While glorious, always welcome, and generally unexpected, the sun in Scotland isn’t renowned for packing much of a punch.

Having spent much of my recuperation period inside, Thursday was the first time I’d really been exposed to sun this summer.  As a result, I was keen to leave the beach on Thursday with “bit of colour”.  I wasn’t showing too much skin (I wore Shorts, T-Shirt and a baseball cap), but my limbs were left exposed to the elements.  I declined the offer of sunscreen – factor 50 really wasn’t going to do much to enhance my “tan”.

As hoped, I was starting to show signs of colour as we left the beach.  Colour which continued to evolve throughout the evening.  [I guess now’s a sensible time to point out to anyone who doesn’t know me, that I don’t generally tan very well.  At all, in fact.  Whereas the rest of my immediate family go a nice olive colour, I tend to go red and then back to white.  Two years in the Middle East left me slightly “off-white” at best.] 

During the evening my arms and legs started to get warm, then hot.  It is at this time that I made my mistake…  to relieve the increasing heat I reached into creams and potions in the bathroom for some soothing After Sun, and applied liberally.

All was good.  Relieved, I went to bed.

The following morning I awoke to a slightly strange colouration, particularly on my legs.  I assumed my heart medication may have altered the way my body reacts to sunlight.  Perhaps, I could finally produce melanin.  Perhaps I was tanned!  Slightly suspicious, I checked the After Sun (all seemed in order) before re-applying.

Before and after “Tan Maintaining” After Sun

The colouring continued to develop.  By Friday evening my feet wouldn’t have looked out of place on an Umpa Lumpa.

While the After Sun had been applied liberally, it had not been applied consistently.  The smudges and blotches are perhaps less appealing than the solid sections.

I guess the upside is that it did take the edge off the sunburn… the colour should last for weeks!  Delight!

What I now know, is that I should avoid any products that includes the words “Enhancer” or “Maintainer” in combination with “Tan”.  Apparently “maintenance” on me is the equivalent to a full-on artificial tan for others.  You live and learn!

Two lessons:  (1) Wear sunscreen and (2) Read the small print!