For the actives in your self-tanner to do their job properly, they need to be applied to clean skin. This means skin free from deodorants, fragrances, and body lotion – unless you're actually a fan of a patchy tan… So make sure you shower first to remove any lingering prods that can interfere with your tanner's DHA.
Before applying self-tanner, it's important to prep your skin adequately. A key step to an excellent faux tan (that lasts!) is exfoliation. "Before applying faux tanner, your skin should be completely clean, dry, and exfoliated to remove any dead, dry skin," says Samantha Magill of Tournesol Beauty.
Before applying fake tan it's vitally important to have clean skin. By making sure you have a relaxing bath or shower with some of your favourite spa products and using a good cleanser on your face you will make sure you have thoroughly eliminated all residual dust and dirt as well as dead skin cells.
Cleansing the Skin: Showering before tanning helps remove sweat, dirt, and oils from your skin. This ensures a more even tan and helps the tanning product (whether it's a spray tan or self-tanner) adhere better.
Moisturizing before self-tanning is beneficial for nearly everyone, regardless of skin type. Areas like your hands, feet, elbows, and knees tend to be drier and thicker than the rest of your skin. These spots can absorb more self-tanner, leading to darker patches and an uneven tan.
Skin Type 1
You may be Type 1 if you have pale skin that always burns and never tans. You probably have light blue, gray or green eyes and your hair is naturally blonde or red.
Always make sure your skin is thoroughly moisturized before self-tanner application, especially if you struggle with acne and/or eczema. "It's really important to apply a light layer of a non-oil-based moisturizer to the problem area prior to application," explains Sophie Evans, St. Tropez's tanning expert.
Shower at least half an hour before you plan on self-tanning to cleanse your body and remove any deodorant, make-up or moisturiser that will cause your tan to become patchy or streaky.
Moist skin will tan better and more evenly than dry skin. Your skin knows that moisture is important and uses a variety of methods to retain moisture in its surface. Your skin retains water within its natural oils to help them maintain an ordered structure around each skin cell.
Applying at night gives your self-tanner time to develop a natural tan look. Things like showering, rain, or tight clothes can mess up your tan when it's trying to settle. And some tanning products will also stain! As the self-tanner process can take up to eight hours, applying right before bed is super convenient.
You can shave after tanning without removing all your newfound colour. Just make sure you wait at least 8 hours, so your tan has had time to develop. Then shave with gentle pressure, using a brand-new razor and an oil-free wash or shaving foam that won't break down your faux glow.
If you showered after just a few hours, you might notice your skin is not as tanned as you'd expected. Don't fret! Your colour will continue to develop and darken for a few hours (and a spray tan takes up to 24 hours to develop fully).
Spray tanning with hairy legs is absolutely your personal choice. However, bear in mind, excessive hair can hinder an even tan. It's recommended to remove unwanted body hair before the session for better results.
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.
It is important not to wear tight clothing after applying fake tan as this can cause your tan to rub off or cause marks. This can make self-tanning in the morning more difficult as you must wear dark, loose clothing to avoid any transfer and you can't use deodorant or perfume.
Shave or wax at least 24 hours before your spray tan for the best results.
Fake tan products work by reacting with dead skin cells. As you often find more dead cells around a pimple, fake tan can sometimes make acne look worse rather than help to hide it. You can help to prevent a patchy appearance caused by using fake tan on acne-covered skin by exfoliating before you apply it.
The only way to tan safely is by using self-tanning sprays or lotions. Fortunately, self-tanners have come a long way since the days when they left skin streaky and the color of orange cheese-puffs. Self-tanning products are safe and generally don't cause irritation to the skin.
When it's time to tan, we'd say the best self tan for dry skin is a lotion. These are our most hydrating product, as they moisturise and tan your skin a the same time. Our Self Tanning Lotions are absolutely ideal!
Type IV – Brown skin color, brown hair, and brown eyes, tans more than average, rarely burns, and rarely freckles. Common ethnic background: the Mediterranean, Southern European, Hispanic.
According to a study called “Shades of beauty,” light brown skin tones are often the most physically attractive skin color (Frisby et al., 2006). They used four models for that study. They did not change the skin tone, but they imaged each model to three different skin tones: light, medium, and dark.
Today, having a tan is associated with people that have an active, outdoor lifestyle. A tan therefore makes people look healthier and fit. Pale skin is often associated with sickness (e.g. anaemia) which is another, indirect reason why a tan makes people seem healthier.