Your skin is always rejuvenating itself by shedding old top layer skin to expose new skin underneath. Dry skin sheds faster and takes your tan with it. Dry skin also reflects light rather than absorbing, which not only hinders your tanning process, but makes you look less tan than you are!
If your skin responded well to tanning before, there really should not be a reason why your skin suddenly is not responding. You might need to have UV light turned up, maybe the strength of light being used is less now then what you used to have before.
If a dark tan is what you're looking for, we do recommend waiting a few hours before rinsing it off so that the product has longer to develop with your skin. Note: after rinsing, your skin will continue to deepen over the next 24 hours, so if your skin does not seem that dark, give it time!
UV exposure stimulates melanocytes (melanin-producing cells) to produce even more melanin. If you have more melanocytes–meaning that you're already darker–you'll darken at a faster rate than someone with fewer melanocytes. And you'll stay darker for longer.
Why won't my tan go away? When the cells become damaged with pigment, discoloration that doesn't fade occurs, leading to a tan that doesn't fade. In fact, it tends to stay dark unless you choose to have this hyperpigmentation treated professionally.
Most people tan within 1 to 2 hours, but factors like skin type, weather conditions, and the time of day will play a role.
Similarly to how dark clothes can help you look slim, a tan can bring definition to the body, helping you look and feel thinner. Areas of the body that you tend to worry over and feel self-conscious of can become more defined with a spray tan and help you to look your very best.
Make Sure Skin Is Completely Dry
Most experts recommend showering before applying self-tanner as this is the best way to ensure skin is clean and free of any oils or products that could interfere. But it's important not to rush into tanning straight away.
Papaya: Like carrots, orange fruits and vegetables, such as papaya, help to enhance your tan naturally thanks to its high beta-carotene levels. Melon: This refreshing fruit, rich in antioxidants and beta-carotenes will help you to keep your golden skin tone.
Exfoliate: Dead skin cells can block UV rays from reaching fresh skin layers and hinder tanning. Exfoliate a day or two before your session to remove dead skin cells and get even tanning. Moisturise Properly: Hydrated skin absorbs UV rays more efficiently, thus better results.
If the skin has been inflamed or is severely dry, the melanocytes (cells that give the skin its color) in that area do not react to UV light the same as they do in non-affected/dry skin areas.
A tan can certainly help to camouflage cellulite if you have fair skin, but we don't recommend using sun exposure to darken your skin, since too much exposure to UV rays can weaken the fibers of the skin, making the cellulite look worse and causing other skin problems.
But how tan is too tan? According to the professional, just about any kind of tan is too much, because it ages you and puts you at risk of bigger, badder things.
Essentially, tanning brings out character in the muscle groups, and by doing so, highlights the muscle definition. Basically the darker your skin the more defined your muscles look, giving the impression you are distinctly toned.
If you have light skin or very light skin, 10 to 30 minutes in the sun is a perfect amount of time for a tan. Much longer than that, and you could start to develop a sunburn. No, not if you have light brown to dark brown skin.
After tanning, you will produce a little bit of sweat, but that's it. There is no reason to shower right away because water does not affect the tan. This is another myth that has been around for ages. The truth is, showering right after getting a tan will not cause staining of your skin.
The primary stimulus for melanogenesis and subsequent melanosome production is UV radiation, which upregulates melanocyte production of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and its downstream products, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
Eat the right food. Fruit and veg that's high in beta carotene, which can help you tan, but without burning. Beta-carotene is widely recognised as being an excellent antioxidant that fights free radicals and reduces skin damage and oxidative stress on the skin, helping limit the harmful effects of UV light.