mistakes you make and fix them straight away. Tanning mousse is also good and works in the same way. Apply using an old sock so you don't get the orange palms.

Instant Tan
I do have a slight obsession with instant/wash-off tan, and tried a fair few in my time. Rimmel tends to be a good brand to use, as is Maybelline.

These are scary the first time you use them. You literally look like you've been dunked in dark chocolate, which is why a lot of my friends don't like them. All you've got to do is start really lightly and build it up, and rub it in very vigorously! Once you get the hang of it, it's really easy. And if you really don't like it or feel you went a bit overboard, all you've got to do is jump in the shower. Again, I would recommend a mit or an old sock for application, as it can be hard to get off your hands afterwards.

Spray Tanning
The quickest, no-fuss route is definitely a spray tan at a salon. I've only ever had Fake Bake - which I recommend - but I've also heard St. Tropez is very good too. Most salons offer spray tans and usually cost around £20. There are rules to follow (no deodorant or perfume for example), but your salon should tell you how to prepare when you book your appointment.

Bronzers
Bronzers are another uncomplicated, easy way to get a temporary glow. My absolute favourite products are Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Mousse Make-Up (I mix it with my regular foundation to get whatever shade I'm after) and The Body Shop Brilliance Powder in Bronze Satin. They aren't cheap, but a little goes a long way and I've had great results with both, so they're worth the investment.

The self-tanning route does take practise, but I think taking a little longer to achieve the same tanned effect, just without worrying about the wrinkles and sunburn, is definitely worth a little effort!