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Baby Oil Effects on Tanning

Tanning is a popular pastime for many men and women. Many people enjoy the way the skin looks with a darker color. Many tanners learn that baby oil can give them a deeper tan, but this practice can be dangerous and even increase the risk of skin cancer and premature aging. Baby oil before tanning can also lead to severe blisters and sun burn.

  1. Warning

    • The UV radiation of sun tanning can have damaging effects on health. Tanning puts people at risk of developing skin cancer, even at a young age. The lighter a person's skin, the higher the risk is of developing burns and skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Regular tanning also damages the immune system and causes premature aging of the skin, as documented by the American Academy of Dermatologists.

    Considerations

    • In the 1950s, it was popular for people to apply baby oil before sun bathing. This action can prove to be very dangerous. Applying oil before laying in the sun or using a tanning bed actually speeds up the skin's aging process and increases the risk of burns and sun related skin cancers. The shine of the oil works to magnify the negative effects of the sun.

    Baby Oil Benefits

    • Baby oil moisturizes the skin, giving it a smooth and shiny appearance that is appealing to many people. Baby oil can be essential in preventing dryness of the skin. Tanners consider it a benefit that baby oil speeds up the tanning process, giving a deeper tan in less time. The truth about this is that applying any oil to the body before tanning increases the absorption of UV rays, in turn increasing the risk of sun burns and skin cancer.

    Prevention/Solution

    • No tanning is completely safe, but if someone would like to lay out in the sun she should always wear a strong sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. The sun's rays are strongest between 10 AM and 4 PM, so any time spent in the sun is recommended by the American Cancer Society to be limited to before or after those times. Anyone who chooses to tan should be checked regularly by a dermatologist for abnormal moles and signs of skin cancer.

    Alternatives

    • Instead of applying baby oil before tanning, it is better to use a sunscreen. If someone prefers to have a deep tan look to the skin, she should try a sunless tanner instead of putting herself at risk of skin cancer and premature aging by using baby oil and tanning. Baby oil can be used after sun bathing to moisturize the skin, but should never be used before.

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