Preventative face care while still tanning?

[thegirlnextdoor19]

Okay, everyone I know seems to be on my case lately about how I'm supposedly going to "look like a leather hand bag by the time I'm 40"... to be honest, I don't really care (considering I could get run over by a truck tomorrow and never even live that long) and I'm just the kind of person that does what makes me happy now, in the present moment. If I need treatments or a facelift when I'm older, so be it, but I'm just wondering what I can do *now* at age 20 to help prevent damage for the next 10 years or so. (On a side note, I'm a careful tanner and have never had a single sun burn in my entire life). Do you think it's possible to take great care of your face while still tanning it?

I don't want to stop tanning my face because that's the whole reason I tan in the first place.. it's entirely cleared up my skin as far as oil/acne/uneveness etc and I feel (personally) that tanning is a more "natural" solution to the problems I had than slathering on chemicals and acne creams. (I've always avoided strong face washes and most stuff designed to combat acne)

Basically right now I use alot of Aloette products (aloe based and don't contain as many synthetic ingredients as other lines).. I use their eye cream to keep the thin skin around my eyes moisturized, and as a day/night cream I use either the Aloette Vitamin C cream, or a generic brand Vitamin E cream which both work wonders and make me glow. I do a light peel with Aloette Enzyme Exfoliant (basically just fruit acid in a gel form) once a week to get rid of dead skin etc. The rest of the time, I heap on either pure aloe vera, or the Vit C or E creams so my face is always super hydrated.

At my age, do you think this is enough to keep my face in good shape while still tanning? Or are there other things I can do (that don't involve harsh chemicals)?

[Jules211]

I think the fact that you're seriouly thinking about caring for your skin at 20 is awesome and a great start. I don't like to use chemicals on my face either with the exception of a gentle retinol product (Skinceuticals .5%) once or twice a week which I think has been a HUGE factor in keeping my skin youthful... I'm 28 and have been tanning year round for 4 years and people say I look great for my age. I also tan carefully like you and am careful not to bake my skin, and for the last 2 years almost have been using SPF 30 daily on my face because I don't want to risk too much damage from tanning on my delicate facial skin. The fact that you are using products with antioxidants is great, but you have to be careful with Vitamin C because it's not stable so many products either have very low concentrations or are ineffective because they aren't formulated correctly. A great Vitamin C product is Skinceuticals Phloretin if you're interested. I vary my products quite often (rotate I should say) so that my skin doesn't get acclimated to active ingredients... I believe it's good to keep your skin "on its toes" like that. So for example, I'll use something with Resveratrol for a month, then when I run out pick up a product with R-ALA and then something else the next time, and actually I usually use multiple sources of antioxidants at the same time. In addition to antioxidants which I think are critical to maintaining healthy skin, I also use products for collagen production and skin tightening/wrinkle treatment, like peptides or DMAE. And I typically use Hyaluronic Acid to retain moisture. I feel like the more beneficial ingredients you can put on your skin, the better. I don't have a simple skincare routine at all but it has worked well for me... hope that gives you some ideas and doesn't overwelm you. I don't believe there is one magic ingredient so the more you learn about skincare and experiment with what works for you, the better off you'll be!

[punkeydew]

Well... natural with no chemicals. I can't help you there.

I chose to stop tanning my face a while back. I loved the way it look but I had new lines cropping up all the time. So I just quit and use Self tanner and dark foundation and it;s fine. Except on days when IM too lazy to put makeup on... my face is pale and its wierd looking.

Ive thought about just screwing it and starting to tan my face again because self tanner is alot of upkeep and sometimes im just plain lazy. And im kinda like you... If I have to get botox and a facelift I will!! lol

People think im crazy but whatever IM enjoying myself right now. But so far I still havnt tanned my face again.

I recently started using a retanoid on my face and its working wonders for my lines! But its harsh im only 2 weeks in and having some pretty crazy affects, but I can see my wrinkles fading before my eyes!! So ive been sticking it out untill my face gets used to it. You might look into something like that.

A while back synergistik on here reccommended some GREAT products from paulas choice! they have straight AHA and BHA solutions in low to high concentrations use can use nightly to help exfoliate and keep away age spots and lines! They have skin soothing ingrediants and i didnt have an irritation whatsoever using the 8-10 percent solutions. Definitally check them out!

[josephga]

you could always put spf on your face then cover it with a towel while tanning then apply self tanner to your face. you wont really notice a sun spots or damage too your body but once you get a sun spot on your face you will notice it allot. mine turned up last year at the age of 42 I tried everything to get them off nothing worked until i did that deep face peel

[synergistik]

I'm of no help here: when I became worried about photoageing, I went completely sunless, and I do <3 my 100-percent synthetic, potent skincare products LOL -_^

As Jules said, though, I think it's great that you're concerned about your skin at this age. You could try some non-photosensitizing preventative anti-aging products like antioxidant serums or copper peptides, for example, if you're really concerned and would like to give something a try.

