Getting My Best Tan

I know every person's skin type is different. I am not a doctor. These are simply things that work for me to avoid burning. Know yourself and your skin type and use common sense when working on soaking up your vitamin D. :)

            When I was young, I rarely burned. I would spend hours in the pool and turn a beautiful golden brown. As I got older, I started to notice that I would burn more easily and when I did tan, it was not that same bronze color. I always had a red tint to my skin. I have made quite a few lifestyle changes and I have noticed that my tan has changed as well. When I am expecting to have a sunburn, I don't. Even if I do turn a little pink, it will turn to brown by the next day. My color has turned to a more golden color and it doesn't fade as fast. I started looking into it and these are a few of the things I do that I believe help me get my best tan and keep it!
               1. Cut out Processed Foods. You are what you eat and when the sun reacts to the trans fats and other chemicals in the food we eat, we get a sunburn, one that could be damaging, leading to skin cancer. Eat real, whole foods all the time for best results but at the very least, don't pick up fast food on your way to the beach.
               2. Spend more time in the sun. So often people spend their days in doors and then choose to spend ten hours on the beach on the first hot day of the year. I am lucky enough to live in the south with plenty of sun shining days. We try to spend at least 15 minutes outside in the sun everyday. We don't always get to, but that is our goal. We also don't use sunscreen during our 15 minutes outside.
               3. Coconut Oil. Okay, I might have a slight addiction to coconut oil. We use it all the time. I keep it in my kitchen to use in place of other oils and butters. I keep it in my bathroom to use as a moisturizer and as an ingredient in toothpaste and also for oil pulling. There are so many benefits to using coconut oil and these are only a few of the ways we use it. It is also a natural sunscreen.
               4. Vitamin D. I take 5000 ius of vitamin D3 everyday. On days when we are not in the sun at all or just need the extra boost, I take up to 10,000 ius. Most of us are vitamin D deficient which can cause so many health problems. I believe that keeping up on my vitamin D helps my skin in the sun.
               5. Dry Brushing. I am somewhat new to dry brushing. I haven't been doing it for a real long time, but the results are almost immediate. I use a loofah before I get in the shower and just brush my skin. Start away from your body and brush towards your heart. It is a great way to exfoliate, detoxify, and improve circulation, all of which can help with your tan. It also helps reduce cellulite. Find out more on the benefits of dry brushing.
               6. Natural Sunscreens or none at all. We do not wear sunscreen every time we are in the sun.  We don't use sunscreen for a few hours at the park.  We use sunscreen when we are going to spend the day at the beach or pool or any situation where we will be in direct sunlight for a few hours at a time. We never use higher than 30 SPF. Most sunscreens contain ingredients that actually cause cancer. 84% of them according to this article. Check out this site to find the best sunscreens and other sun safety information. If we are outside for most of the day, we try to spend some time in the shade to take a break from the rays.
               Basically what it comes down to in protecting my skin and getting my best tan, is the way I feel about most things. Stay away from as many chemicals and toxins as possible, look to nature, and know and trust my body. Don't be afraid of the sun. Enjoy the outdoors and the summer that lies ahead of us!