Should I shower before fake tan? 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.
Ensure you're applying your preferred product to clean, dry skin after showering and 24 hours post-shaving. Keep your application light and you'll be good to go. Learn more about preparing for your self tan here.
Prepare Your Skin
You'll want to shower, shave and exfoliate at least a day before your tan (preferably two!).
You will want to Shower, Shave and Exfoliate 2 or more hours (no more than 24 hours) before your spray tan. Showering to close to doing your spray tan can still have your pores open from the shower, creating a freckled appearance. (ex.
If you tan using an instant cosmetic bronzer like a bronzing lotion, the instant cosmetic color will wash off in the shower, but the color produced by the DHA will remain. Your first shower should just be a warm rinse and should be at least 6 hours after your treatment.
Please note: the tan will continue to develop even after the shower, so do not be alarmed if you're not as tanned as you expect to be. The tan will continue to develop over the next 12-24 hours.
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.
Regardless of when you wash the colour guide off, we highly recommend you don't moisturise until the 8 hour mark. Why you might ask? Even rinsing your initial colour guide off, the product still continues to develop on your skim, resulting in the most perfect fake tan.
It's best to take a quick shower and rinse off any products an hour before your appointment. This way you don't have to wait an extended period of time with no products on your skin. We highly recommend that you do not have wet hair for your appointment. Wet hair can drip and cause damage to your developing tan.
Dhesthetics has 2 recommended body washes to use in the shower to help preserve your tan. Aveevo Daily Moisturizing body wash or Cetaphil Daily Nourishing body wash. All of these body washes have great ingredients in them that will help to preserve not only your tan, but keep your skin healthy.
Apply Moisturizer Before Tanner
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.
Once your self-tanner has developed, a nice cool shower in your favourite fruit or flower-scented body wash will help wash away the smell. Hot tip: Citrus seems to be extra effective at combating the self-tan or spray tan smell!
Moisturise: After shaving, apply a gentle moisturiser to hydrate and soothe your skin. This step helps prepare your skin for the self-tanning product and ensures it goes on smoothly. Wait 24 Hours: Give your skin ample time to recover from shaving before applying the self-tanner.
Gradual tan is best applied once a day, or every few days depending on the colour you wish to achieve. It Is not recommended to apply gradual tan twice a day as this can cause the product to build up, too much product can affect how even your colour is.
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.
Hydrated skin will not only tan better but will also keep its colour for longer. Moisturise your skin twice daily to prepare your skin for the sunshine and get that long-lasting tan. Dry skin can lead to a peeling and uneven sun tan and so is effectively the enemy.
Forgo the shower (if you must, make sure it's several hours earlier in the day and try your best not to moisturize) and get straight to the tan. Prime your weirdo dinosaur bits (knees, ankles, elbows) with a little bit of light moisturizer so the DHC doesn't get stuck in there and mess up the illusion.
Optimal Time to Shower After a Fake Tan
Wait 4-8 hours before showering to let your tan fully develop, but avoid leaving it on for more than 24 hours. During this time, steer clear of moisture—no sweating, workouts, or liquid foundation.
Use a hairdryer. Once you have the perfect coverage, grab your hairdryer to help it set. Be sure it's blowing cool air and move it along your body. Not only will this help the solution dry faster, but it'll also help to kick the tanning development process into overdrive.
A patchy, streaky or dotty fake tan often means you've missed a 'prep step' in the run up to your treatment. Preparing your skin for your fake tan encourages an even, long-lasting glow so it's well worth examining your pre-tan routine to check where you might have gone wrong.
After 8 hours, you should be fine to get in the shower or take a soak in the tub without worrying about your tan getting streaky or washing off prematurely. Self tanner tends to fade naturally on its own after a few days but shouldn't be affected by washing assuming you've allowed those initial 8 hours to pass.
In addition to exfoliating, it's also a good idea to shave so your skin is as smooth as possible. If you shave after applying self-tanner, your glow will fade sooner. If you're someone who waxes or gets hair-removal treatments, be sure to wait about 24 hours before applying the product so it doesn't irritate your skin.
Use a fan or adjust the temperature in your room to ensure a comfortable sleeping environment. Sleep on dark towels: Placing dark towels on your bed where your body will come in contact with the sheets can help absorb any excess tan solution and prevent it from transferring onto your bedding.