Possible to avoid suntan?

[Asylum Seeker]

Hi
Luckily i don't get sunburn as i'm fairly dark skinned (skin type IV), however i get tanned very easily which i don't like:eek: This might be a stupid question but if i use a good sun protection lotion (say SPF20) will this actually prevent me from getting a suntan? If not are there any products out there which stop dark skinned people like me from getting a sun tan? Thanks

[binkyboo]

i would maybe go for something higher than 20 and i would assume if you want no tan you would need to use a sunblock which is factor 30 or 50?

[ColleenPamela]

I wore the highest SPF possible when I went away to Portugal but I still came back suntanned (this is with 5-6 reapplications a day)

[ceebeeby]

... Maybe try and avoid being out in the sun or if you desperately do have too, wear long sleeved, long legged loose clothing, and a large brimmed hat - use sun-block on any other areas.

Good luck

[eyeonspain]

I spend my summers trying not to get too dark in the summer as I don't like how it looks on me so I wear factor 50 on my face, wide brimmed hat, often sit with a kaftan on, always under an umbrella or a tree.

[~*Plushroom*~]

Essentially, no OP, regardless of what factor sun lotion you use you can't prevent tanning through using it (Take it from a ghost coloured gal who wears factor 50 when outside and still tans). Sun lotion with different SPFs just prolong the amount of time you can spend outside before burning.

This website may help with information,
http://ambafrance-do.org/beauty/30356.php

Pretty much your best bet is a sunblock not sun lotion, but these are really uncomfortable and still don't provide 100% protection against tanning. However incorporting this along with covering up with loose natural fibres and seeking shade during the peak tanning hours you will lessen your chance of tanning considerably.

[Barneysmom]

it's still worth using though.
I got some from Tesco last week when I was awy, SPF 50, it was £3 .
Then I also got some different for my face, it's on special offer at the moment, reduced from £8 to £3. Soleil Beauty F/Defence Matte Fluid F30 50ml. That's a smaller sized bottle but I'll use it when I'm driving back home now too.

For 6 quid, you can't grumble, it's nice too.
I got the Value range aftersun, just to get that lovely cocoa butter smell.

[Ted_Hutchinson]

I hope no one is under the misguided impression that having a suntan is an indication of Vitamin D replete status.

Tanning is a response to UVA radiation and Vitamin D is made from UVB. The proportion of UVB to UVA varies through the day and the highest ratio of UVB occurs around midday.

YouTube - Skin Cancer/Sunscreen - the Dilemma (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeXtGHSt-5o) explains how most sunscreens work by moving UVB into the UVA spectrum, so they block UVB by changing it to UVA however by doing so they prevent the production of Vitamin D3 even though they may allow skins to tan.

If you haven't been taking an effective amount of vitamin d (5000iu/daily) and have been regularly using sunscreen through the day then a
25(OH)D test (http://www.grassrootshealth.net/d-action) will enable you to determine how vitamin D deficient you are and which chronic illnesses are you are potentially more at risk of (http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=6065)

[~*Plushroom*~]

it's still worth using though.
I got some from Tesco last week when I was awy, SPF 50, it was £3 .
Then I also got some different for my face, it's on special offer at the moment, reduced from £8 to £3. Soleil Beauty F/Defence Matte Fluid F30 50ml. That's a smaller sized bottle but I'll use it when I'm driving back home now too.

For 6 quid, you can't grumble, it's nice too.
I got the Value range aftersun, just to get that lovely cocoa butter smell.

Ah the Soliel stuff, I remember telling people on here about it and then it wasn't in stock for anyone else to try. I've got the factor 50 one and it is great, keep stocking up when it's on offer - though £8 isn't that bad considering how good it is. The value range smells like cocoa butter? Ohhh, may have to look at that, I love the smell of cocoa butter.

[lostinrates]

Ah the Soliel stuff, I remember telling people on here about it and then it wasn't in stock for anyone else to try. I've got the factor 50 one and it is great, keep stocking up when it's on offer - though £8 isn't that bad considering how good it is. The value range smells like cocoa butter? Ohhh, may have to look at that, I love the smell of cocoa butter.

I've got it now!

Its fab, so is the tesco rip off.:T

I'm very pale skinned but spend a lot of time outside (gardening, working in my fields, with horses and walking dogs) So far serious usage of factor 50 is really working quite well for me. I have very, very slight tan on breast bone (can barely see it) and the ''worst'' area are my lower arms.

I factor 50 thoroughly in the morning and then keep applying, particularly to those key areas through the day. I use the facial factor fifty s recommended above, and then top up frequently with a stick factor fifty (esier over makeup) my makeup also has a low spf.

I ALWAYS wear huge sunglasses, and when I can, a hat. I recently had one of those sun damage phtos done and it the protection I've had from huge sunglasses was very clear to see.

[lil_lady]

hi
the best ingredient for sunblock is zinc oxide which gives you about 90% uva protection titanium dioxide is a cheaper alternative.
also look out for products with the skin cancer foundation logo on it .do not get this confused with the skin care foundation.
at the moment i am liking skinsceuticals physical uv defense but it maybe abit to white for your skin tone. i tend to look at the ingredients more then the spf.