Tanning is Not Bad

Your skin darkens as a defence mechanism against the harmful radiation of the sun. The skin produces melanin, which acts as a sun block. And this causes the skin to darken.

Follow the Routine

"There are six skin types. The Indian skin falls between skin type three to five. And these skin types can't prevent themselves from tanning," says Dr. Aparna Santhanam, Dermatologist, Kaya Skin Clinic.

So while total prevention is ruled out, you can minimise skin darkening by religiously following these routines.

Before Stepping Out

• Remember to hydrate yourself well with enough water and juices.
• Apply a sunscreen half an hour before stepping out. Since ours is a tropical climate, the humidity can cause you to sweat and wash out the sunscreen. A half an hour period will allow the sunscreen to be absorbed by the skin properly and will be more effective.
• Apply it in the thickness as mentioned on the product label. Applying it in a minute portion is not sufficient to save your skin from tanning. For example, if you were to use only a small portion of SPF 15 sunscreen, then it will give you the protection of 7.5 SPF, which is half of it.
• Do not forget to wear a cap and loose fitting, full sleeved cotton clothes.

Under the Sun

• While out in the sun, remember to stand under a shade. Never stand directly facing the sunlight.
• If you happen to stay out longer, remember to reapply the sunscreen every three hours.

Within Cool Confines

• Once you are inside your house or office, wash your face with a mild face wash and reapply the sunscreen.
• Do not use a strong soap that contains harsh chemicals.
• If sunscreen is not handy, any soothing lotion will do.

The Sunscreen for You

There are various sunscreen products available in the market. But which one is best suited for you?

The SPF number on a sunscreen shows the level of protection it gives. "SPF values range from two to sixty. However, for the Indian skin type, an SPF 15 is more than enough. It will give you 95 % protection from the UV rays," says Dr. Satish Udare, dermatologist, MGM Hospital.

So does that mean higher the SPF the better it is?

"Not really. An SPF 30 might give you 97% protection, which is just a 2% increase from SPF 15. There is no huge increase in the protection factor of sunscreens with a higher SPF values. Plus, higher the SPF, the more thicker and stickier it is, which is simply ill suited to the tropical climate of India," informs Dr. Santhanam.