Do you tan?

[oliveview01]

For folk living in Spain me and hubby are not a good advert for a golden tan, he goes red and then back to his normal skin tone and I just go a light brown and if I stay outside in the 40 plus degrees all I get is a rash! A neighbour last night commented on how pale I still am, she is a dark brown.
It got me wondering, does everyone else tan nicely or is it just us that are a bad advert for a sun tan? We have to use factor 25 minimum in the summer, we have been known to use factor 50, but not that often!

[masterob]

No you are not alone. We stay well clear of the summer sun and only emerge when we know the IV factor is as low as it can get. Hence winter in Spain is just right and summer is for hibernating. I suppose the question that might be asked is why we moved to Spain then! Good question!

P.S I'm told that in Victorian times a golden tan was most undesirable because it indicated you were an outdoor manual worker rather than the genteel "upper class" who protected themselves with sombreros etc! Hmm.

[frank]

I suppose the question that might be asked is why we moved to Spain then! Good question!

Yes, and lots during the summer go from an air conditioned house in an air conditioned car to an air conditioned bar/restaurant/shop etc.

[swerve]

I go the colour of the locals within a few days of landing.

[Julie]

I never tanned at all for years, just went like a beetroot than white again, then I decided I would sunbathe every day for a short time each day until I felt hot but not burned, and I have been able to tan since then, but it does make your skin dry, no matter how much oil or cream you put on after, and I think it ages the skin much quicker, men get away with it a lot better than us woman

[janda_grant2]

Since OH was diagnosed with skin cancer the answer for us is no - and that will apply to the rest of the world not just Spain! So despite being swarthier skinned than most locals I am to stay an interesting white! (oh and btw - the skin cancer was diagnosed in the UK before we moved)

[Mariacristina]

I am a redhead (with a fair sprinkling of grey these days) and I have very pale skin and freckles. Even with factor 60 sun screen my skin burns to a sort of beetroot red and my freckles take on an olivey- green look in contrast. This basically means that I spend half the year being white with orange spots and half the year being red with green spots. It is very difficult to find clothes in a colour that suits that combination!

[markwilding]

I used to go red and peel, now I go quite brown.For me the trick is to spend no more than 1-2 hours on the beach each day from about 4-6 in the afternoon,then after the first week stay another hour or so. I never use less than factor 15 and use a factor 25 when I'm white.
Even this week while I'm down in Andalucia, both my wife and I don't go out to the pool from around 12-4pm and being Spanish, she only needs a day to go really dark.

[alexander1]

I never had a tan in my life until I used this:

http://www.zhuzh.com/

it really does work. You still have to use a sun cream.

[IreneD]

I am a very light brown and OH is very dark! He loves the sun, I'm more like Mark, I like it in small doses. I like to be a bit tanned, I look healthier as normally I am very pale-skinned - I often think I look like death warmed up! I have dark hair and blue eyes, think it must be my Irish ancestry.

[knowal]

I don't deliberately sunbathe, but I spend a fair bit of time outdoors, walking, gardening, and I am really quite brown.
I like to dry off in the sun after a swim, then I usually go indoors.
I have blue eyes and (used to have) brown hair.
I have come to the point in life when it is very important to use protection on the dome.

[chrissiehope]

..P.S I'm told that in Victorian times a golden tan was most undesirable because it indicated you were an outdoor manual worker rather than the genteel "upper class" who protected themselves with sombreros etc! Hmm.

Even today in countries like the Philippines, darker skin equals 'manual worker' - there are many skin whitening products on sale there - some highly toxic . Some girls wear tights even in the height of summer - it indicates they have a good job in an air conditioned office (even if they haven't )

[gus]

Prefer stockings meself