I haven't seen this question posted before, so I thought I'd ask.

We are going to Tahiti on the PG in a few months. Needless to say, it's been a cold winter and I'm afraid that I might blind someone while wearing shorts when we arrive.(lol)

Is it advisable to get a tan from a tanning salon before going to avoid the first exposure sunburn? Is a self-tanning lotion better? If so which brands are the most natural looking?

I use L'Oreal Sublime Bronze and I love it. It's a self tanner with a bronzer that won't give you that orange looking skin like some of the other self tanners can do. The bronzer part of it gives your legs that moisterized look and also lets you see where you have applied the self tanner. Once or twice a week is all you need. One tube lasts me all year and it's a bargain, under $10 at Walmart.

Self-tanning lotion won't do anything to protect you from sunburn. You'll need a really high SPF lotion even if you look like you're tanned (from the self-tanner).

I'd say it's up to you. If you like to tan, and would normally lay out, I'd go the tanning salon route to get a good base. You'll still need a high SPF, but it will at least offer you some protection. (Note: I'm not talking about the spray-on version the salons offer now, but the actual lay under the lights tan.)

I usually avoid the sun, so I go the self-tanner route. I like the Bare Essencuals version. It looks the most natural to me.

Have a great time, whatever you decide.

Kathy

Kathy, you can wear both sunscreen and self tanner at the same time. Even if you have a base tan from tanning salons, which I am not a fan of, you will still fry like a lobster in Tahiti without sunscreen!

How timely!!! I just got home from the tanning salon. We are heading to the PG on Feb 24 and believe me, my legs would glow in the dark if I didn't do something.

All kidding aside, this is a "tough" question. I worry about the issues associated with the tanning beds, but the self tanners I have used in the past all leave me with a, how shall I put this, scent of eau de smelly feet. Does anybody else have that problem, or is it just my body chemistry? Because I just can't stand that smell, I will tan moderately in the tanning beds and then use a sun screen when I get to our sunny destination. I don't do it to get a dark tan, just to take that awful "glow" off.

Another thing to consider is the time element. If you are going to go the tanning bed route, you will want to do this gradually over several weeks leading up to your cruise. If you don't have the time to spare, then the self tanning products can be used at your convenience and then just remember to apply the sun screen once you get to Tahiti so you don't burn.

Kathy--
I love the Bare Minerals/Bare Essencuals products. A friend of mine introduced me to the Bare Minerals makeup line last summer and I absolutely love it. We were in Chicago this past weekend and I was able to go to a Bare Essencuals store and WOW, what fun that was. I have only ordered products online, so to be able to see all of the colors/products in person was really fun.

Good luck javafreek! I agree with Karen--whatever you decide to do, wear sunscreen liberally in Tahiti!
Jacki

Javafreek, sorry, but doing the tanning bed thing is just going to age your skin. I also live in the frozen north, and will be going to Tahiti in the spring. The first time I went, at the same time of year, when I got back everybody said, "where's your tan?". There was a subtle warm glow, but that's all. I blocked the sun so effectively.

I'm with Karen, that the self-tanning products are the way to go if you want some colour, although I haven't done this myself. I've been waiting for someone to recommend the perfect product, and one that does away with the need to exfoliate first, and doesn't streak and smell.

Myself, I'll mostly likely just be white when I go. And probably wheat coloured when I come home.

A Tahiti Tan will occur sometimes when you don't want it to happen!!!
While in Tahiti last year, during a sea day, my wife sat out on the "balcony" and read for 1/2 the day. She was in the shade. After 1/2 day, she got up and realized that she had burned from the reflection off the ocean. She was 1/2 lobster.
I told her to go out and move the chair around for a full lobster look.
So whatever you choose to do, just remember, that the sun in Tahiti is about two miles away from your skin. AND it will burn!
Have fun, and wear a hat!

Javafreek, We will be on the PG March 12th. I started going to a tanning salon last week. I find that if I have a base tan and then use sunscreen there's alot less chance that I will burn. I normally don't just lay out in the sun except when I'm on vacation- so I(and my husband) only use the tanning beds before vacationing and have found it extremely helpful.

Kim

Javafreek, I thought I would be the only super white untanned person on PG last year. I was not by myself. But I have had two skin cancer surgeries & melenoma runs in both sides of my family. I am kind of vain, but I put my skin first. I wear 45 spf everyday, no matter what the weather is like. I always wore an over shirt to cover my shoulders and slathered on sunscreen in FP. I actually feel guilty being in the sun for too long, but I don't wont to go through any more surgeries. I always wear a hat too. Once the damage is done to your skin, you can't do anything about it. I dont mean to preach, but it so important to take care of your skin. After all of that, I agree with Karen.

