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 should be avoided without fail.

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

Human skin has evolved over millions of years to adapt to the conditions on this planet.
One can only marvel at its regenerative and temperature-regulating systems.
Faced with global climate change, you and your skin must adapt naturally, without using artificial tricks such as applying sunscreen or covering yourself with clothing.

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 health problems.
• ...

Vitamin D is produced in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight.
It performs essential tasks in the maintenance of several organs.
It regulates your blood's calcium and phosphorous levels, which are so important for bone formation and strength, while also supporting your immune system.

Since humans don't take enough sunshine, vitamin D is artificially added to our food; namely in milk.
This is synthetic vitamin D.
So, because of the unwillingness of our parents and ancestors to go out in the sun, we are all forced to ingest 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 feeling of well-being.

Melanin is the pigment responsible for your skin color.
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 absorbs ultraviolet rays, protecting your skin.
Nothing could be more natural.

More precautions must be taken when tanning without applying sunscreen.
You will need to:
• Check your skin much more often for damage, and
• Limit the time you spend under direct sunlight.

• Lying still: Taking the sun while lying on your back or stomach is surely the most effective method.
However, it's time-consuming, and you need to find a place to do it.
• Active tanning: I prefer remaining active while tanning.
So, I tan while riding a bike, while walking and running, even while doing housework outside.
I remove my top and I wear short pants, so I often need to get out of the city to do so.
Obviously, my complexion isn't as even as if I were lying down, 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.
A layer of cool air forms around your body.
You need to move fairly quickly for this to happen.

If your skin isn't tanned, you'll need to expose it to the sun gradually.
You want to slow down the tanning process and spread it out over several days or weeks, so that no sunburn occurs.
You should time your first exposures, so you can gradually increase them.
You can start with as little as 5 minutes, and only increase the time 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 your skin is telling you it's had enough; take shade.

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

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

It is normal for epidermal cells, on the surface of the skin, to die and flake off daily.
This skin-renewing process is called:
• Desquamation: when the shedding occurs naturally,
• Exfoliation: if you assist the process in some way.

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

Your fingernails will provide far better exfoliation than any abrasive, rasp, mask, laser, or chemical product.

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

Some dermatologists, health foundations, and skin care companies tell us that a healthy exposure to sunshine is impossible.
For them, even the shortest display can cause irreparable damage 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 your epidermis.
It's a goof on your part, a mistake, a lack of care.
You stayed in the sun too long.

You are responsible for monitoring excess heat at all times, and avoiding sunburn.
However, as long as you don't exceed the overexposure threshold, there's no problem staying in the sun as long as you like.
It is essential that the distinction between a tan and a sunburn be clear, especially for young children.

Applying sunscreen, mostly on children, is an irresponsible act that gives you and them a false sense of security.
It's a frivolous attitude, since it relies on artificial means to try to make a superhuman out of you.
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.

• Skin 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.
• Use pressure grooming techniques to remove them.
• Had you groomed them earlier, they would never 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 withstand the rays of our life-sustaining star.
We must ask ourselves what we want for our future:
• We can allow our skin to 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 on this planet are changing, shouldn't we all try to evolve with them?