Tan is one of your skin's natural protective functions, in which the production of melanin molecules is increased.
Their dark pigmentation and their shape act as shields, protecting you from the sun's rays.
This armor has its limits, and overexposure must be avoided without fail.

We often see animals around us enjoying the sunshine.
Several documentaries present entire herds basking in the sun.
The energy from its rays is converted by the skin into physical strength and stamina.
Those animals are intelligent enough to take just the sun they need, then get out of its radiance.

Human skin has evolved for millions of years to adapt to the conditions on this planet.
One can only marvel at its renewal and temperature regulation systems.
If the global weather is changing; you and your skin should adapt to it naturally without using artificial tricks, such as applying sunscreen or covering yourself with clothes.

Wearing clothes or applying sun cream are liberating shortcuts for you, but what about your skin?
Your body needs several hours of daily exposure to our old friend and benefactor.
• Sunlight nourishes and energizes you.
• You need it to get the full nutritional value from the food you eat.
• Ultraviolet rays act as a natural antiseptic.
• Sunlight prevents many physical and mental ailments.
• ...

Vitamin D is produced in skin that is exposed to sunlight.
It performs essential tasks in the maintenance of several organs.
It regulates your blood's calcium and phosphorous levels that are so important for bone formation and strength, as well as helping your immune system.

Since humans don't take enough sunshine, vitamin D is artificially added to their food; namely in milk.
This is synthetic vitamin D.
So, because of the unwillingness of our parents and ancestors to get out in the sun, we are all forced to intake this artificial substitute.

Sunlight alters your mood, it makes you more cheerful.
It soothes your nerves and calms you down.
It gives you a general sense of well-being.

Melanin is the pigment that is responsible for the color of your skin.
It is found in plants, animals, micro-organisms and even in bacteria.
In humans, it acts as a natural sunscreen.

Exposure to UV rays triggers melanin formation.
The amount produced varies depending on the sunshine received.
Melanin protects your skin from ultraviolet rays by absorbing them.
Nothing could be more natural.

More precautions have to be taken when you tan your skin without applying any sunscreen.
You'll have to:
• Check it for damages more often, and
• Limit the time you spend under direct sunlight.

• Lying still: Taking the sun while lying down on your back or front is surely the most effective tanning method.
But, it's time-consuming, and you need to find a place to do it.
• Active tanning: I prefer remaining active while tanning.
So, I often tan while riding a bike, while walking and running, even while doing outside chores.
I remove my top and I wear short pants, so I often need to get out of the city to do so.
Of course, my tan is less uniform than lying still, but people don't seem to care.

When you're active under the sun, the air you set in motion by going around reacts with your sweat, creating a cooling sensation.
This forms a layer of fresh air that surrounds your body.
You have to move fast enough for this to happen.

If your skin is untanned, you'll have to expose it gradually to the sun.
You want to slow down the tanning process over several days or weeks, so that no sunburn occurs.
You should time your first exposures, so that they get gradually longer.
You can start with as little as 5 minutes, and increase the duration only if your skin doesn't show any adverse effect.

Keep on exposing your skin to the sun as much as you can.
Go outside and enjoy the sunshine.
But, as soon as you feel that your skin is telling you it has had enough; take shade.

• Visually: inspect your skin regularly for any problematic reaction.

• Sensitively: you can sense what is safe for you.
Your skin will tell you how it feels about receiving the sunlight, and alert you when it has enough.
As soon as you detect a burning sensation, you should cover your skin or go in the shade.
Use your best judgment and monitor conditions continuously.

It's normal that epidermis cells, on the top of your skin, die and flake off daily.
This skin-renewing process is called:
• Desquamation: when the shedding occurs naturally,
• Exfoliation: if you help the process in some way.

Desquamation doesn't work well enough to complete the job, so exfoliation is necessary.

Your nails will achieve a much better exfoliation than any abrasives, rasps, masks, lasers or chemicals.

Superficial grooming is the natural way to remove the crust of dead skin cells that develops at the top of your epidermis.

Some dermatologists, health foundations and skin care companies tell us that a healthy exposure to the sunshine is impossible.
For them, even the shortest display can cause irreparable harm to your skin.
I disagree.

Your skin is equipped to thrive in direct sunlight and has wonderful systems to extract all it can from its warming energy.
Only over-exposure to the sun is detrimental.
You can maintain a deep tan without burning your skin.
Tanning is natural and healthy, sunburn is an injury.

When sunburn occurs, you actually char the top layers of the epidermis.
It's a goof on your part, a mistake, a lack of care.
You stayed too long in the sun.

You are responsible for monitoring excess heat at all times.
It's important to make the distinction between tanning and sunburn clear even to young children.

Putting on sunscreen, mostly on children, is a gesture of irresponsibility that gives you and them a false sense of security.
It's a frivolous attitude since it relies on artificial means to try to become a superhuman.
Sun creams are worse than clothes because of the chemicals that penetrate into your poor skin, already suffocated by their presence.
Sunscreens are the symbol of foolish sun exposure.
Respectful tanning is much more complicated.

Keratoses, carcinomas and melanomas are simply different stages and types of infections that occur inside fold crossings.
These troublespots often first appear as acne during your youth.
They should be groomed away before they become problematic.

• Cutaneous spots, on your head, shoulders, back and arms, that are exposed to the sun can become cancerous.
• These appear as moles or colored spots on the skin and grow with time.

• Just press your nail on any of these spots, and you will feel the skin cave-in under the pressure.
• They can be removed through grooming.
• Had you groomed them earlier, they never would have appeared.

Some people claim that, because of the thinning of the ozone layer, and because we have less fur than before, human skin has lost its ability to endure the rays of our life-sustaining star.
We have to ask ourselves what we want for our future:
• We can let our skin become less and less adapted to life on earth by seeking artificial protection.
• We can force our skin to adapt.
If we don't adapt, we may be forcing our grandchildren to live indoors.
If conditions change on this planet, shouldn't we all try to evolve along with them?