Here's a thought -- everyone sit down and conjure up an image of Nicole Kidman. Think of her creamy ivory-colored complexion...her smooth white shoulders...her perfectly shaped legs...how wonderful she looks in skin-revealing gowns. Think about how beautiful her skin looks, even though she is totally, blindingly white!! I've never seen her with any kind of skin-bronzer -- she always looks completely sun-exposure-free, and yet her skin is stunningly gorgeous. So I say, go to FP, slather yourself with SPF 45, wear those white shorts and halter tops, and go on out there and blind a few people, knowing that you share the same lovely skin tone as Nicole Kidman!

Now, understand, this is coming from an admitted sun freak. I know it's terrible, and I'm sure I will eventually look twice my age, but I do lay out in the sun and get tanned. Terrible habit, I know. I'm of Italian heritage, and I just love the way my skin looks when it gets that golden-brown glow.

But now, after reading what I just wrote above, maybe I've cured myself! ;)

Karen; Lynn has a question for you. She is fair skinned and freckles if she gets in the sun too much. Other self tanning products she's used have gotten blotchy and haven't lasted; ie, wash off too easily. Does the L'Oreal product do any better job?

I go 14 times before leaving the door for the tropics. I get very bad sun poisoning if I dont gradually tan. I have ruined vacations in the past until I learned my lesson. It is a must for me.

Ticketsunlimited, that's interesting. I am allergic to the sun, I will break out in a rash if I'm not very careful, even in a northern summer. Is this your experience? I have never really thought that having a tan prevents this from happening, but I could be wrong.

Having several people with melanoma in our family, I know firsthand what kind of a crisis the sun can cause to a person's life. My dad has surgery (in the hospital and with a general) every six months for his. That's not including the smaller surgeries done in the doctors office. He was diagnosed in 1991 and has lived longer with it than almost anyone else.

We have a number of doctors in our family, one of whom is a dermatologist. She cannot say enough negative things about the tanning salons. She just recently removed a man's entire ear and made him a new one. She did a nice job, but I'm sure this gentleman can tell you he would have rather not have needed the surgery at all.

I cannot stress enough the usage of sunscreen, watching the time of day you are in the sun, and using common sense. You can be the belle of the ball without the tanning salon.

I grew up on Santa Monica Beach. Sunburned the first time out each year and then tanned with the California look. A few seasons, I started with the tanning salon. I've had sun poisioning a few times down in Mexico. Last 10 years, I am white as a sheet. I plan to stay that way. I know too many people that look like wrinkled old leather. I have some sun damage that only I can see at this point. I'd rather not have skin cancer. I also take a prescription that says NO SUN! So while in FP, I will use 45 spf and seek as much shade as I can find without ruining a great vacation.

I am on the side of NO direct SUN, if at all possible. I moved to Texas in 1991 and was not in the habit of wearing sunscreen. I started getting a couple light brown spots on my face and they are getting worse all the time. I got smart in the mid 90's and started putting on sunscreen, but the damage was already started. My hands have tons brown spots on them from all my time outside in the garden.

I use concealer to cover these darn spots on my face. I may get them lasered off one of these days.

I wear an spf 15 moisturizer at all times now, even on cloudy days.

I realize this is nothing compared to having melanoma.

Thanks everyone for the input!
I'm embarrassed to say that I don't even live in the north, but actually in So Ca., where we have plenty of sunshine. I just don't ever "lay out" and because of those brown spots I've accumulated over the years, I'm careful to use sunscreen.
I tan easily and rarely burn- usually a couple of days gardening gives me enough color to wear shorts respectably. However, without a slight tan I don't look as healthy either.
Years ago I tried a tanning salon and broke out with a wierd rash, so have never tried it again. I'm sure technology has changed since then...
LeeAnn- wouldn't we all love to have creamy white, seemingly flawless skin like Nicole Kidman!If that were true for me, I wouldn't care.

You want to see blinding WHITE - wait for me on the beach at Tahaa I will be the beacon of white that makes the sand look black. No one will be as white as me I will definitely take the SNOW WHITE award. Except you wont see much of me because I plan on staying white so very little is exposed to the sun. Two little skinny legs and arms sticking out of one of Kens BIG tee shirts.

