Prepare your skin Then, cleanse the skin and apply an oil-free moisturizer to lock in hydration, focusing on the chin, nose, behind the ears and the back of the neck. Top Tip: Oil can prevent the face tanner from absorbing properly, so avoid using any oil-based skincare products 24 hours prior to tanning.
Leading up to the tanning bed session, moisturise your skin daily. Right before your session, exfoliate your skin thoroughly.
By moisturising skin, your tan will be prolonged as your skin cells will take more time to dry and shed.
The Bondi Sands Coconut Body Moisturiser will deeply nourish and hydrate as it's enriched with vitamin E and jojoba, which will leave your skin feeling smooth and radiant. If you can, wait at least an hour before applying your self tan so you give your moisturiser enough time to really get to work on your skin.
The initial exposure to UV light can leave your skin a bit shocked, so it's crucial to give it some extra TLC. Hydrate your skin with a good quality, fragrance-free moisturizer right after your session and throughout the next few days. Also, remember to drink plenty of water to hydrate from the inside out.
After exfoliating your body, continue the prepping process by applying a moisturizer. You shouldn't apply self-tanner without moisturizing first, because skipping out on this prep step could potentially leave you with patchy color — this goes for your face and the rest of your body.
When using a physical sunscreen, always know that it must be applied after all other products so that it can create a barrier. Apply physical sunscreens after serums and moisturisers.
Once you've primed your skin, it's important to leave it clean and clear before applying your fake tan — that means no moisturiser, deodorant, or perfume! Fake tan can sometimes accumulate on dry areas like hands, elbows, knees, and feet.
For the entire 24 hours before you apply your self tan avoid using bar soaps, high pH shower products, oil based products or in-shower moisturizers. These products may act as a barrier against your skin and can prevent the fast acting tanning agents to develop.
LOTIONS Avoid any oils or lotions that use mineral oil (petroleum), baby oil, coconut oil, and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (which is found in most body washes). I have found the best lotions to use are Aveeno, Cetaphil, Hempz, and CeraVe. Lotions with perfumes contain high alcohol levels and tend to dry out the skin.
“I like to start prepping for a self-tan 24 to 48 hours before by exfoliating, shaving and moisturizing,” says Alysa. “The drier the skin, the longer you want to moisturize.” Use a rich, hydrating cream, like the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, to hydrate your skin so your tan is even and long-lasting.
The primary difference between moisturizer and sunscreen is that moisturizer is designed to hydrate the skin, while sunscreen helps protect it from ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
In the same way that you'd prepare your body for tan application 24 hours in advance, you should prepare your face too. A day before tanning, exfoliate with a gentle, oil-free face scrub to smooth away rough, dry patches. Focus on areas that are prone to dryness, like the cheeks and around the nose.
Using a lotion moisturises your skin increasing tanning results by 60%. Dry skin reflects UV rays making the tanning process longer if you do not have hydrated skin. Healthy glowing skin A lotion will help increase skin hydration which will prevent a dry and dull complexion.
Ten minutes in a sunbed can be roughly equivalent to 1-2 hours in natural sunlight, depending on factors like sunbed intensity and skin type. However, this varies widely based on geographical location, time of day, and weather conditions. Always adhere to recommended exposure times to minimise skin damage risks.
Is 30 minutes a day enough to tan? It depends on your skin type. Those with fair skin likely need a bit longer, while people with darker skin may only require 15-20 minutes daily. Start slow and gently build UV skin tolerance over multiple sessions for the best color development.
Moisturise Dry Areas
To keep the drier areas from going patchy, make sure you moisturise all over and pay extra special attention to these troublesome areas. Try to leave the moisturiser to sink in for at least half an hour before you start the application stage of your fake tan routine.
You don't necessarily tan faster in water or laying out. This is because water reflects UV rays, so you may not be getting as much exposure as you think if you're actually in the pool.
The longer you leave our self tan on your skin, the darker it will develop. An example using our Dark Self Tanning Mousse would be 1-3 hours for a light tan, 3-6 hours for a medium tan and 6-8 hours (or overnight) for a dark tan.
Generally, waiting for about 5 to 10 minutes allows the moisturiser to absorb into the skin, ensuring that the sunscreen can form a protective barrier. This waiting period also helps prevent any potential interference between the moisturiser and sunscreen.
Apply a moisturizer or body butter to shower damp skin. (NOT Curel or Dove – these can ruin tans!) A few good choices would be Shea Moisture, CeraVe, Lubriderm, Vanicream, or Hempz, and some people prefer pure Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, or Cocoa Butter.