[duh_its_ ali]

I think it's funny how some people want miracles from science and other people just go au natural! I'm definitely thankful for synthetics!

[Hunny.Tanned]

wow, im 20 too and i don't do anything like that. i just wash my face =P.... but then again i don't tan my face, i never have. my face is as white as freakin milk but, i just used foundation that matches my body, works like a charm =)

[Jules211]

Originally Posted by duh_its_ ali

I think it's funny how some people want miracles from science and other people just go au natural! I'm definitely thankful for synthetics!

I like to use both really... it's just that I have found that my skin doesn't agree with acids so I stay away from those.

[thegirlnextdoor19]

Thanks for all the replies, lots of different reponses!! Like Jules211 my face is sensitive and seems to react to alot of ingredients so I just try to stick with more natural options to avoid problems. Face washes/acne treatments definately cause me more harm than good unfortunately :(

Wow alot of you guys don't tan your faces eh!

That would be the ideal solution for me, but tanning is the one thing that keeps my skin so even/clear that I don't have to wear makeup anymore (I can't wear makeup and stuff on my skin for too long or else that breaks me out too) so this way I have a win/win of perfect skin AND not having to wear makeup... only downfall I guess is the wrinkles that will supposedly come! Gah :(

[Canucki]

There are already sooo many ways to prevent wrinkles and reduce/get rid of them now, plus there will likely be much better methods in the next ten, twenty years. Mind you, most of them get pretty costly, especially if you are trying to counteract any sun damage. If you do start noticing any wrinkles or other sun damage soon, then you'll probably want to start saving up (I have a fund set aside specifically for any skin treatments just in case because I like my skin as is!) Most people I know in their early 20s are noticing wrinkles showing up. So it's good that you're wanting to maintain your skin now rather than not worrying for 20 years and then trying to reverse the damage.
And remember that acne might go away in the next year or two...so you might not have to tan your face for as long as you're thinking :)

[Itan4me]

Have you tried using the face lotions that are made for indoor tanning? Desiger Skin makes a few: Privelege, Amazing Face, Saving Face and Vanishing Act. Australian Gold also has a really good one called Crystal Faces that you can get in a 2oz or 4oz size. You don't need a lot because it will last quite a while. I use my facial tanning lotion at night too.

[JessicaW]

I am twenty and I also care about what my face is going to look like in ten years. I make sure to slather on collagen elastin to help reduce/prevent future wrinkles (just on wrinkle prone areas though, not all over the face). I also moisturize twice daily with an oil free facial moisturizer. I exfoliate regularly. Honestly though, I think a lot of how you skin turns out has to do with genetics. Also, I take resveratrol and a skin, hair and nails vitamin. Drinking lots of water is also great for the skin!

[thegirlnextdoor19]

Originally Posted by JessicaW

I am twenty and I also care about what my face is going to look like in ten years. I make sure to slather on collagen elastin to help reduce/prevent future wrinkles (just on wrinkle prone areas though, not all over the face). I also moisturize twice daily with an oil free facial moisturizer. I exfoliate regularly. Honestly though, I think a lot of how you skin turns out has to do with genetics. Also, I take resveratrol and a skin, hair and nails vitamin. Drinking lots of water is also great for the skin!

That sounds pretty close to my skin care routine right now.. I take fish oil & also a hair/skin/nails vitamin.

If it's down to genetics, I hope I take after my mom because she's 45 with maybe two wrinkles... and she used to FRY herself back in the 80's (when people thought it was okay to grease themselves up with baby oil and then just cook outside for hours on end). My mom's full Irish and doesn't tan at all, so she's had some pretty nasty burns and such, but her skin looks great so now I'm just crossing my fingers! And taking immaculate care of my skin just in case

[synergistik]

That sounds a lot like my mom. I'd place her skin type around a 2A: she almost always burns and tans extremely light. There is also Celtic [Irish] on that side of the family.

According to her she tried a few times when she was younger to get a tan but always wound up burnt to a crisp. Ever since studying and teaching English Literature and becoming obsessed with Victorian-era stuff, she prides herself on being pale [the skin color of choice at that time] I can't even talk her into using a gradual sunless tanner LOL.

As a result she does not have any hyperpigmentation marks, whereas my dad, who is a higher skin type than both of us and tanned frequently from outdoor activities, has very many.

[josephga]

my mothers never had a tan in her life and she has those hyperpigmentation marks