I'm from the days in California when we used to use baby oil to get as dark as possible. Imagine doing that now???? I used a tanning salon about 17 years ago when I went to the Virgin Islands because I didn't want to worry about getting burned right off the bat there. Now I'm so concerned about the safety of those salons.

Luckily I have somewhat olive skin, but it still looks white to me. I am toying with the idea of putting on a good sunblock and trying to get a little tan that way in my backyard - starting slowly several weeks before the cruise. Then, I could combine that light tan with a self-tanning lotion.

Jacki, I'm with you about the smell of the self-tanning lotions. The one I've used is Clarins Auto-Bronzant Self-Tanning Milk. It works fairly quickly but I think it still looks a little orange after a few applications. Plus, the smell is just something I can't get past.

Karen, how about the L'Oreal Sublime Bronze - does it have any oder to it? I like the idea that it is a bronzer and that you can see it as you put it on. The Clarins is white and blends right in your skin, so it is hard to tell where you need it.

Wendy, I know you are supposed to exfoliate before using them, but I've always been too lazy. I've never had problems with any streaking because of that.

Cyndi, it does smell icky, especially the first hour after you put it on. I think the results are worth it, non orangy tan, moisterized looking skin :)

Ginny, you might want to make an appointment with a dermatologist and ask for an RX for Tri-Luma Cream. You just apply a thin film to the brown areas once daily at night. I don't use it myself, but my niece (the dermatologist) swears by it if you have bown spots that you want to get rid of.

Trish

Wandra, There is no doubt in my mind it prevents me from getting Sun poisoning. Ask my wife, I am miserable once I get the itchy Red Rash when it comes on. I am the excursion type so I am out all the time.

Hey Tickets,

Yes, I am by nature an outdoor person. I have just learned to cover up, long sleeves, and plenty of sunscreen.

Maybe one or two sessions in a tanning bed wouldn't hurt, though...

Give it a try. 4 or 5 minutes at first. See how it works out. Get a good base and go from there. :) :cool:

Loon, Maybe you can ask your niece this question. Are tanning salons just as bad if not worse for your skin than natural sunning? That is what I was told. We all like the look of golden tan skin, but I would like to look young as long as possible. If you look at people who have tanned most of their life they look leathered & older than they really are. Stay covered up Wandra!!

Karen, I've got the L'Oreal on my Walmart list. I'm anxious to give it a try. Hopefully the icky fragrance won't be too bad. I've tried putting the self-tanner on at night so that it can "work" all night and then most of the smell goes away in the shower in the a.m. No one ever said being beautiful was easy :)

Trish,

I wonder if that is the same kind of cream I tried once. It had a 4% content of the active ingredient that fades the brown spots. The one I tried was over the counter, but was still a 4% mixture. It did nothing after using it about 2 1/2 months. I stopped using it then.

If your niece swears by Tri Luma, it must work. I will ask my dermatologist for it and try it.

Thanks!

mounds - just as bad if not worse, I would think. It's the UV exposure that causes the skin to darken and to damage the cells.

Masaki

Thanks for chiming in Masaki. I knew that was the answer, but good to have it confirmed.

I think I will just try to get out in early May, when the weather is nice and the sun is fairly strong. I will, of course, use sunscreen, but let a little colour seep in. Gardening is a good way to get just a little sun.

Mounds, I asked my niece and she said the tanning booths are the VERY worst thing you can do to yourself. She also added that we all need to be wearing sunscreen EVERY day.

Ginny, the Tri-Luma has fluocinole acetonide (0.1 mg) hydroquinone (40 mg) which is 4% and tretinoin (0.5 mg). So, maybe depending on what the other active ingredients were? You might want to ask your pharmacist if he/she sees a difference between the RX and the OTC.

Trish

Has anybody tried those tanning cloths that they sell on the shopping channel (here, they are marketed as "Tan Towel Plus")? They sound good, but I'm always skeptical. They are supposed to smell good, and be really easy to use.

Wendy,

I haven't tried the towels, but my experience with the self tanning products is that it doesn't matter how good they smell going on, it's the odor that remains even days later that I can't tolerate. (Yes, even after several showers.) Admittedly, I have a super sensitive nose and my husband tells me that he can't smell it, but I can. I think you should give them a try. You have plenty of time to "practice" and really, you may not be bothered by the smell at all.

