by Jed Eane

Created on: June 07, 2010   Last Updated: July 04, 2010

Suntan oil is used by professional tanners, i.e. those people who are serious about, and dedicated to, developing a tan. Suntan oil differs from suntan lotion (or sunscreen as it's sometimes referred to) in that it offers no or very little protection against the sun. It is designed to enhance a tan and to speed up the tanning process. Suntan lotion, on the other hand, is designed to protect you from the sun's ultra violet (UV)-A and -B rays. Whereas suntan lotion filters and absorbs or reflects the sun's harmful rays, suntan oil provides a smooth surface which helps to intensify these rays, thus enabling an individual to develop a deeper tan faster than they would otherwise be able to with only the use of suntan lotion.

But why would anyone want to do that when we're all too aware of the dangers of the sun, you may ask. Good question. Coco Chanel once remarked that one can never been too thin, too rich, or too tan. And while Coco Chanel may have made that comment before the words "suntan" and "cancer" were uttered with the degree of frequency in the same sentence as they are nowadays, some people still want a deep tan. And it's understandable. A tan makes us look and feel good, so why wouldn't we want as much of that as we could get? But while a tan may make us look and feel good now, there’s no getting away from the fact that too much exposure to the sun can not only cause the skin to age prematurely, but can also lead to far more serious health conditions down the line.

Therefore, the best way to apply suntan oil is to do so when your skin is already tanned. This way you will limit the damage you do to your skin, as well as avoid sunburn. You can develop a good base tan by increasing the amount of time you spend in the sun. For example, at the beginning of the summer, spend, say, thirty minutes every day of one week in the sun, and then gently increase this time until you notice your skin has developed a tan. While this is a commonsense approach and one that will help anyone develop a healthy tan, most people don't have the time to build up a tan in this way. This is why many chose suntan oil over suntan lotion. So if you're one of those people who wants a good tan and fast, then always remember that suntan oil won't offer you the same degree of protection that suntan lotion (or sun block) will and should be used appropriately.

While it may seem all bad news where suntan oil’s concerned, it’s not. A few advantages of wearing suntan oil is that it provides good moisturizing properties so it conditions the skin, which helps to combat the effects of premature skin aging while helping an individual to maintain a tan for longer. In addition, suntan oil is water resistant so you don’t need to re-apply it after swimming or excessive sweating.

When applying suntan oil always do so taking into account other factors such as how developed your tan is and how long you've already spent in the sun that day. Provided you have a good base tan and exercise caution when the sun’s at its strongest, you can use suntan oil to develop your tan and help it last that bit longer.

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