First, buy sun tan lotions that protect against both UV-A and UV-B rays. UV-A rays cause (or at least increase the chance of) melanoma. UVB rays cause sunburns. Obviously, you need to protect against both. While most lotions will protect against UV-B (those sun lotions with high SPF numbers), many will not do anything to protect against UV-A. The best sun tan lotions will say that they are either ‘broad spectrum’ sun tan lotions or that they include zinc oxide, avobenzone, ecamsule, or titanium dioxide (however, please note that titanium oxide does not completely cover the UV-A spectrum and therefore will be inferior to zinc oxide).

So, should you buy a cheap sun tan lotion? That depends on the lotion. If the cheap sun tan lotion has a high SPF, and protects against UV-A rays (indicated by the right ingredients or a star rating where 1 is low and 5 is high), then certainly—buy the cheap one.

Second, make sure you apply sun tan lotion properly. To do so, first make sure you put enough one. You need 2 milligrams per square inch of skin (if you are a normal person that means you need a lot, as in enough to make it so you have to really work it to get it to blend into your skin). DON’T SKIMP ON THE SUN TAN LOTION! If you skimp you loose effectiveness. Second, put sun tanning lotions directly on your skin, before makeup or anything else, and do so 15-30 minutes before you go out into the sun. Then, apply sun tan lotion again 30 minutes after exposure, and then within every two hours after that. While that may seem like a lot of hassle, this is extremely important, especially if you are in water or sweating a lot. In fact, if you are swimming you may need to put on sunscreen even more often than every 2 hours since much of the lotion will wash away.

Following these two essential sun tan lotions tips will help you keep your skin healthy now and for years to come.

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