Suntan Lotion

Can Suntan Lotion Damage Your Skin?

Suntan lotion is a summer staple for many Americans. This is also the best way to help you develop an ever-elusive real tan. But is this lotion safe to use? Can it damage your skin? You’re going to find the answers here in this post. So, let’s dive in.

Is Suntan Lotion Harmful to the Skin?

Suntan lotion is a safe product. However, it depends on the lotion you’re using. Keep in mind that not all lotions have the same formulation. Thus, you need to read the label to know the ingredients used in the product. So, is it harmful to the skin?

Suntan lotion, per se, is a safe product. However, you need to use the product with SPF. The goal of this lotion is to attract more UV rays to help you achieve a tan. The ingredients in the lotion allow increased absorption of the rays. When you apply the lotion to the skin, though, it lowers the refractive index of the skin, resulting in more UV rays penetrating it. This results in a nice-looking tan.

Little SPF

But you must understand that suntan lotion contains a lower amount of SPF. In that case, its protection against the sun is limited. Thus, if you wish to use it, make sure to limit your time in the sun. In that way, you’re restricting the harmful sun exposure side effects. You should remember though that sun damage is cumulative. A short period of sun exposure throughout a lifetime can still cause major problems. Thus, when you soak in the sun to tan without protection, you’re putting yourself at risk of suffering from sun damage, including wrinkles, dark spots, and even skin cancer.

Read more about the Suntan lotion at Arizona Sun.