If the summer just won't feel quite the same without trading your winter skin for a sun-kissed glow, there are alternatives to the tanning booth. Tanning booths use UVA beams to give you a tan, but UVA beams from the booths still cause wrinkles and other signs of premature aging.

Besides, a natural tan is not a sign of health, as many people might think. Some doctors consider tans an injury because they appear after damage has been done to your skin, the same way a bruise does.

A safer way to get a tan is to opt for a fake one by using a self-tanning lotion, spray or bronzer. Self-tanning lotions contain dehydroxyacetone (DHA), a type of sugar that creates a tan through a chemical reaction with dead skin cells that stains the skin for about one week. DHA does not increase melanin in the skin like a tan from sun exposure does.

Just remember that if you use a self-tanner, you still need to apply sunblock. Tanning sprays work the same way lotions do, and last from 5-7 days. Bronzers, on the other hand, are similar to make up foundation and can be washed off each day with soap and water.