Getting a tan at the beach is easy; all you have to do is lay under the sun for a few hours. What’s tricky is giving your skin that bronzed, sun-kissed hue without burning it or experiencing sunburn. Aside from causing great discomfort or pain, sunburns can actually harm the skin’s health and cause skin deterioration over time.

That’s not to say, however, that it’s impossible to get a tan without experiencing a degree of sunburn. If you want to get a tan at the beach, you’ll be glad to know that there are some ways to avoid sunburn while you sunbathe. Here are the secrets to getting a tan without the sunburn.

Completely avoid using baby oil for tanning purposes.

There are some people who say that baby oil can be effective at tanning the skin. Slathering your skin with baby oil can give your skin a darker hue, but not because of tanning. You’ll get darker due to severe sunburn. Some skin care experts also say that using baby oil for tanning increases the risk for skin cancer. You’ll also want to avoid using sunscreen lotions that contain baby oil as an ingredient.

Don’t forget to wear sunscreen.

Just because you’re aiming to get a tan doesn’t mean that you should forego protecting your skin with sunscreen. Sunscreen is your skin’s best defense against the sun’s harmful UV rays. The best sunscreen to use depends on the lightness or darkness of your complexion. Light-skinned or pale-skinned individuals typically need sunscreen that has a higher SPF factor. You should also remember to reapply sunscreen after going into the water.

Sunbathe at the right time.

Skin care experts say that the best time to sunbathe is before 11 AM and after 3 PM, as these hours aren’t too hot for the skin. Sunbathing at noontime, or during the couple of hours that immediately precede and follow it, can cause great damage to the skin. It’s also recommended for sunbathers to cool down once in a while by taking a dip in the water every hour or so. This cools down the skin and prevents the likelihood of sunburn.