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Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Skin plays a very important role in protecting the underlying tissues and organs from the environment. It also insulates your body, helps regulate your temperature, provides sensation, synthesizes Vitamin D, and protects from UV radiation
It is important you keep your skin healthy!
Sun tanning occurs in the skin’s outer layer called the Epidermis. The Epidermis is also made up of layers. The deepest layer of the Epidermis is called the Stratum Basale (or Base Layer) which is where the reaction to exposure to UV light occurs (indoors or outdoors).
What causes a natural tan?
About 5% of the cells in your Epidermis are special and called Melanocytes. When exposed to Ultraviolet B light (short wave ultraviolet) melanocytes produce Melanin – the pigment which is ultimately responsible for your tan. The pinkish Melanin travels up through the epidermis and is absorbed by other skin cells. When exposed to Ultraviolet A light (longer wave), the Melanin oxidizes or darkens. This darkening is your skin’s way of trying to protect your body from being damaged by too much UV light.
Every day, millions of dead skin cells are sloughed off or worn away from the surface of your skin. Every 35 to 45 days you have a totally new Epidermis. This is why tans will gradually fade – as the dead skin cells are worn away, so is your tan.
