The importance Of your Skin!!!!

Its summer time (where I live) and people are preparing for summer by tanning in tanning beds! I too used to be one of those people laying in one baking away my skin a d health. My mother went to the doctors one day and discovered that 75% of women tanning in tanning beds or lathering themselves with baby oil outside are most likely going to get skin cancer ! Does that sound good to you? Is a tan THAT important?? Sure tans make us look like sexy mamas! I mean what tan doesn't! But come on if you get one naturally while in the pool or doing yard work thats fine. But, laying outside baking yourself in tanning oils or going to tanning beds is really dangerous! If you want a tan use a self tanner. I use Loreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion. And I use Dove moisturizer for my face because it has SPF 15 along with my self tanner. It protects my face and gives me s subtle tan! You should use a sunscreen with at least 15-30 SPF at the LEAST!!! Protect yourselves...is a tan really worth the risk of skin cancer?

Tanning is terrible for you. I have friends who won't give it up. They are going to regret it when they wrinkle up long before us vampires (I try to avoid the sun, but I live in Phoenix so its impossible)

Read an interesting article that suggests tanning is addictive:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/health/22brod.html?src=me&ref=health

I really wish my friends would stop. I don't think they even really look good. A natural glow from the beach is much different than an allover baked look. If you must be tan, self tanning is the way to go. But what's wrong with white skin? We're all beautiful in different ways

I'd also like to add that your sunscreen should be broad-spectrum, it does no good if it only blocks UVA rays, and not UVB; or vice verse. And put sunscreen on EVERYDAY. Sunny, Cloudy, Hot, Cold, going to the beach or going to work, you will get exposure no matter where you go. I work with a lady who has one very tanned arm, only one, from sitting in traffic getting to work every day.

Exactly! Sure I Tan at the beach but I don't rub oils over myself. I like a natural tan too. A baked look is wayyyy too fake! I mean like I said even a spray tan is better than baking your skin away!

Exactly! Both UVA and UVB need to be protected! And I put sunscreen on in the winter too because since its usually more cloudy the sun is working even HARDER to poke through and the wind can destroy your face!

It's the very first thing I do when I get out of the shower I use Aveeno SPF 30 moisturizer on my face and I have to say, I think it has really improved my skin's overall health and "glowy" appearance. And it's light and not greasy.

http://www.aveeno.com/facialcare/ultra-calming-daily-moisturizer

Any other good sunscreen suggestions?

I use my dove deep moisture face lotion with spf 15 with UVA/UVB protection and its a creamy substance and smells great! It really has improved my skin too! And the whole bottle has lasted me more than 3 months!

Make sure you're putting enough on, I've read a shot glass or two for your face. Don't forget your ears. And ignore the SPF any makeup claims to have. Studies have shown that you need to put upwards of 7 times the amount of makeup on your face to get the SPF that's being claimed.

I've read all those things too, but I do think something is better than nothing And there's no way I can put that much on daily. But I put a lot on if I'm going out to the pool or something.

I've also read that you need to reapply every few hours.

I re apply my sunscreen every two hours or so and I wear the bare minerals makeup which has some SPF 15 in it but I would never pack it on. But, your right Kate, something is better than nothing!

not to mention you will look older than ur age cuz it causes wrinkles.

I definitely believe in sunscreen. But when I read in a magazine that we are supposed to use up 8 oz of sunscreen a DAY, I was like, CRAP, I can't afford that!
Cheap off-brand sunscreen is $8 a bottle!
I'd rather stay inside and save the money...

I went camping a few weekends ago, and I used a whole bottle of sunscreen (SPF 50!!!!). I still got burned, but not as bad as I did on the last family camping trip!

I've been skulking from shadow to shade since I was 16, and applying heavy-duty sunscreens when venturing into areas I know will not have shelter from the sun. 30 years later, my skin has thanked me with nary a wrinkle.

Moonbathing is nicer than Sunbathing.

PS - skin cancer runs in my family...so I'm glad I made that decision to stay tan-free at an early age.
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This post hits home..
My dad died from skin cancer.. Melanoma to be exact!
Growing up, I always remember him while at the lake or the beach, caked in baby oil sitting in the sun.
June 10, 2004 he informed me that he went to the doctor because of a swollen lymph node. By the time he went to the doctor, the cancer had spread to his lung, liver, spleen, and kidney..
He died on July 26, 2004. It was an extremely ugly process...spreading to his brain before he died!
And to know, that this was avoidable!!.. that's the hardest part!
I'll admit.. sometimes I'm careless when it comes to wearing sunscreen myself but as soon as I remember my dad.. I remember not only the sunscreen.. I remember the sun hat as well!!

Amy, so sorry to hear about your loss! Avoidable loss is always the hardest.

I definitely believe in sunscreen too. I have been burned to the point of skin peeling probably 5 times in my life and I'm hoping that it'll never happen again. I don't want to end up with something like skin cancer.

My uncle has a skin condition because he lived on a farm as a kid, always outside without a shirt, never wearing sunscreen. He would peel layers of skin off his back from the burn (sorry I know that's a gross image but it's the message that's important).

Wear your sunscreen folks!!

On another note, sunglasses are also VERY important. Protect your eyes against those UVA-UVB rays to prevent macular degeneration and other problems!

lol, I am what I call "cadaver white" on the off chance I do not apply enough sunsreen, I burn, then peel and am back to white again...I have embraced it!

I am quite pale,but I have to look tanned in some of my photo-shoots,so I have to go to the beach and tan.I always use sunglasses and have a high SPF sunscreen.It's also really important to tan between 8-11 am and 4-6 pm.
Tanning beds are a big NO!