Confessions of a Tanaholic

My name is Jewels and I’m a tanaholic. Or, I used to be.

   Ladies, let’s be honest. We all feel sexier, skinnier, and more confident when we have that fresh sun kissed glow. I remember summers at my family’s beach house in Florida, drenching my body with Banana Boat tanning oil and waking up with the most amazing bronzed skin that you have ever seen. My tanning routine was interrupted daily by my mother (who was shielded under a satellite sized umbrella, donning matching hat and t-shirt, and covered head to toe in zinc 50+)  scolding me to stop tanning and to, please, stop ruining my skin. Ruining my skin?  Ha! More like beautifying it! Mom, PUH-LEASE. I look fabulous with a tan. Why  would I stop? And with that I waved off her motherly advice and continued to soak up the cancer inducing rays. Those summers marked the beginning of an addiction. 

      Then came college. Along with staying out as late as I wanted and college boys, I discovered an even better place to get my next hit of bronze: the tanning bed. Part of me would always feel guilty lying in the bed, picturing my mother pointing her finger. But, I couldn’t stop! I was under the influence of  UVA and UVB. Plus I could justify it as the only place that I could relax and get in a 15 minute nap.  My mother would, surely, want me rested so, I could do well in my classes. And how proud would she be of my economic skills when she found out I was saving cash by purchasing a monthly unlimited tanning membership?

     I met Jane my sophomore year of college and we instantly became best friends and roommates. Jane was what you would call, a sunscreen freak. Her mother had gotten her first skin cancer at age 24 (she grew up sunbathing in Florida, coincidentally). So, when one day Jane happened upon my Unlimited Tanners of the Month membership card……well, it wasn’t pretty. Like a true addict, my first step was denial. 

    ’Jewels!,’ she shrieked, ‘how can you do this to yourself?! Don’t you know that tanning will ruin your skin? Do you want to look like an old, wrinkly fifty year old woman by the time you’re thirty?! Do you want to die from skin cancer?!’

  ’Please. At least, if I die I will die tan.’

    It was a battle I was doomed to lose from the beginning. With much convincing and consoling (back rubs and chocolate) Jane  helped me to admit that I had a problem and helped me conquer my addiction. We came to a compromise. We would BOTH wear SPF every day, rain or shine, and get our tanning fix (hooray!) the healthy way via sunless tanner. We’ve scoured the shelves of every beauty counter and drugstore in search of the perfect bronzed glow. The winner is Lancome’s Flash Bronzer for Legs. I know it says it’s for legs, but take it from a former tanaholic, this stuff is the next best thing to lying on the beach in South Florida. You can use it over your entire body for that fresh, sexy, just back from vacay tan. Use this 3-step program:

Step 1:  Shower and exfoliate from head to toe.

Step 2: Apply a thin layer of hydrating lotion (not to thick) and let dry. I know this seems weird but, it really does intensify the color.

Step 3: Apply gel in a circular motion. It will go on smooth and streak free. Be careful of elbows and knees and allow to dry before getting dressed. The color begins to show in an hour!

   I’m happy to say, I am a healthy, (safely) bronzed beauty and mother growing closer to the big 3-0 with fresh, wrinkle-free skin. (Not a relapse yet!!)
Tan on my friends! The healthy way!

Glitz and Tan
Jewels