Sun Tan

Intro: Sun tanning describes a darkening of the skin color (especially of fair-skinned animals) in a natural physiological response stimulated by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunshine or from artificial sources such as a tanning bed. Only a handful of animal species including pigs, humans and certain sharks have skin that darkens in response to sunlight. With excessive exposure to ultraviolet, a sunburn can develop.

Health Benefits: The skin produces vitamin D in response to sun exposure (in particular, UBV in the 295-297 nm range), which can be a health benefit for those with vitamin D deficiency. In 2002, Dr. William B. Grant published an article claiming that 23,800 premature deaths occur in the US annually from cancer due to insufficient UVB exposures (apparently via vitamin D deficiency). This is higher than 8,800 deaths that occurred from melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma. This does not mean that sun tanning is categorically safe or beneficial. Spending several minutes in the sun is long enough to obtain your daily dose of vitamin D. Other research estimates that 50,000–63,000 individuals in the United States and 19,000 - 25,000 in the UK die prematurely from cancer annually due to insufficient vitamin D.

Reducing Skin Cancer Risks: If long sun exposure cannot be avoided or is desired one may use sunscreen or various over-the-counter creams to reduce sun exposure. The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) number on a sunscreen product shows its rated effectiveness. Products with a higher SPF number provide greater protection against ultraviolet radiation. However in 1998, the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science reported that some sunscreens advertising UVA and UVB protection do not provide adequate safety from UVA radiation and could give sun tanners a false sense of protection.
Furthermore, tanning oils or creams are usually applied thicker on some parts of skin than on others. This situation causes some parts of skin to get more UVA and UVB exposure than others. For this reason, improper application of tanning oils or creams may increase the occurrence of skin cancer and other skin diseases.

Melanotan 1 and melanotan II are two separate synthetic analogs of the naturally occurring peptide hormone alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) that have been shown to induce skin tanning through melanogenesis and in the case of melanotan I, reduce sun (UV) damage in preliminary studies and clinical trials. Melanotan II has the additional effect of increasing libido in both sexes and has been demonstrated to overcome both organic and psychogenic erectile dysfunction in trials. The first peptide unchanged and a derivative of the second are in development by pharmaceutical companies, but as of 2008 no melanotan I or II based compound has been approved for use by any governmental drug regulatory bodies outside of clinical trials. Unlicensed and untested melanotan products are sold through the Internet however, regulatory bodies have warned consumers they may be unsafe and ineffective.

Ayurvedic Skin Care

Know Your Ayurvedic Skin Type

The first step in the holistic Ayurvedic approach to skin care is finding out your ayurvedic skin type.

Vata skin is in generaly dry, thin,delicate and cool to the touch, easily gets dehydrated, and is very vulnerable to the influence of dry windy weather. Vata skin may age faster, and tends to be dry, rough and flaky when out of balance.

Pitta skin type tends to be fair, sensitive, soft, warm, and of medium thickness. less tolerance to hot food, less tolerance to fieriness in temperament. Pitta skin types tend to be more prone to freckles and moles than the other skin types. When out of balance, Pitta skin can flare up in rashes, rosacea, acne, or sunspots.

Kapha skin tends to have all the qualities of water and earth -- it can be oily, thick, pale, soft, cool and more tolerant of the sun. Kapha skin tends to age slower and form less wrinkles than the other two types. Kapha skin types may struggle with dull complexion, enlarged pores, excessive oil, blackheads, pimples, moist types of eczema and water retention.

"Combination" skin can be Vata-Pitta, skin that is both dry and sensitive, Kapha-Pitta-skin is oily and sensitive , and Vata-Kapha- skin that is generally dry with some oily zones.

The ayurvedic approach to caring for combination skin takes into account environmental and seasonal factors. For example, a person with Vata-Pitta skin would follow the recommendations for Pitta skin in summer and Vata skin in winter. The Kapha-Pitta type would follow Pitta recommendations in summer and Kapha recommendations in winter. The Vata-Kapha type would be best served by generally following Vata guidelines, with extra cleansing of the oily zones.

Vata Skin Care

For Vata skin to stay youthful, skin care products used should be very nurturing. They must include some essential oils or herbs in combination, which can nourish the skin and rehydrate it, otherwise it may be susceptible to wrinkles and premature aging.

Going to bed on time, eating regular meals, and following a regular daily routine are essential components of a holistic approach to Vata skin care, as are eating foods that help balance Vata and nourish the Vata skin.