It's best to wait 24 hours between your exfoliating treatment and your self-tanning session in order to get the best results. If you're like us and you do your Sonic Dermaplaning treatment on self-care Sunday, then Monday is the perfect day to apply your self-tanner.
You should exfoliate before tanning. Exfoliating your skin helps remove dead skin cells, allowing for a more even and longer-lasting tan. It also helps prevent patchiness and ensures that the tanning product adheres properly to your skin.
By creating a smooth surface, you allow the spray tan to adhere more evenly, resulting in a more natural, long-lasting tan. Aim to exfoliate at least 12-24 hours prior to your appointment for the best results.
The best time to exfoliate is the day before bronzing. But if you're forgetful, you can exfoliate 4-6 hours before in a pinch. Just skip the body scrubs, which can leave an oily residue on the skin, and opt for a deluxe exfoliating mitt.
If you are shaving, you need to shave 24 hours before any fake tan application. If for whatever reason you cannot do that, finish with cold water after shaving to close your pores. Have you ever had brown spots get stuck in your pores? This is from shaving or exfoliating right before a fake tan. Don't do this.
However, do not remove body hair too soon before your session. When you shave or wax your skin, your pores open up. If you wax or shave right before your session, you will go in before your pores close up, and the spray tan will get into your pores and leave you with dark dots.
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.
Yes, a tan will naturally fade away due to the exfoliation of our skin. It may not be the nicest thing to think about, but the human skin sheds and then generates millions of cells everyday.
The Two-Day Rule: When it comes to tanning before an event, it is generally recommended to have a spray tan or apply your own tan two days prior to the occasion. The reason behind this is that all tans take approximately 24 hours to fully develop, even after rinsing off the initial bronzer.
If you wax your legs or use a hair removal cream, you'll need to make sure you schedule around your self-tan carefully. According to Evans, both wax and hair removal cream can remove self-tanner, so plan any hair removal at least 24 hours in advance of your tanning session to ensure the legs tan properly.
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.
Exfoliation is best done at night before bed so your skin has time to rest before taking on the day. After exfoliating, it's important to remember to moisturize your skin that night and wear sunscreen the next day.
You should exfoliate your skin prior to shaving, as exfoliating first can help prevent the razor from becoming clogged with dead skin cells (which can reduce its effectiveness). In other words, exfoliating first is a serious pro tip for a closer shave.
This seems easy enough, but a lot of people forget to shave before applying self tanner. However, you prefer to remove hair (waxing, shaving, laser, etc.) please do yourself a favor and do it before you apply product. Hair removal after-the-fact can remove your tan, leaving splotchy marks on your legs.
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.
After Tanning
Keep your sun-kissed glow even as it starts to come off and avoid patchy fading by gently exfoliating 3-4 days after you have applied your tan. This will help to remove any dead skin cells and keep your tan more even.
If you're wondering when the optimal time is to shave before applying self-tanner, we suggest aiming for approximately 24 hours before.
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. The best time to fake tan is at night as this will give the tan full developing time and you don't need to worry about what you are wearing.
1. Exfoliate 24 hours before. It's important to exfoliate 24 hours prior to tanning. This will remove any dead skin and create the perfect base for your tan application.
After extensive testing, we determined the highest rated self-tanner to be the St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse. It's an airy mousse that's easy to apply and blend and leaves you with a natural-looking glow. You can also customize the depth of color based on how long you leave it on your skin.
Use a washcloth to exfoliate the skin prior to applying a self-tanner. Using an exfoliating product also will help remove dead skin cells. Spend a little more time exfoliating where your skin is thickest, on the elbows, knees and ankles. Dry your skin.
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.
When you perspire, tanning solution will transfer to your hand, and cause staining. If you know you'll be sleeping with your hand between your knees, it's best to wear loose pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt. We also recommend laying a towel over your pillow to prevent any bronzer transfer from your neck.