Over the past couple of weeks we have all been enjoying the ability to go outside without wearing a rain coat and boots. Yes, for once, Britain’s population can finally go out in flip flops and shorts. We can dust the cobwebs from our bikinis and swimming shorts and put our beautiful beaches to good use.
But where there is sun, there are crazy people who think that just because we live in England, Wales or Scotland that we don’t have to worry about sun cream. This of course was shown in the increase of patients in the ER for sun stroke and burns.
Don’t get me wrong, I put myself into this category. I didn’t put any sun cream on and – even though I have never burnt before – I managed to slightly burn my nose. I looked like Rudolf for a week.
You’d think that I had learnt my lesson, but as I write this, I am sitting outside with baby oil on. I am literally cooking myself in the hope of keeping my tan till past December.
What is it with girls and trying to get the best tan possible? We have that need to be a little bit darker than our original colouring. A lot of us even go a horrendous lobster colour all in the name of beauty.
Is this attractive to men? According to recent studies, two thirds of men don’t register whether you are tanned or pale, and if they can see the tan lines then they are probably way too interested in the palest parts of your body.
However, the lobster look is something that guys avoid, and let’s face it, it bloody stings. You can’t sleep for the pain; you can’t shower unless it’s cold and even when applying moisturiser it hurts like hell.
The moral of the story is, wear sun cream. It can be factor 10 or factor 50, as long as you’re protected somehow. You’ll end up with a beautiful, even tan and you’ll look amazing in that new dress you bought.
I’m not stupid, I know that everyone will still risk going out with oil on or no sun cream at all, I know I will be. So, to everyone who is as stupid as me, I will see you on the other side of Lobster Ville.
And to those who tan easily and look amazing without trying, all us lobster folk can say is, we hate you.
What I really don’t understand – and something I never will understand – is why girls go and get a fake spray on tan before going out to Spain, Greece or somewhere equally as hot.
All this does is block the sun from reaching your actual skin so you go home paler than before and you also go home with strange blotches where the tan has rubbed off from water.
This is not attractive, ladies. When you go out to foreign country, the plan is to get the best tan, not to come home all patchy.
So please, to those who do it, don’t. You look a lot better without it.
rhiannonlucas 