Expository essay

 Ways to get brown healthy skin without getting sunburn

People find it difficult to get brown healthy skin colour because they choose wrong types of sun blocks and tanning products and neglect follow-up work after exposing under the sun.  In many cases, they either get sunburn or their skin colour becomes dull.   Thus, how to get the exact skin colour one wants if not only lying under sunlight is so difficult to those who do not know the techniques behind.   Actually, people can get desired effect without any damage to their skin.

One should know the meaning of “tanning” before he or she starts tanning. Tanning is a term that people may hear a lot nowadays.  When people are exposed under the sun, the skin will produce cells known as melanocytes that make a brown pigment called melanin.  Melanin acts like an umbrella for the skin's cells in order to protect the skin and the amount of melanin one’s skin contains determines his or her skin colour.  This gives people brown tint and that is what people called a suntan. 

First of all, choosing the right sun block is a prominent cause for getting dark and shinning skin but not suffering from sunburn which is in fact closely associated with skin cancer.  Before learning tanning methods, one should better know how to choose correct types of sun blocks.  Terms like UVA, UVB and SPF are found on the labels of sun blocks and whitening products in Watson’s and Mannings.  UV, which stands for ultra violet, is part of the light spectrum coming from the sun and is subdivided into UVA, UVB and UVC.  UVC is totally absorbed by the ozone layer in the stratosphere while UVA and UVB reach the earth’s surface.  People should pay attention to these two types of ultra violet rays because UVA penetrates into deeper layers of the skin within a short period of time while UVB penetrates into the most upper layers of the skin slowly and both of them may cause direct damage to the skin.  As a result, sun blocks only focusing on UVB are not adequate to withstand strong sunlight. 

SPF is another term printed on many sunscreens and whitening products in Hong Kong.  The three letters, SPF, stand for Sun Protecting Factor.  Some people think that products with higher SPF give them more protection.  In fact, it is not.  It is the universal measurement of UVB protection and measures the increased allowable hour of sun exposure before one get sun burn.  That means, for example, by using a SPF 15 sun spray, people can expose 15 times longer under the sun, compared with not using any SPF.

But one should depend on situations and choose different types of sun block; otherwise, even dark people can still get sun burn.  Although sun blocks with SPF 15 shield only UVB, broad-spectrum products containing avobenzone, zinc oxide, or titanium dioxide are effective against the UVA spectrum.  It is highly suggested for normal daily use by the Skin Cancer Organization as it filters 92% of the UVB.

Tanning bed is also one of the methods to get brown skin.  However, this method is not suggested by many health organizations such as the Skin Cancer Foundation as only UVA is emitted by the tanning bed and it is two to three times more powerful than from the sun.

Since tanning in the sun may cause skin cancer and eye damage, scientists do not encourage people to expose in the sun very often.   But that does not mean getting desired skin colour is impossible.  Sunless tan is another popular choice for people who want to get brown skin nowadays.  Lotions containing a colourless sugar called dihydroxyacetone (DHA) are recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology.  DHA reacts with protein and interacts with the dead cells located in the upper layers of the skins.  After 45 minutes, brown skin colour becomes visible.  However, the colour fades after a few weeks.   Millions of dead skin cells are worn away from the surface of the skin every day and cells regenerate every 35 to 37 days.  As the dead cells are worn away, sunless lotions and the tan fade gradually.  Therefore, reapplication every three days is suggested in order to maintain the “tan” one gets.

Another way to get brown skin is by using bronzer, another sunless tanning product.   It includes powders and moisturizers and creates a tan soon after application to one’s skin.  One feature of bronzer is that it is similar to make-up and can be easily removed with soap and water.    Sunless tanning is an alternative for one to get brown skin without getting sunburn.

 Another cause for getting brown shinning skin is by doing a follow-up work after exposing to the sun.  After a long period of exposure in sunlight, the skin loses moisture and dries out.  Applying moisturizers and masks after a long day in the sun helps relax the tighten skin as they replenish and retain moisture.  This leaves skin soft and maintains elasticity.  If not, the skin will become dull and tight.

One should remember to do more follow-up work after getting sunburn.   Redness, pain, peeling and fever are resulted after sunburn and this is due to having not enough melanin to protect the skin.  Thus, people can use aspirin, creams, antibacterial soaps, aloe products and moisturizers to soothe pain and provide temporary relief. 

Getting a healthy brown skin colour is a result of paying attention to choosing the correct types of sun block, tanning products and moisturizers.  If someone complains about difficulties in having a brownish soft skin, they should better try the methods mentioned above.