Real Tan, Fake Tan or Tanning Beds? Which one is Best?

Summer is finally upon us and, with it, comes the amazing (sometimes overbearing) heat that allows us to go to the beach, lay down, relax and let our worries wash away with the waves that come crashing down on shore! 
 
One other (great benefit) that comes along with summer is the fact that we are able to get that gorgeous tan that a lot of people crave all year round! A tan can really enhance the body shape in more ways than one but, what is the best way to get it?

Even though having a gorgeous tan makes us feel like sun-kissed goddesses, it is important to understand that there are also some risks that come with it if we are not careful so, between a real tan, spray tan and tanning beds, which one is the best?

Spray Tan

Getting spray tanned is the easiest (and safest) way to get a tan, after all, it is pretty much a more permanent kind of makeup, so to speak. You spray it on your skin and  you leave it on for a few hours (sometimes overnight) and you get that gorgeous tan colour all year round! 

However convenient this might be, there are definitely some cons to it! First and foremost, you will be spraying chemicals on your skin and, if you are not very fond of doing that, then that might not be the best option for you! 

Secondly, it can stain everything around you if you are not careful! You must let it settle for a couple of hours before getting the residue off, so you will most likely either have to stay on your feet for a long time or, have a towel or something that you are willing to stain.

We are mentioning the stains because, unfortunately, fake tans tend to stain fabric in a way that makes it very difficult to take off! 

Last but not least, you will have to prep before applying the fake tan (we’re talking about exfoliating your skin thoroughly), so the fake tan clings to your skin evenly, without any patches! 

Overall, a spray tan is an affordable way to get a tan all year around, but it requires a lot of work to maintain and even apply, plus, it can get very messy as well! 

Tanning Bed

Tanning beds are less affordable but they can also be used all year round and actually give you a proper tan, however, there are also some risks to using them! They are known to increase the risk of developing life-threatening melanoma.

Remember, even though a tanning bed might give you a healthy looking tanned glow, it is far from healthy! 

Real Tan

Finally, we have the real tan, straight from that glowing star in our skies! Nothing beats the real tan, which is actually quite healthy seeing that it provides vitamin D, among other benefits, however, there are some cautions to be taken! 

Always remember to apply sunscreen because, it is not worth getting sunburnt, skin ageing or even skin cancer over a good tan! 


Verdict

Overall, the best option for tanning would be sun tan, however, if you are not able to get tanned or don’t have the time to do so, then spray tan is the way to go!