Get your own Glow on

Remember growing up, that picture of the girl in the Coppertone ad, the one with the tan-line showing as the dog pulled on her bathing suit? Boy things have changed, if you see a kid with a tan or without sunscreen you will have 10 Mom’s coming up to you waving sunscreen yelling child abuse! It seems as though we are more educated about protecting our children, however not so great about protecting ourselves.

Recently while researching self tanners I came across a campaign called, “Go with your own Glow”. It is the campaign for the Skin Cancer foundation. In my line of work, I often have people who come in primarily with concerns of “aging”, however they are usually sporting a tan, and because I’m also a nurse, I try to educate that a tan by the sun or tanning bed is not a long-term beauty strategy. It ultimately increases the symptoms of skin aging, causing wrinkles, roughness, and brown spots. Sun tanning and tanning beds also increase the risk of eye diseases, immune system problems, and skin cancers, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Trust me I used to LOVE the sun. I used to time my tanning as a teen to coincide when the sun was at the strongest. My friends and I used to rotate our chairs to get optimal sun and yes, I used baby oil and peroxide. I will also admit that I used to go to tanning salons as well. As I entered my thirties all that sun exposure started to show on my face, I had more freckles than skin showing and wrinkles developed around my eyes. I got rid of all that sun damage and now attempt to be diligent about wearing sunscreen and a hat. I still go to the beach, and I have a pool that I go in, however I’m protected with a good physical sun block.

As we enter into the colder months, it is still extremely important to wear sunscreen on a daily basis. The correct amount to apply is a Tablespoon to the face and don’t forget the hands! If you would still like to sport a “glow”, try a spray tan or a good self tanner.

Some self tanning tips are:

• Exfoliate well; use a body scrub, brush or mitt
• Don’t use any lotion or moisturizer prior
• Wear loose clothing after so you don’t rub off your tan
• Moisturize the next day and thereafter to maintain and extend the tan

If you don’t want to deal with self tanners, go to a spa for a spray tan, they last 5-7 days and are priced from $30.

Have a beautiful week!
Nikki Rasmussen, RN owner YOLO aesthetic boutique & med spa
http://yolomedspa.com 1010 Village Walk, Guilford, CT 06437 203-533-4560