Staying Sun Safe: Tan Accelerating Sun Cream

Summer is one of those times where you want to look beautiful. Having that perfect, sun-kissed bronze glow is seen these days as being the ideal look to have over the summer months and people will go to all sorts of lengths to achieve that look. Some of which can be incredibly dangerous.

A lot of women will be spending every free hour they have, sat in the sun, hoping to gain a gorgeous tan. The trouble is that by doing so, we are exposing our skin to harmful amounts of sunlight that can cause premature ageing, burns, sun stroke and even skin cancer.

Tan enhancing sun cream is a much underestimated product in my mind- no one seems to know it exists, but everyone should! It works by using plant extracts that work with your skin to boost its melanin production and therefore, its tanning ability whilst the cream also contains highly effective UVA/UVB filters which protect your skin immediately on application.
What I love most is that I can relax, knowing that I am not going to burn or do any damage to myself, but that after a couple of hours of relaxing with a cold drink and a book, I will come inside with a noticeable tan, even on my stubbornly pale skin.
Many tan enhancing sun creams, including my favourite Nivea Protect and Bronze offering, also contain no self tan which appeals to me because there is no worry about streaks, orange hands, bad smells or general unnatural looking tan. Another great one is sold by Green People which is a little pricier but it is natural, organic and has a pretty light lavender and chamomile scent.

However, one thing that I cannot stress enough, is that even with a thick, even layer applied, no sun cream will make it good for your health to sit out in the direct light of the midday sun, so you do still need to take care of yourself by being sensible :)

Have you used tan enhancing sun cream before? Is there a brand that you're particularly keen on?

Annie xxx

My Summer Holiday Skin Essentials List

Evening Ladies,
Its a really nice evening here in Bath. The sun is shining, its nice and warm and now that its less than a month before I go on holiday I can start getting excited and thinking about what I'm going to take.
Clearly, being me, my first thought was "what beauty goodies do I just HAVE to pick up before going?" which made me think about what beauty products I couldn't possibly go away without and thought that some people might be interested to know what I can't leave the country without. To break things down a bit I've split the list in to skin care, makeup and hair products so this is post one of three.
Here are my summer holiday skin essentials.

1. Nivea Creme: This is a fairly new product to my routine and already I know that I couldn't live without it for three weeks. I cover my legs with this every evening and they just drink it up. I get incredibly sore, itchy, eczema prone legs and I've felt a huge improvement from using this cream.

2. Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration: Another eczema aimed product. I find that sun cream really dries out my skin leaving it itchy and patchy however this one is designed specifically to moisturize which in turn leads to a more even tan... Plus it smells amazing :)

3. Lush Tea Tree Toning Water: Another fairly new addition to my skin care routine but by far my favourite part. I use this toner twice a day; once before applying makeup in the morning and once after cleansing in the evening. It has really improved the appearance of my skin and it is also very cool and soothing on sun kissed skin. A little secret is to pop it in the fridge during the summer so after a long hot day you can use this to cool down the face and rehydrate your skin. Therefore, holiday essential!

4. Soltan Aftersun containing Insect Repellant: Everyone knows the importance of aftersun, but if, like me, you are one tasty lady in the eyes of all things bug like then this saves a lot of time (and a little weight allowance in your case!) so that when you get out of the shower in the evening and apply your after sun you are also ready to go out for the evening safe in the knowledge that you won't be bitten to pieces by anything nasty.

5. Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets: An oily complexion plus a hot climate can lead to somewhat shiny skin by the middle of the day if you are out being adventurous so popping one of these out from your handbag is a quick and easy way to keep an oil slick situation at bay. I'll be carrying these and a small pot of loose powder at all times in Mallorca.

6. Vaseline Rosy Lips: I tend to wear a lot less makeup on holiday because I get that it all feels a little clogging and claustrophobic so instead I pop a little bit of this on to keep my lips nice and soft and protected and the slight colour to it makes everything look a little more made-up and pulled together.

7. Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula: This isn't necessarily a holiday essential as such but it is definitely a big part of pre-holiday beauty because it is amazing at improving the appearance of scars and stretch marks. Of which I have both. The scars are due to eczema and they heal really quickly with a daily dose of the cocoa butter so its well worth the investment if those are something that you suffer from.

So those are my top 7 summer skin products. Do you use any of these? Do you have a holiday holy grail skin care product that I should know about?
Annie x

ps. Have you entered my 200 follower giveaway yet? If not then you should, you could win some great prizes!