We know, we know — this seems totally obvious. But after showering, towel off and wait 10 minutes until you're 100 percent dry. "Your skin has to be completely dry," Evans tells
Prepare Your Skin
You'll want to shower, shave and exfoliate at least a day before your tan (preferably two!).
Step 1: Make sure you are freshly showered. Get rid of that old layer of skin by exfoliating from head to toe 24 hours prior to applying your tan. Step 2: Once you get out of the shower the next day, make sure you are completely dry and do not put on any moisturiser or deodorant.
Many people rinse only 1 hour before and will get a nice outcome, however the best rule is 2–4 hours prior to your tan. After showering, rub your body dry with a towel for a little bit of extra exfoliation. Exfoliate 8 to 24 hours before your spray tan for the best outcome.
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.
Showering helps remove excess bronzer and allows the DHA to continue developing. Skin appears cleaner and more radiant after a proper rinse. Q2: How Long Should I Wait to Shower After Fake Tanning? A: You should wait at least 4-8 hours before showering to let your tan fully develop.
We recommend waiting 15 minutes before putting loose fitting clothing to let the tan develop. Regarding development time - you can leave your Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam on your skin for 1 - 8 hours, depending on how dark you like your tan. The longer you leave it on the darker you get.
As a rule of thumb, you should wait for at least four to eight hours before showering so your tan can develop to its true color. Beyond that, it's best to wait 24 hours before washing your hair. This will give your tan time to set fully.
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.
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!
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.
After You've Tanned
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.
Yes, here's how: Take a large powder brush; spritz the self-tan spray onto the brush, then use circular motions, buff into the face, blend into the hairline and down towards the neck, and decolletage. You can always do a second layer, and just buff into the cheekbones to subtly sculpt.
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.
**Risk of Over-Tanning**: Applying a second layer can lead to a much darker and potentially unnatural appearance. This may result in an uneven or patchy finish, especially in areas where the product tends to gather.
Tanning Tip: 1 Hour Express will continue to develop on the skin for 6-8 hours, even after the color guide has been washed off.
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 applying your self-tanner, you'll need to give the product time to dry and settle on your skin. Do not get dressed right away, wrap yourself in a towel, or lie down. Wait about 10 to 15 minutes before putting clothes on—and even then, wear loose-fitting attire.
Avoid shaving immediately before your spray tan session. Ideally, shave 24 hours prior to allow your skin to recover and avoid any potential irritation. Exfoliate gently: If you're shaving before tanning, gently exfoliate your skin using a mild scrub or exfoliating glove.
The general rule of thumb is to wait at least 2 to 3 hours before showering to give your skin cells enough time to complete the tanning process. This waiting time allows your skin to retain its oils and helps lock in your tan, giving you a deeper, longer-lasting color.
Speed up the drying process
Waiting for your fake tan to dry can be a drag, so speed up the process using your hairdryer on a cool setting.
Fake tan usually stains bed sheets due to the guide colour within the formulation. The guide colour is the tint that immediately appears on the body when tan is applied – it's there to help you see where you've already applied and assist you achieving a flawless, even application.
We generally recommend sticking to one self tanning product per application. If you do not find the color to be as deep as you would like, you can always apply a second coat 30-60 minutes after initial application, or the following day.