The Real Reason You Shouldn't Use Baby Oil For Tanning

If there is one thing that's for sure, it's that we all love when our skin is bronzed and glowing, no matter the season. Whether you're laying out on the beach in the summer, or you're taking a winter getaway somewhere warm, getting that sun on your skin feeling is one that is incomparable. Let's face it, everyone feels better and more confident when we have a good tan. But, getting our ideal bronze glow can be a bit of a struggle when we're strapped for time. That's why many people opt for using tanning lotions and oils to attract the sun a bit faster than the good old-fashioned laying out au naturel. 

While some of us opt to use tanning oils, others use baby oil, which is known to get your skin tanner much faster because it has virtually no SPF included (via The Bold Owl). But, while we're dying for that glow, is it worth using baby oil to tan with just to get tanner, quicker?

Just because we want to get the sun-kissed results quickly doesn't mean we should risk our health to do so. As it turns out, using baby oil for tanning is frowned upon by experts (via Byrdie). Dermatologists say that people opt for baby oil because it does attract UV rays more than the traditional SPF-included oils, but that it can have severely damaging impacts on individuals in the long run, according to Elite Daily. As the outlet explains, baby oil can lead to a quicker tan, but it can also more quickly lead to a sunburn. Further, baby oil is not a sunscreen and typically offers no protection against the sun's rays.

Susan Massick, a dermatologist and an associate professor in the division of dermatology at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, claims that skin cancer is a very real and dangerous risk for Americans who lay out in the sun too often (via Byrdie). And without any sun protection, such as that from sunscreen, the risks only grow. Massick tells Byrdie, "one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70, approximately 1 American dies from melanoma every hour, and a single childhood sunburn can increase your risk of skin cancer by 50%." 

With that being said, getting a bronzed glow is something we all strive for, but it's best to do so in a safer, less dangerous way like using oils and lotions with SPF to ensure we are protecting our skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays (via Veranda Sun Tanning) — something that baby oil does not provide.