A Reformed Tanorexic (written by my talented sister Desiree Stordahl)

I will be the first to admit it- I used to be a tanorexic. I look back at pictures and realize I was borderline Jersey Shore status! Now days I’d more likely be mistaken for a pale-skinned extra in Twilight.

My days of sun-worshipping began as a child when my summers were spent playing in the pool for hours and coming out with some very distinct tan lines. The idea of applying sunscreen was a foreign concept to me. That stuff was just for pale red heads right?

Then during my teen years I became obsessed with tan skin, thinking that if I got dark enough my blemishes would be camouflaged, and I would look prettier. So the vicious cycle began- tanning beds, laying out and lathering on baby oil, hours of softball practice with no sunscreen. I even had so-called “tan offs” with my friends to see who could get the darkest by summer’s end. By this point I knew the dangers of skin cancer, but I had the mentality that it wouldn’t happen to me, and if it did, oh well we are all going to die of cancer somehow if we live long enough. (I know, some of you want to kick me right now! I would kick me if I could go back in time.) All of this carried on through my college years and well…even up until a couple years ago.

You see, I had a job interview with a world-renowned beauty author and skin care expert, Paula Begoun. Near the end of our interview she stopped and asked “How do you feel about losing your tan?” At first, I thought she was making a reference about how hard I would be working, being clammed up in my office and not seeing the light of day. Instead, Paula handed me her book, The Original Beauty Bible, 3rd Edition, and told me to read the chapter sun damage. Despite her disparaging comments about my sun-induced skin color, she hired me anyway.

Turning the pages of that book began a life-changing chapter in my relationship with the sun. It may seem like I’m being a bit melodramatic but the truth is, I had been in denial and had never taken the time to truly consider the extent of damage I was doing to my body. Not only did I find out that skin cancer is much more common than I originally thought, but that I was also setting myself up for melasma (brown sun spots), wrinkling, and severe skin aging. At 25-years-old I was already experiencing my first set of fine lines and other signs of premature aging! I finally realized I wasn’t invincible.

My biggest eye-opener was that the sun’s rays are harmful rain or shine, winter or summer. When I realized that UVA rays can penetrate through a window, I was even more shocked! It may not seem like a big deal in the moment, but think about that over a lifespan and imagine the toll it can take on your physical appearance and health.

Now, I don’t want all this to be doom and gloom. I wrote this in the hopes that I could catch the attention of others who have been in denial about their tanning habits and help them to come to the same realization that I did- it’s just not worth it! Let’s face it, most of us like to get a tan for vanity reasons, but you won’t be looking so hot down the road with wrinkly, discolored skin or scars from skin cancer removal.

It’s true, there is a certain extent of sun damage that is irreversible, but the good news is the sooner you start the change, the more you can prevent further damage. Decrease the odds of developing skin cancer and lessen the potential signs of aging with these easy steps:
First line of defense: wear broad spectrum sun protection of at least SPF 15 EVERYDAY!
Use a chemical exfoliant such as salicylic acid (BHA)
or alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). These types of exfoliants deliver impressive results by shedding the layers of sun damaged skin, unclogging pores and revealing more radiant skin.

Make your skin-care routine is loaded with antioxidants, cell-communicating ingredients and skin-repairing ingredients to counteract sun damage and give skin what it needs to look young again.