This has been an interesting thread. I KNOW that doing the tanning salon thing is not good for me, but I keep telling myself I only do it for a few weeks before our annual cruise, so how bad can it be? I'm really rethinking this. Too late for this year, but I probably won't do it again next year. I guess I will just be ghostly white or artificially tan and stinky!! ha ha!
Jacki

BTW, 2 weeks from tonight we will be in Papeete waiting to board the PG! I'll warm her up for you!

Oh lovely for you! Have a great time on my favourite ship! And take lots of sunscreen!

On the fade cream question...

Before I moved I had been using a sample of Lustra AF given to me by my dermatologist. When I ran out I asked my best friend's husband (who is a dermatologist in Seattle) if he had any samples "lying around". He told me that he stopped prescribing it a long time ago because there were so many O/C creams that did the same thing for far less money. He told me to look for the highest percentage of Hydroquinone I could find. The Lustra I had been using had a 4% solution of Hydroquinone and was about $40 an ounce. I bought something called Nadinola (3% solution) at my local drug store for about $5 for 2.25 ounces. It takes a while but it does work. BUT, you have to be very careful when you are in the sun because the discoloration from the sun damage will come back.

So, no sun for me! I will give the L'Oreal product a shot.

It's going to be crowded in the shade! :)

Please be careful when taking certain antibiotics -- they increase your sensitivity to sun many fold, regardless of which bronzer cream you use.

Be aware that the half lives for many penicillin derivative drugs, e.g., ampicillin, etc. is seven days. So stopping two days before your cruise, thinking you're safe and the going out into the sun, is a prescription for disaster (and pain).

Look at your prescription labels. If sun sensitivity is one of the likely side affects, contact your pharmacist or doctor to understand how persistent this side affect is even after stopping the med(s).

Amanda, Masaki, as you know I'm no MD. Would you like to add anything here?? (I got really burned (due to meds) one time and don't want anyone else to go through what I went through.

Bill

Wouldn't sunscreen keep you from burning while taking medicine? As long as you wear a sunscreen over your self bronzing creams, I think you should be ok.

Also, face creams containing Alpha Hydroxy (which I swear by!) will also increase sunburn. I use a alpha hydroxy cream that contains sunscreen as does my foundation.

Hi Karen--

My dermatologist told me (after the fact)that if you take ampicillin and then stop, after 7 days you are still FOUR times more sensitive to sun exposure than you normally are. SPF 160 anyone?

As I rarely have the need to wear foundation, I cannot answer your question.

Seriously everyone, just check out your meds with your MD before you go sit in the sun.

Masaki and Amanda is this right?

Bill

Bill, I think anything around 40 to 60 spf is total sunblock. Even if you were 4 times sensitive, no harmful rays should be able to penetrate.

I did a little digging on sunscreens/sunblocks. I found the article below, here.

Sunscreens vs. Sunblocks

While many people, including myself often mix the terminology of sunscreen and sunblock, there really is a technical difference between the two. A true sunscreen is a chemical agent that denatures the light, making the wavelengths incapable of causing damage. Sunblocks literally act as a physical wall to prevent sunlight from reaching the skin’s surface.

Many “sunscreens” will contain a mixture of these 2 properties. For individuals with known contact dermatitis allergies, eczema or sensitive skin issues, the true physical blockers will be the agents best tolerated by the skin. Remember to check the ingredient list as far as the vehicle, which is the base that contains the active ingredient, to make certain it, doesn’t contain any other agents to which you are known to have sensitivities.

The following is a list of what your sunscreen/sunblock MUST do in order to provide you adequate coverage:


Contain a minimum SPF of 15 for routine exposure, with a higher SPF, (preferably around 30) for more intensive sun exposure, such as the beach.


Have broad spectrum protection, meaning BOTH UVA and UVB protecting ingredients are present. If your label doesn´t say they´re there, odds are they aren´t.


Be PABA free for those with sensitive skin, eczema or known PABA allergies.


Don’t be fooled by the product stating it’s waterproof. You MUST reapply after water exposure or every 2 hours while outdoors. Some contain bases with more "stay power" than others in that they are less likely to sweat into your eyes during sports such as Cellex-C Sun Care SPF 30 or SkinCeuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45.

We always go to a tanning salon for 5 treatments before going on a cruise or warm weather vacation. That means the most we have ever done
Has been 10 times a year. I once asked a doctor and he said that it wouldn't hurt us since we were not going that often.I never really bake in the sun like I used to do before anyone knew it was harmful. The problem is that we like to spend a lot of time in the water and that is where you can really burn. When we went to Tahiti I was very glad that I had a base tan. Most of the other people really suffered.