We’ve added more than UVA and UVB screens to help protect your skin and promote a safe tan. Because the GRAB A TAN line is water-soluble and non-greasy, it is ideal for golfing, hiking, and any out-of-water activities.

In addition to being totally “oil free” the entire GRAB A TAN line is 20% pure Aloe plus the potent natural antioxidants of Vitamin E and Beta Carotene to help in your skin’s defense. Check the Tanning Schedule to help determine which product and the progression of products that best suits your skin color and desired degree of tan. Reapply after any brief swim.

For prolonged water activities, it is best to use our water-proof SUNSORB SPF15 or SPF30 or SUNKIDS SPF30.

The Tanning Schedule categorizes all skin types in three basic categories: Very Fair (Sun Sensitive), Moderately Fair, and Very Dark Tones (Olive). Each of the three skin types has three steps: Conditioning, Developing, and Deepening. In addition, each step makes recommendations for number and length of sessions per day. The section at the bottom of the chart titled “Waterproof Products (For Water Activities Only)” explains clearly why waterproof products should only be used when doing prolonged water activities.

The sunscreen industry has led the public to think that the larger the sunscreen number, the better the protection. If an SPF #10 is good, that must mean that an SPF #50 will be better! In theory at least, an SPF # 10 is supposed to block the rays of the sun to allow you to spend 10 times the number of minutes in ultraviolet sunshine than you could with nothing on your skin. In other words, if you would normally burn in 30 minutes of sun, you should be able to handle 10 times 30 minutes for a total of 300 minutes of sun exposure to get the same degree of burn. If the number system really works, that translates to 5 hours of exposure. If that same formula applies to an SPF #50, one should be able to handle 50 times 30 minutes or 1500 minutes of exposure. That translates to 25 hours!!! There aren’t enough hours in the day to need that much protection. Some health professionals have gone on record as saying that anything over an SPF#15 is a waste. However, we still see people burning on an SPF #50. How can that be possible???

At Waikiki Aloe, we believe the SPF number is merely a “guide”, and that many other things need to be taken into consideration. The surrounding ingredients in the product, especially if they are oil-based, are just as important, if not more so, than the SPF number! If you perspire profusely, are taking medications that make you sun sensitive, or tan when the rays are at their greatest intensity are all important variables. Further, if you live in a cold climate and are on a tropical winter vacation, your skin is much more sensitive than it would be at summer’s end at home, after your skin has had a month or two of regular summer sunshine to “condition” itself. In addition, skin tones are not equal, and someone with pink tones cannot handle as much sun as someone with darker tones. All of these conditions add to the complexity of how one tans or burns.

In addition, it is important to realize that sunscreens are harsh chemicals. Those chemicals are eventually absorbed by the skin. The larger the SPF number, the more chemicals that are going to be absorbed by the skin. Why use massive chemicals, when simply eliminating the oily ingredients would allow the sunscreens to do their job; preventing you from burning.

Melanin is a dark pigment found in the deepest layer of the skin. Darker skinned persons have more melanin, and lighter skinned persons have less. Melanin production increases in response to sunlight, causing the skin to become darker. It is our body’s way of offering its own natural protection against ultraviolet rays. However, it doesn’t happen instantly, and many people of all skin tones end up overdosing on ultraviolet exposure. They end up burning their outer layer of skin before the melanin has time to “rise to the occasion." Our Tanning Schedule takes skin tones into account, recommends waterproof products for water activities, and water-based products for activities that are not water bound. The schedule suggests shorter sessions, gradually increasing to longer sessions, to allow you to tan at a pace that matches your skin color. If you follow the schedule, you will likely tan without burning, and your skin will thank you for it years from now!