The sun is out, so are the suntan oil bottles. Judging by the amount of random places and Instagram stores that offer suntanning oil, assuming that everyone in Kuwait is obsessed with looking darker would be very fair. And no, you’re not imagining it. Everyone does look three or four shades darker in the summer months and we don’t think it is because they’re doing hard labor outside.

And yes, we’re probably #teamtanning here too. But sun damage is not a joke. According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and that Melanoma rates in the United States have been rising rapidly over the past 30 years — doubling from 1982 to 2011 — but trends within the past decade vary by age. While white people have a 30% higher chance of developing skin cancer, that doesn’t mean those of us who have more melanin are immune to the ultraviolet rays from the sun.

Since we know that no amount of science will stop you from tanning, instead we urge you to do it safely.

Exfoliate first

Removing the dead layer of skin means that your skin is less likely to flake off and your tan will last longer, meaning you will need less sessions in the sun.

Eat carrots and watermelon

Foods rich in beta carotene like carrots, sweet potatoes, and kale can help you tan without burning by reducing sun sensitivity in people with photosensitive diseases. While lycopene naturally found in watermelon, tomatoes and guavas helps protect the skin naturally against UV rays.

Slather on the sunscreen

A sunscreen with broad spectrum UV protection of at least 30 SPF is your new BFF and should accompany you every time you leave the house. If your tanning oil doesn’t have sun protection, don’t use it. An SPF of 30 is strong enough to block UVA and UVB rays, but not so strong that you won’t get tan.

Be time-wise

Melanin is the pigment responsible for tanning. The melanin cut-off point for most people is 2 to 3 hours, past that your skin can’t make more and you will stop getting darker. The sun is strongest between noon and 3 p.m and will do the most damage then increasing the risk of skin cancer. It might be best to tan in the morning or after 3 p.m. to avoid burning.

And finally we leave you with the immortal words of the 1999 song by Baz Luhrmann; “Wear sunscreen,” as a reminder that you need to take care of your skin, it is the largest organ in your body after all.

Photo by Janne Simoes on Unsplash.