I have been trying to find out information. there is so much that I have heard about the Sunscreens not actually preventing you from tanning but just the harmful UVA/UVB rays.
Re: How Not to get a tan??
yepp thats true..living down under no matter how much sunscreen i put on it doesnt stop me from going tan or anyone else i know for that matter. there is no way out of it but to avoid the sun as much as possible which can be a big pain :(
Re: How Not to get a tan??
walk around with an umberella
Re: How Not to get a tan??
Kaya asked me to apply sunblock 20 mins before stepping out into the sun...and yeah covering-up ALL the time.
Re: How Not to get a tan??
Sunscreen doesn,t stop the tan..!
I wonder what does..??
Re: How Not to get a tan??
not to get a tan?..lol
i wish i was brown...but i cant get so brown.....cries
Re: How Not to get a tan??
I've heard that Sunblocks do...and not just heard in fact...I've actually experienced it as well...
Re: How Not to get a tan??
sunblocks prevent tanning because they have physical agents that block the suns rays but the stronger protection u need the thicker they get...they tend to make the face appear ghostly white and pale. if you already are pale then you can get away with it but if you are olive skinned or slightly medium toned then it can look awful. but you can still try them...shisiedo spf 55 is a good sunblock that goes on really matte (its good if u have oily skin)
if you dont want the white look then you need to get yourself a sunscreen with certain chemical agents that block both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are the ones that cause skin darkening and UVB rays cause burning. From what i've gathered through what i've read on different resources, your sunscreen needs to contain either tinosorb or mexoryl if you want really good protection, these ingredients arent found everywhere in sunscreens in the United States but they are available in canada and europe. The only good ones i've been able to find in the US are L'oreal's revitalift with mexoryl and La Rochay Posay Anthelios with mexoryl. I think its gonna be a while before US companies start using Tinosorb and Mexoryl widely.
also from what I gather....if you use a suncreen containing avobenzone....e.g. aveeno then you shouldnt use makeup containing oxisalate on top of it because it makes the sunscreen unstable.
I also read that sunscreens that contain oxybenzone (again aveeno) arent too good because oxybenzone can be absorbed into the bloodstream through skin.
basically avobenzone is a UVA blocker and oxybenzone is added to stabilize it...however u should look for a sunscreen with otocrylene instead of oxybenzone (l'oreal reviatlift or LRP Anthelios)
the amount of spf u need depends on how much time you will spend in the sun. l'oreal is spf 15 which works for day to day but i would use a good physical sunblock if u'll be at the beach. if you have certain dark spots on your face you can use a good quality lightening creme at night for the trouble spots.
other than the technical stuff its quite instinctual really...dont go out in the sun much if u dont want to tan...or avoid the outdoors in the hours of 10 am to 4 pm. eat plenty of antioxidants to build your skin's defense against the elements.