Lightening sun-tanned skin? (:

Aug 13, 2016

Yaira D.

My body got super tanned and I want to find a way of lightening my skin back to its natural state. I have fair skin, so any recommendations other than exfoliation? Any products and etc.? Thanks (:

Aug 13, 2016

Alexis C.

Besides exfoliating make sure you're wearing SPF and staying out of the sun. I wouldn't suggest any products that claim to lighten your skin.

Aug 13, 2016

Roz X.

You can use a Glycolic (AHA) Body Lotion. That will safely and gently chemically exfoliate your skin..fading a tan much, much quicker than physical exfoliation alone. Paired together, your skin will be softer and you should see brighter skin once your tan fades. I swear by Alpha Skincare's Body Lotion. (Formerly Alpha Hydrox)

I agree with Alexis' suggestion of using. a Broad Spectrum SPF, especially if you use Glycolic Lotion.

Aug 13, 2016

Aurora S.

Physical exfoliation doesn't really do much. You really want to use chemical exfoliants since they reach deeper in the skin and really does help.

SPF, this won't necessarily help lighten your skin but it'll help prevent it from staying tan/getting more tan.
Now, it's not just anything with SPF.
You really need PHYSICAL sunscreen which has ingredients like Titanium Dioxide and/or Zinc Oxide.
Chemical exfoliants have been more common since they feel more lightweight but they don't actually prevent you from getting a tan, they merely absorb the UV rays so that your skin doesn't in a way whereas a physical sunscreen reflects the UV rays from the skin although these types can give a white cast and you can feel them on your skin.

As far as lightening products, you can try getting some Kojic Acid soap. A pretty good brand is Kojie San and you can get it on eBay.
It works as a chemical exfoliant but Kojic acid can help decrease melanin production overtime(it's a natural alternative to Hydroquinone. Kojic acid is from a Japanese mushroom and I believe malted rice) granted soaps take a bit longer if you're trying to lighten your natural skin tone but they work faster when you're trying to get rid of a tan. It's very gradual but it works.

There's also this Thai serum that has Alpha Arbutin which is a skin lightener from a type of berries but it's a small bottle and it's meant for like dark spots, it's quite effective and cheap. I believe you can get it for like $3 so, since you're trying to lighten a tan you can just mix a little bit with some body lotion.
At Walmart they have Nadinola which is a fade cream that contains Hydroquinone (be aware that this ingredient in banned in europe and Asia) which is a skin lightener.
They sell it for about $5 but not everyone responds to Hydroquinone. I've tried this cream for hyperpigmentation and it actually worked for me though.

Aug 14, 2016

Leuca S.

Wearing sunscreen everyday is the best way. Also, you can most definitely use chemical actives in your sunscreen; they just use a different method than physical barriers to achieve the same result. If they didn't, they wouldn't be able to be called sunscreen.

A chemical exfoliant containing AHA or BHA that has a good formula. Alpha Skin Care (formerly Alpha Hydrox) and Paula's Choice make good options.

A product with a high amount of vitamin C/niacinimide will help fade discoloration as well.

Aug 14, 2016

Yaira D.

Wow. I learned a lot (:.
Thanks for the great recommendations girlies! I will be looking into multiple products to see which works best for me (:
Thanks Aurora for your informative, insightful recommendations! (:

Aug 15, 2016

Aurora S.

@Leuca there's a difference between sunscreen and sunblock.
Sunscreens refers more "chemical sunscreen" that contain oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and/or octinoxate. These work by being absorbed into your skin, they will absorb the UV rays and turns it into heat, the heat is then released by the skin. These have to e reapplied about every hour since they get sort of "burned off" after awhile they don't convert the UV rays into heat so you have to reapply. They still allow you to tan. They merely prevent you from getting burned when used properly. You can look at countless reviews on people using these types and they still get tan and some specifically using them so that they still get tanned but are protected from the UV rays mutating the skins DNA since their skin isn't absorbing the UV rays, the chemical sunscreens are.

Physical (also called mineral) sunscreen/sun block (usually referred to as sunblock but some brands will call it sunscreen)
Will contain titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide.
These don't get absorbed by the skin, they sit on top. Ergo, physical.
They don't absorb the UV rays but they reflect them. Since there's that physical barrier and the UV rays are being deflected in a way, it actually prevents getting burned AND getting a tan. These types don't have to reapplied quite as much since they're not getting burned off but they do if you're sweating or swimming, since they're not absorbed by the skin they can be rubbed off.

Aug 16, 2016

Leuca S.

No, there isn't a medical term difference. Their end goal is the same.

Tanning is the layman's term for when melanocytes in the skin are subjected to UV radiation, which means they only produce melanin (tanning) when UV radiation successfully reaches skin cells. This means that you are not actually receiving the full effect of your sunblock, whether it be from insufficient application, or from not reapplying. Taking anecdotal evidence from people who probably aren't using their sunscreen properly doesn't refute the science in this matter. If your skin tanned from exposure to thermal energy, you'd tan every time you take a shower, and we know that doesn't happen.

As for physical barriers, they are arguably more effective than chemical barriers, but they do in fact eventually break down, meaning you still need to reapply them as well, albeit slightly less frequently. If they never broke down, they would not have SPF ratings, as SPF rating technically refers to UVB rays, and to how much longer you can stay in the sun without burning, rather than degree of protection. The % of radiation avoided between an SPF 15 and SPF 30 product will actually be minimal assuming you are not in the sun long enough for your SPF 15 to sufficiently break down.

I'm not sure where you're getting your information, but you can do a quick google search to corroborate everything I'm telling you right now.

On the mechanism behind tanning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_tanning

On what SPF means (and consequently why you should not be tanning if you properly apply even chemical sunscreens) : http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/05/what-does-spf-stand-for/index.htm

On other sun-related questions, including the numerical difference in immediate protection between SPF 15 and SPF 30, as well as the fact that tanning is in fact a sign of DNA damage in the skin: http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/the-skin-cancer-foundations-guide-to-sunscreens

It is imperative that we have correct information about sun protection so that we can best protect ourselves. The risk for skin cancer due to sun damage is an an all time high; don't be the person who skimps on sunscreen simply because you think it lasts forever.