Base Tans Work – Get Up to 6 Times the Protection from Sunburning on a Sunny Winter Vacation

The Joint Canadian Tanning Association (JCTA) wants Canadians to know it time to get a base tan for that winter vacation down south. Creating a natural base tan via exposure to UV light is called photoprotection and can give a person 4 to 6 times the protection from sunburning on a sunny vacation.

Kelowna BC (PRWEB) January 29, 2013

The Joint Canadian Tanning Association (JCTA) wants Canadians to know it time to get a base tan for that winter vacation down south. Creating a natural base tan via exposure to UV light is called photoprotection and can give a person 4 to 6 times the protection from sunburning on a sunny vacation. Thousands of Canadians frequent indoor sunbathing salons each year before their sunny vacation and return every year to their local salons as a testament of proof that base tans work.

Contrary to what most people have heard, a base tan or photoprotection is not damage to the skin. A base tan in fact aids in protecting a person from sunburning which is extremely harmful to their skin. While obtaining a pre-vacation base tan UVB light also provides the body with much needed Vitamin D during the winter months. Any chemical sunscreen product with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 8 will block 95 to 98% of a person’s potential vitamin D production from sun exposure.

A base tan can be created at a professional indoor sunbathing facility in a controlled manner. An industry certified operator will help determine skin type to establish if in fact someone can produce a base tan and just as important, secondly a skin type will aid in determining a responsible exposure schedule as someone establishes a pre-vacation tan. To build adequate sun protection, the JCTA recommends tanning a minimum of 3 to 6 weeks following the recommended exposure schedule. After the initial session the professionally trained salon employee will determine when and at what rate the session times will increase. The JCTA recommends doing a minimum of 10 sessions before heading on a sunny winter vacation.

The Golden Rule is Never Burn. It is a fact that sunburning (overexposure) is harmful to someone’s skin. When Canadian arrives at their sunny southerly vacation spot, be sure to never burn. Ideally, a base tan will allow Canadians to be exposed to sunlight up to 6 times longer than if they had no tan.

If planning any further time out in the sun; seek shade, put on clothing or use a sunscreen. Remember base tans become a multiplier for sunscreen – dual protection. Wear sunglasses with UV protection when out in the sun.

The average person applies 1/3 to 1/2 the recommended amount of chemical sunscreen and typically doesn’t apply it every 2 hours as recommended. An SPF of 15 applied at this level would only give a person a SPF rating of between 2 to 3. Chemical sunscreen need to be applied properly (35ml per application) and every 2 hours. That means the average person would use a bottle for every 3 applications according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Canadians should consider all the reasons to obtain getting a pre-vacation base tan objectively which include; base tans are completely waterproof and don’t need to be reapplied every 2 hours like chemical sunscreens; base tans are chemical free and do not contain ingredients like Oxybenzone which is known to be harmful both to the person and aquatic life; and finally swimming pool water or salt water has absolutely no bearing on the effectiveness of a natural base tan, where it does with a chemical sunscreen.

For more information on obtaining a pre-vacation base tan, please visit http://www.tanresponsibly.ca to locate a JCTA professional member salon.

The Joint Canadian Tanning Association (JCTA) is a national non-profit organization created to increase understanding of the professional tanning industry’s scientifically supported position that regular moderate ultra-violet exposure from sunshine or sunbed in a non-burning fashion is part of a responsible lifestyle that recognizes both the inherent benefits and the manageable risks associated with ultraviolet light exposure.