Tanning these days has become a mainstay in cities all over the United States. It seems as though there is a tanning store on every corner! But you don’t have to treat your skin to these deadly tanning beds and booths anymore. You can treat your skin to one of the healthiest things on earth – extra virgin olive oil – and just take a normal trip to the beach or swimming pool and end up with the most gorgeous tan.
Keep in mind that some people have more sensitive skin than others, so this is something you want to proceed with caution doing. If you’ve never done this before, then you may want to try it at a time that you can have more control over the length and duration that you are exposed to the sun. Oil is basically a way for sun rays to get at your skin much more quickly and so you want to keep this in mind.
The thing that makes extra virgin olive oil so special is how rich it is in antioxidants Vitamin A and Vitamin E, according to OliveOilSource.com. These are essential to repair damaged skin. And sun does damage your skin! Olive oil helps to stimulate skin to produce new skin cells. In effect, your skin ends up looking and feeling alive and rejuvenated. Not only this, but olive oil when applied to the skin penetrates more deeply than anything else. It doesn’t just sit on top of the skin.
When you are ready to get out in the sun, make sure that you exfoliate your skin in the shower first. This removes all those dead skin cells and rough patches. You can use a regular loofah sponge, or a gritty formula store-bought or you can make your own with sugar and extra virgin olive oil. Dry off from the water, and immediately apply extra virgin olive oil all over your skin, gently rubbing it into the skin until almost gone. Your skin shouldn’t be dripping in oil, but should have a sheen to it from the oil. You can apply some SPF to your skin as well, if this is what you normally do. The two will mix fine together. You may want to wear clothing or a swimsuit that you don’t mind getting a little greasy. While the oil should be well absorbed by your skin, there is a chance that some of it may transfer to whatever you are wearing. Don’t worry about your pores getting clogged, because contrary to common belief this simply will not happen. Olive oil will not cause you to break out.
Go ahead and enjoy the sun, and know that the olive oil is working with you to get a deeper tan. It has not only deeply penetrated your skin to make it moist and ready to soak up the sun, but it also working to repair your skin (while the sun is actually damaging it which results in a tan). You are going to end up with a better tan than if you would have gone without the olive oil! When you are finished spending time in the sun, you can actually use more extra virgin olive oil on your skin to add extra moisture and aid in the healing process. Enjoy your tan!
Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor, and if you choose to use extra virgin olive oil on your skin to tan then you do this at your own risk. I use olive oil on a daily basis, and have learned from experience the best way to use it in the sun, and this article is how I feel about using it.
