Yes, you can use Vaseline as tanning oil. Some people have used it for tanning and it worked. You can try it as well. To use Vaseline as tanning oil, follow the steps below. However, you must bear in mind that Vaseline increases the effect of the radiation on your body. So, after applying Vaseline to your skin, you need to keep the tanning session super-short.
If you want to tan under the sun, after applying Vaseline to your skin, you can shorten the session from about 2 -3 hours to about an hour. And if you decide to tan up in a tanning bed, after applying Vaseline, you can shorten it from about 10 – 20 minutes to only 5 minutes.
Since tanning became a summer pastime, people have been trying different methods to tan faster and better. In the bid to meet this growing need, different cosmetic companies have come up with several tanning products.
Some of these products give a fake tan, while others aid tanning. One of the products that aid tanning is Vaseline petroleum jelly. In addition, there are different types of tanning oil that you can apply to your body before exposing your skin to UV radiation.
Using Vaseline as tanning oil is the main issue here. Let’s quickly talk about Vaseline on its own before talking about its tanning ability. Vaseline is an American brand of petroleum jelly. Of course, Vaseline has deodorants, cleansers, lotions, soaps, and creams, but the focus is on its petroleum jelly here.
It is a mixture of waxes and minerals. Due to its ability to form a waterproof layer on the skin, it’s been used as a healing balm and moisturizer for over 140 years. It turns out that Vaseline does much more than that. Tanning and Vaseline have one thing in common. They both darken the skin when exposed to the sun or UV lights. So, it’s logical that Vaseline will aid tanning.
What Oil Makes You Tan Fast?
There are special brands of tanning oil formulated to accelerate your tanning. You need to apply them to your skin before you step out under the sun or step into a tanning bed. However, Vaseline and Baby oil are known to also accelerate tanning. Both of them work the same way in this regard.
They absorb the UV ray either from the sun or from a tanning bed and focus it on the skin to make it penetrate the skin deeper and faster. And this results in a quicker tan that will last a little longer.
Does Vaseline Get Rid of Tan?
In spite of its ability to make you tan faster, some other people have reported that Vaseline can also be used to get rid of a tan faster. To use it to remove your tan, you’ll have to apply it to your body just before going to bed.
And when you wake up, you’ll wash it off with a shower gel or soap. You’ll notice that your tan will be a little lighter. It will become lighter and lighter each day as you give your skin the same treatment.
Can Vaseline Make the Skin Darker?
Like other petroleum jellies, Vaseline does not make the skin darker on its own, but when you expose your skin to sunlight after applying Vaseline, your skin will definitely turn darker. The rays of the sun will trigger the hydrocarbon in the jelly to react with your skin to produce more melanin. Of course, when your skin has more melanin, it darkens up. So, yes, Vaseline can make the skin darker.
How to Use Vaseline as Tanning Oil?
Here are the steps involved.
Step 1 :
Exfoliate your skin a day or two before your tanning day. Removing dead cells allows UV radiation to penetrate the skin deeper.
Step 2 :
Shave your skin as well. This also allows the radiation to penetrate the skin. You can either exfoliate before shaving or do the reverse. What matters is doing both a day or two before you tan.
Step 3 :
Apply Vaseline to your skin a few minutes before you step out in the sun or before you step into a tanning bed or tanning booth.
Step 4 :
You can leave it on your skin for several hours after tanning.
Step 5 :
Ensure you apply a moisturizer to your skin every day.
Can I Mix Vaseline with Sunscreen?
No. You should not mix Vaseline with sunscreen. This is because it forms a protective layer over the skin to lock dirt and germs out. So, if you mix it with sunscreen, it will also prevent the sunscreen from penetrating your skin. In addition, the hydrocarbon in Vaseline is likely to react with the chemical compounds in sunscreen, breaking it down and rendering the sunscreen ineffective.
How Else Can Vaseline Aid Tanning?
Another way you can use Vaseline to improve your tanning is to rub it more on the dry parts of the body, like the knees and elbows. These spots are actually problematic spots. They are quite difficult to moisturize. That’s why applying Vaseline to the spots is necessary.
Apart from Tanning, How Else Can Vaseline Help?
- You can apply Vaseline to your hairline before dying your hair. This will prevent the dye from staining your skin. Remember, Vaseline forms a protective film over the skin.
- It can be used to condition eyelashes and make them shine.
- Vaseline can be used to protect and soothe mild wounds or burns.
- It is a great lip balm.
- Finally, you can also use Vaseline to remove makeup faster and more easily.
Final Words
Vaseline can be used as tanning oil. It focuses UV rays on the skin, and that helps to tan the skin faster. And it might also aid burns. That’s why you need to shorten the tanning session if you have applied Vaseline to your skin. Suntan sessions can be reduced from 2 hours to only an hour. And tanning bed sessions should be reduced from about 20 minutes to less than 10 minutes.
Also, do not mix Vaseline with sunscreen. Vaseline will prevent sunscreen from penetrating the skin. Sunscreen cannot be effective that way. The ingredients in Vaseline can also react with the chemical compounds in the sunscreen and break it down, making it ineffective.
