Self-Tanning: The Safe ‘Faux’ Tan

The only safe tan is a fake one. We repeat: The only safe tan is a fake one.

We know – a beautiful summer glow makes everyone look healthy and gorgeous, but the long-term health and skin ageing consequences of getting a tan or, horrors, overdoing it are just not worth it.

Here’s how to be a fake bronze goddess. You have two self-tanning choices, a professional spray tan, like Caribbean Tan (one of our favourites), and other options - some companies even do house calls to turn you into a golden girl.

Then there’s the DIY option. There are many self-tan products on shelf, and we love Caribbean Tan in a Can (again) which is available in three variants - A for fair skins, B for medium and C for darker complexions. The Caribbean Tan range gives you a choice of application options too – the spray can, a spritzer and a mousse. They also have Caribbean Tan Pure Pigment Darkening Drops which you add to a normal lotion or cream to create your own self-tan.

Other good self-tan product options include Clarins Self-Tanning Instant Gel, Vichy Ideal Soleil Self Tanner Face And Body and IQ Dermabronze Self Tan.

If this is your first time, remember to wear an old bra and panties you don’t mind ruining, or go au naturel into the spray booth. Just do us a favour, start with a fairly light application so you don’t look totally overbaked.

 

DIY Self-Tanning Tips - How To Use Self-Tan

1. Choose your self-tan carefully. There are so many self-tanners with different textures and shades for varying skin tones. Find one that suits you. If you have sensitive skin, or you have any doubts, we recommend a small localized test application to check your skin compatibility before going the whole way. If precision work is not your forte, choose a tinted self-tanner which shows you where you’ve applied.

2. Prep your skin. Don’t wash with ordinary soap before you use self-tanner as the alkaline pH will affect the colour result. Rather use a body wash.

Smooth skin is vital for even, long-lasting colour so make sure your legs are fuzz-free. Dry, rough areas also absorb more colour, so take care to exfoliate knees, elbows and feet well. Moisturise these areas well before you apply and use colour sparingly.

Fake tan fades as your skin sloughs off over several days, so make it last longer by exfoliating the entire ‘tan’ area before you apply colour. We like Caribbean Tan Pre-Tan Body Exfoliator and Mineraline Exfoliate Shea Body Polish.

3. Apply carefully. Work slowly and systematically. Do large, easy-to-reach areas like thighs and shins first, working in small, circular strokes. Then do more tricky areas, like arms. Avoid overdoing it on feet, ankles, knees, hands and elbows which can go darker than the rest of your body.

When doing your face, apply petroleum jelly to your hairline and brows to prevent tinting, especially if you have light-coloured hair. Use a paler colour than on your body. Remember your neck and collar bones.

Wash your hands immediately and thoroughly to avoid tell-tale golden palms. Also wait at least 20 minutes after applying to your body before sitting down on fabric furniture or any clothes as the colour may stain.

See how the colour develops (it takes between one and three hours), then reapply if you want deeper colour. If you’ve streaked a bit, put some micellar water (like Garnier) or toner on cotton wool and rub it on the darker colour to remove the excess.

As a precaution, do not wet your skin for at least 5 hours after a spray tan or DIY session. Showering the following morning is the best option. We also recommend that you don’t exercise or perspire excessively between the tanning and the showering phase. When showering after a spray tan, don't be concerned if some of the initial bronzer washes off.

4. Self-tan aftercare. Moisturise your skin regularly to prolong the tan and prevent dry patches - apply twice daily after showering. This reduces the rate at which your skin exfoliates and will keep your tan looking better for longer.

You can also prolong your tan with extra moisturisation that Nivea Sun After Sun Moisture Spray offers, or by using a self-tanner like Vichy Ideal Soleil Self Tanner Face And Body.

To maintain your colour, reapply self-tan about every four days. Scrub it all off after three reapplications and start again or you could look blotchy. Other considerations in maintaining your tan are to avoid long baths, hot spas and extended swimming sessions. Also, avoid products designed to exfoliate your skin.

Very important: Just because your skin looks tanned, it is not protected! Slap on sunscreen before going outdoors.

Read More. Want Glowing Skin? You Need to Exfoliate Like A Pro

Sun Tanning - The Golden Rules

We all know that at some stage we are going to be beaching with our friends and can’t avoid the sun forever. Despite its bad rep, not everything about the sun is bad – it has many wonderful benefits. It triggers the release of endorphins (the feel-good hormones), helping to invigorate body and mind and to relieve stress. And sunlight is essential for the production of Vitamin D.

We just have to know how to get enough sun for all the good stuff, and none of the bad. The key is to tan safely without burning by following some simple tips to ensure you look after your skin.
 

• Timing is everything: Stay out of the sun between 11 am and 3.30 pm, when the sun is directly overhead and at its peak.


• Good shade: Find a tree, or an umbrella, and be careful of light reflecting off concrete or beach sand. You can still get burned.


