City Geisha

and everything else and expose them to the sun, hop on the sunbed whilst you’re at it.

I know that I have already caused quite a stir by suggesting that you hit the sunbed, but just hear me out. For decades we have been taught that being out in the sun is bad for you, that it leads to premature ageing and cancer, blah, blah blah. Our parents might have slathered us in thick layers of sunscreen before we head out during the summer months. Heck I remember the great hype surrounding skin cancer back in the 90’s that I remember coating myself in spf 50 sunscreen in California and vehemently telling my own parents to do the same.

I don’t know what part of the world you are reading this from, but with my current lifestyle in London where the summer months are relatively short and sunny days are quite a rarity =(, with lengthy commutes in to work and being trapped in an office during much of the daylight hours, I don’t have much opportunity to catch rays apart from the odd summer weekend when the sun is out in force and I can sit outside in the garden enjoying a nice bbq with a nice cocktail in one hand and a big fat hot dog in the other. And if you live a big city like London, the thick smog that hangs over the city forms a layer that blocks some of the available sunlight.

In the Maldives last year...Oh how I loved the sun...

I should also tell you that the sun is not the big boogey man that experts have led us to believe. A little bit of sun is actually good for you as it helps to manufacture vitamin D in our bodies and a little exposure to it sans protection each day can go a long way in protecting our health.

I certainly don’t get enough sun and worry about producing sufficient vitamin D, which can lead to arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases.

So what do I do? Why, I hit the sunbed of course! HOWEVER, only once evey two weeks and certainly for only a moderate period of time. Just to the point of having a slight tint to my skin. Hence the point of hopping on the sunbed is not to toast my skin to a crisp and ressemble an old leather handbag but to give myself a good dose of UV rays so that this stimulates the production of vitamin D. I always cover my face though as I don’t want premature wrinkles so will always wrap a towel around my face. You ought to see me at night when I have washed off my makeup, my face is whiter than the rest of my body…it’s like I am wearing a mask on my face.

I know that some of you will be reading and be shocked and exclaim with great fervour “NOOOOOOOO, sunbeds are bad for you!!!! They cause skin cancer!!!!”….well that’s a misconception. It’s sunburn that you want to avoid as that certainly increases your chances of developing skin cancer with overtime sun abuse. I repeat, I only use the sunbed for a very short time only, and certainly only to the point of having a slight shade of colour on me.

For those who are absolutely against sunbeds, you can of course get your vitamin D fix by tweaking your diet a bit and incorporating more of the following into your diet: milk, eggs and fatty fish amongst other foods. But recently experts have stated that dietary sources alone typically fall short of the mark and whilst you can certainly pop supplements, blood levels of vitamin D can remain depleted.

As with most things in life, MODERATION IS KEY. Get a little bit of sun every day if you can, spend about 10-15 minutes a day soaking up the rays. If you live in a climate where sun rays are limited, hit the sunbed but be prudent like myself and be wise about it.

For those who want to know more about this, click below to view a fantastic video from Dr Mercola who talks about vitamin D depletion and how you can combat this. If you can’t view the video box, click here to be taken straight to YouTube.

Feeling the warmth of the rays in the stand-up booth makes me feel so good and warm all inside so I will hop in wearing nothing but a thong (tan lines are sexy in my eyes…) and boogy away to whatever they’ve got playing on the overhead speakers. I also like to accelerate and will slather on a bit of my favourite cream, Emerald Bay Mojo Hot Bronzing Sauce (265ml).

Product description:

Emerald Bay Mojo sunbed cream, This is a hot tanning recipe and causes reddening. Tropical Heat, native to Emerald Bay, is a skin-stimulating technology that provokes a crimson-coloured flush and warming effect over skin. Agave Nector, from the noble desert plant, is enriched with premium skin care concentrates and fortified with nutritive vitamins to help provide tanners with supple skin and a healthy-looking tan. Sandalwood extract moisturises dry skin while its calming scent induces good tanning mojo.

This stuff is the bomb. I love it, I have been using it for the past 3 months or so and it certainly delivers a fiery punch to my skin, rendering it with a nice warm, tingly sensation.  It cuts down the time I need to be in the tanning booth by 1/4 and my skin does look pink for the first few hours after. The next day however, my skin just looks like it’s been injected with a good dose of healthy sun - a nice bronzy colour - skin looks moisturised and is soft to boot. Now I don’t know if you share the same problem as me, but I find that my legs take way longer to tan than the rest of me, but this stuff accelerates tanning on the legs too. It’s ACEEEEEEEE, people, check it out (those with sensitive stay, stay away from this stuff).

Click here to get your bottle if you are paying in $$$ or go here if you are paying in Sterling Pounds.  Emerald Bay can be a bit tricky to get your hands on and it can be a bit on the pricey side but Amazon sells it at a decently priced (around $11, £13 respectively).

In between, I like to maintain the colour by faking it and will turn to my beloved Xen-Tan, a self tanner that I completely and solemnly swear by.  To read my earlier post on it, go here.

xoxo