Can you tan wearing sun tan lotion/sunscreen of a high SPF?

[DiscoDizzy]

I'm a little confused all of a sudden. I've always worn SPF15 and SPF8. Is the SPF value just the amount of time you can stay in the sun before you get burnt? and if I wore SPF30 would I still get exactly the same tan as I would if I was just wearing SPF8? Sorry to sound so dim.

Yes, it refers to the length of time you can stay in the sun before you tan. Strictly speaking a tan is still 'sun damage' but I'm only telling you that because I am jealous, I don't 'do' tan, I acquire a healthy shade of white!

You would get the same tan but it would just take longer.

Ah right, so its before you tan as opposed to being lobster.

Oh but I want a super duper tan by the time I come back a week later .

Sometimes I prefer the days when we knew nothing of all these precautions etc and just lived life more care free

the spf, is supposed to be the multiplication factor of the time you can spend in the sun before you burn / tan. so with spf 30, you would be able to spend double the amount of time in the sun without burning as with spf 15.

I tremember when spf 15 was "sun block". I've never tanned with it, but then I don't sunbathe, really.