Catching a tan is something many people look forward to in the summer, and some take it to great lengths.
A new TikTok trend encouraged beauty lovers to use a popular beverage – beer – to enhance the colour of their skin.
Several videos on the app show holidaymakers using beer to bronze their complexion. However, this could be a dangerous tactic.
Those who have tried the hack have been urged to rethink it by skin experts at SpaSeekers.com.
They warned that using beer on the skin could cause burning, sunstroke or even sun poisoning.
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Jason Goldberg, director at SpaSeekers.com said: “There is science behind why beer can help us to achieve a perfect tan, with the hops in beer activating melanin – the substance in our bodies which is responsible for making our skin darker.
“However, if you were to replace using sunscreen with a can of holiday beer, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to the sun’s exposure with no protection.
“Doing this can leave you at an increased risk of sunburn, heatstroke, or even sun poisoning in severe cases.
“Not only this but coating your skin in beer will leave you feeling sticky and at increased risk of being stung by insects such as bees and wasps.”
In the interests of skin safety, Jason recommended wearing an SPF of at least 30 and applying it between 15 and 20 minutes before heading out into the sun.
He urged: “Remember you need to apply enough sun lotion in order to gain the full protection as specified on the sunscreen bottle.
“For adults using sun cream or lotion, this is the equivalent of a thick line of sunscreen running from the tip of your middle finger down to your wrist, for any given body part.
“If using a spray, ensure you are spraying a minimum of 15 times on each area of the body you are applying to.”
For those who are set on maximising their sun tan, it’s important to remember that a great “holiday glow” can still be achieved through sun cream.
An expert at Eucerin explained: “Sunscreen does not prevent you from tanning, because it does not protect your skin from 100 percent of UVA radiation.
“Applying SPF 30 plus protects you from 97 percent of UV rays, while SPF 50 plus from 98 percent. This means that some rays will still reach your skin despite wearing sunscreen, so it will not prevent tanning completely.”
