Laura Bermingham
For some it’s only when party season rolls around that they consider using self-tan. A lot will book in for a professional spray tan to take the risk out of the process, but even so, many find the results disappointing — streaks or dark patches and poor colour fade. More often than not this is about poor preparation on the client’s part and not the salon. This is how to prepare for a professional or at-home session, and how to take care of the tan until it fades away naturally.
Exfoliate correctly This really is key. If your skin is dry, flaking and rough in parts, no tan will look good, no matter what the brand. In the shower take a hydrating body scrub and work from the extremities back towards your heart to boost circulation and remove dead skin cells. Pay special attention to commonly rough areas like the knees, ankles and elbows. Finish by giving the skin a dose of body lotion or butter all over.
Tanning skin Ideally there should be at least 12 hours between exfoliating and tanning, simply because tan works better on hydrated skin. Tanning immediately after exfoliating isn’t wise as the skin might feel drier without the layer of body lotion, tan might emerge patchy and it certainly won’t last as long. If you have a salon spray booked, try to exfoliate the night before and moisturise.
If you are intending to self-tan at home apply the tan with a mitt, and allow to dry before putting on loose clothing or socks. If you desire an extra dark tan that needs two layers to develop into a deeper tan, follow this rule. Self-tan needs anywhere between four and six hours to reach its full tanning level. Apply layer one of your self-tan and wait out the full development time. After six hours you can rinse away this layer and apply the second. Again the tan time is six hours and the resulting tan should be dark and even. If there are any streaks or mistakes improve these with an instant tan to conceal the error.
Caring for tan Naturally, after all this effort you want your tan to fade away gradually and without patchiness. Moisturise your skin after bathing each day and use an oil-free lotion. Oils like coconut or almond break down tan and you will be exfoliating away patchy parts sooner than you would expect. Stick to lighter lotions that are oil-free and the tan should disappear evenly back to your own skin tone.
The same aftercare rule applies to a spray tan — it’s your best hope to keeping that glow on the go.
If there are any streaks or mistakes, use an instant tan