Can Sunscreen Prevent Tanning? What Is Sunless Tanning?

Sunscreen Prevent Tanning
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Explore in this Article

  1. What Exactly is Tanning? Is It Good For Us?
  2. Does Sunscreen Prevent Tanning? 
  3. Is There a Safer Way to Get a Healthy Tan? 
  4. Top Sunscreen Prevent Tanning Picks

Everyone likes a good tan. That’s probably why many people spend long hours sunbathing at the beach or hundreds of dollars lying in a tanning bed. In this blog post, we’ll answer your questions, like “does sunscreen prevent tanning?”, “how does sunscreen work?”, and “what happens to your skin while you tan?”, so that you can make the right choices when it comes to protecting your skin.

While being out in the sun can be comforting, it does have a couple of harmful effects, that we should not ignore. 

girl in a hat on the beach
Sunscreen Prevent Tanning

Yes; we are referring to skin damage and increased risk of skin cancer. One way to protect yourself is to always wear sunscreen outdoors (and indoors!) 

Especially if you’re sunbathing for a tan, sunscreen is most important. We often come across this question from people who like a natural tan – Can sunscreen prevent tanning? If yes, then what are the other ways to get a healthy tan? 

In this article, let’s find the answer to these questions. But first, let us find out – 

What Exactly is Tanning? Is It Good For Us?

girl sunbathing or getting a tan
Julia Malinowska / Canva Pro

Tanning is the process of developing a golden-brown color as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation. This can be achieved through natural sunlight or artificial light sources. 

This happens when ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, tanning beds, or tanning lamps penetrates the outer layers of your skin and damages your DNA, causing permanent changes in your skin. 

To prevent this damage, our skin increases the production of melanin – a substance that provides pigmentation to our skin.  

These increased melanin levels give us darker-looking skin, usually brown or golden, which we call tanning. While on the outside, tanned skin looks healthy, young, and smooth, it is actually quite the opposite on the inside.  

boy with sunscreen on shoulder sitting by the pool
Kindel Media / Pexels

More the tan, the higher the risk of skin damage! 

In fact, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one session on the tanning bed before the age of 35, can increase your risk of developing melanoma (a type of skin cancer) by 75%. 

This makes us wonder, what happens when we wear sunscreen? And if sunscreen prevents skin damage, then can it stop us from tanning too? Let’s have a closer look.

Does Sunscreen Prevent Tanning? 

can sunscreen prevent tanning?
Sunscreen That Prevent Tanning

The answer is yes. However, sunscreen cannot completely stop tanning, it can only slow it down.  

Here’s why: The ingredients in sunscreen either reflect or absorb the UV radiation from the sun, shielding your skin from their harmful effects. 

In addition, it is always advised to choose broad-spectrum sunscreens, which help protect against both UV A and UV B rays, be it mineral or chemical sunscreens.  

However, most times, we do not follow the instructions given on the product. Instead, we apply lesser amount of sunscreen than what’s advised. This leads to partial protection from UV rays, and later tanning. 

Also, if the sunscreen is not stored properly i.e., at lower temperatures and away from sunlight, then its properties become less efficient. Similarly, when sunscreen expires, it does not necessarily work with the same accuracy and can give you a tan. 

In simpler words, sunscreen slows down or restricts the tanning process to some extent; however, it does not completely stop tanning.  

This brings us to our next question – 

Is There a Safer Way to Get a Healthy Tan? 

Girl using a self-tanning spray
Antonio_Diaz / Canva Pro

If you ask us, tanning in the sun, or using any artificial source emitting UV radiation is not at all a good idea.  

However, as good as it may look, in the end, it damages your skin to some level. And we know for a fact that any skin damage is not good. 

So, it is either healthy skin or only healthy seeming (or damaged) tanned skin. The choice is yours. 

But wait, can you get a tan without UV rays? Fortunately, the answer is yes. You can opt for sunless tanning. This means getting a tan without being exposed to direct UV rays (be it from the sun or a tanning bed) 

There are many tanning products in the market that can give you a healthy tan. (Yay! No more worries about skin damage!) 

For all the clean beauty enthusiasts out there, the good news is many clean beauty brands have a wide range of self-tanners easily available. From lotions to sprays, oils, and pads, there are lots of options to choose from. 

Top Sunscreen Prevent Tanning Picks

Our favorite clean self-tanners (lotion, oil, serum, and more) for both your face and body include – 

Self-Tanning Lotion and Pads

sunless-tanning lotion and pads
GoodGuilt: Sunscreen Prevent Tanning

  1. Alba Botanica Sunless Tanner Lotion 
  2. COOLA Organic Sunless Tan Firming Self-Tanning Lotion 
  3. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad for Body 

Self-Tanning Drops and Oils

sunless-tanning drops and oils
Goodguilt / Canva

  1. Tan-Luxe The Body Illuminating Self-Tan Drops 
  2. Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops 
  3. Josie Maran Argan Liquid Gold Self-Tanning Oil 

Self-Tanning Mousse and Serums 

sunless-tanning mousse and serums
Goodguilt: Sunscreen Prevent Tanning

  1. St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse 
  2. Isle of Paradise Light Self-Tanning Mousse 
  3. Coola Organic Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum 

All these safe alternatives instead of tanning beds and direct sunlight will help you get the desired golden glow, without any skin damage. And they come from clean beauty brands, so you do not need to worry about any side effects. 

If you are looking to learn more about the benefits of using sunscreens, here’s something for you –

What’s The Deal With Sunscreen? How To Find A Good Reef-Safe Option? 

We hope you love the products we recommend! All products featured on GoodGuilt are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn a commission on the sale. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of the time of publication.

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