Does Sunscreen Prevent Tanning?

There’s no better feeling than coming off the beach after a day spent basking in the sun. Your hair has that natural beach wave to it and your skin is sun kissed. The tan you get after a day in the sun is like none other.

That is, until that tan turns into a sunburn and that sunburn turns into permanent skin damage. Yikes. Tanning isn’t all that it’s made out to be. Tanning can seriously damage your skin, which is why it’s so important to put on sunscreen every single day.

But how much sunscreen should you apply? And does sunscreen prevent tanning? In order to keep your skin healthy and glowing, it’s important to know how sunscreen works and how it affects your ability to tan.

Sunscreen works like a shield for your skin. It blocks out UV rays before they can reach your skin. Wearing sunscreen is the best way to protect your skin from sunburn and skin cancer, as well as skin aging and wrinkles that can also come from sun exposure.

But while sunscreen does a great job protecting your skin from harmful UV rays, it also affects your ability to tan. Sunscreen protects your skin, but you can still achieve a tan to some degree. It just won’t be as dark as if you didn’t wear any sunscreen. However, it should be more a concern that you’re protecting your skin from harmful UV rays than it is that you’re getting bronzed. You can still achieve that sun kissed look, while still protecting you from sun damage.

So, does sunscreen prevent you from tanning? Essentially, the answer is yes. But if you’re asking “does sunscreen prevent tanning at all?” The answer is no. That’s because it doesn’t protect you 100%. Sunscreen acts like a shield for your skin, but that doesn’t mean it’s impenetrable. UV rays can still reach your skin and cause a tan, even when you’re wearing plenty of sunscreen.

In order for your skin to be effectively protected from UV rays, you have to apply your sunscreen correctly, reapply it often, and wear a high enough SPF. Even SPF 100 only blocks 99% of UVB rays. So basically, it’s virtually impossible to achieve total and complete protection from the sun. There’s always a risk of sun exposure, which is why putting on sunscreen every day is so important.

Any amount of tan is technically considered sun damage, so the goal of sunscreen is to actually prevent you from getting a tan. Fortunately, there are other ways to achieve that golden glow that don’t involve damaging your skin.

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