How to tan without sunscreen

While avoiding sunburn and skin damage

Everyone looks better with a tan.

Sadly, most people have been kept in the dark—far away from sunlight and its benefits—for so long that leaving their dim cave results in agonizing burns and worse.

So here, my pale friend, are 5 tips that will help you get that perfect bronze, sunscreen-free tan, while avoiding any unwanted damage.

tanning is for everyone

1. Eat more retinol (vitamin A)

Vitamin A plays an important role in skin health, and thus its deficiency is linked to a number of skin problems, from acne to chicken skin.

The full glory of Helios himself will overwhelm weaker skin, so it’s important that you build a strong dermal shield.

You can get retinol from high quality animal fats (butter, tallow, etc.), liver, egg yolks, and milk.

If there are problem patches on your skin, you can also apply a tallow-based skin balm, such as this excellent product from VanMan. Be sure to get a few though— women who use it even once have been known to readily steal it.

pictured: a tallow-thief

2. Eat more cholesterol

You may have heard that Vitamin D comes from UV light. This is true, but there is one other oft-neglected ingredient: 7-dehydrocholesterol, a derivative of cholesterol which reacts with the incoming UVB to produce vitamin D in the skin.

UV light + cholesterol = D

If your skin is low in cholesterol, the intense UVB radiation will have nothing to react with, leading to sunburn and DNA damage.

To ensure Sol’s rays do not fall on unequipped skin, eat high cholesterol foods, like eggs, dairy, and meat in preparation.