• Choose SPF 30 or more: Yes - we know. You think you won’t tan with such a high SPF. But trust us – you will. Just a lot slower and with less risk of a burn and irreversible damage to your skin. And don’t think you are protected if you have a dark skin. You are - just a teensy bit more, but it’s not nearly enough to protect you from sun damage. If you want more info on SPF protection and which one to choose for your skin type, see here.


• Go for reputable sunscreens: Our picks: BioNike Defence Sun 30 Fluid Lotion, Piz Buin Ultra-Light Hydrating Sun Spray SPF30, Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Sun Spray SPF30, Avène Sun Protection Mineral Cream SPF 50 best for sensitive skins, Bioderma Photoderm Max Sun Milk SPF50+, Cetaphil Sun Gel SPF50 and Eucerin Transparent Sun Spray SPF 50.
  
  If you prefer a tanning oil, avoid the low SPF products that won’t give you enough protection. It’s best to choose safer options like Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze Oil Spray SPF30 or Piz Buin Tan & Protect Tan Intensifying Sun Oil Spray SPF30.


• Use enough: One thing you should never skimp on is sun cream. Most people either don’t apply enough or miss all those nooks and crannies and then land up with skin-damaging red burns. Rather put on too much than too little.


• Reapply often: The biggest mistake you can make is to not reapply regularly. Don’t be fooled by all day protection or water-resistant claims. All sunscreen wears off. It should be reapplied a minimum of every two hours – more if you are swimming.


• Go slowly: So often we are desperate to add a little colour to our skins that we indulge in marathon sessions in the sun. Rather build up your tan slowly by only spending a couple of hours each day in full sun. Your skin will ultimately thank you.


• Skins that have suffered trauma, such as acne and/or other scarring have to be especially vigilant about covering up. These areas will be more prone to sunburn, so dab on concealer and an extra dot of sunscreen to avoid darkening from sun exposure.


• Keep it under your hat: Make a fashion statement with a gorgeous hat. It’s great for hiding from the sun and also to protect your hair. Make sure it has a tight weave. If you can see sunlight through it, that’s not enough protection.

Read More. 12 Important Things You May Not Know About Sunscreen (But Need To)

Sun Goddess - Look the Part

We all enjoy looking good while we relax, and it’s easy to look fresh, summery and gorgeous:
 

• Tinted sunscreens and BB or CC Creams are a great way of adding a glow. Our picks: Bioderma Photoderm Tinted Cream SPF50+, Eucerin Tinted Sun Creme SPF 50 – Medium, Vichy UV Protect SPF50 Anti Dullness BB Cream and Garnier BB Cream Combo Oily SPF 20.


• Lips are especially vulnerable to UV – they have no built-in protection. A lip balm with SPF 30 like Piz Buin Moisturising Sun Lipstick is another must have to keep lips moisturised and protected in and out of the sun.


• There’s nothing more gorgeous than a slick of fruit-coloured lipstick or a touch of colour on the toenails to make them stand out in the surf. You have the perfect excuse.


• Ban frizz and protect your tresses against straw-like consequences with products that lock the moisture in. Pro tip: Before taking a dip in the sea or pool, wet hair thoroughly with mineral water so that dry, dehydrated locks don’t soak up salt or chlorine. Rinse well after swimming then comb through a UV protective lotion before pinning it up once more. We like L’Oréal Elvive Colour Protect range with UV Filters.


• In your bag: keep a pack of oil blotting tissues, such as the ones from Palladio. These mop up excess shine on your face, leaving skin clear and matte.


• Face and body spritzer keeps skin cool and dewy at the touch of a button. Try La Roche Posay or Vichy thermal spa water sprays, or make your own with a few sprigs of lavender and mint steeped in mineral water.

Read More. How to Banish Frizzy Hair When It’s Beyond Humid

Sunburn Treatment - Relief From The Burn

Oh no! Despite your best intentions, you overdid your sun exposure or a spot on the back of your legs didn’t get sunscreen, and you are now looking seriously lobsterish. You need to take immediate action on your sunburn to soothe the discomfort and hopefully reverse some of the damage to your skin quickly.

1. Cool down immediately. Take a cool bath to bring down the skin temperature. You can add vinegar to help relieve itching as well.

If you wash yourself, don’t use ordinary bar soap, which will dry out skin even further. Use a gentle body wash for sensitive skins like Dove Soothing Care, and treat your skin very gently. Afterwards, pat yourself dry gently, but leave a little water on your skin. Then, apply a moisturiser to help trap the water in your skin. This can help ease the dryness.

Choose a moisturising after sun lotion or spray with Aloe Vera to help soothe sunburned skin, offer hydration, reduce redness, irritation and peeling, and repair sun damage as well as bringing relief immediately to hot skin. Make them especially soothing by keeping them in the fridge. We like: Everysun Aftersun Cooling Gel Spray, La Roche Posay Posthelios After Sun Gel, and Bettaway Aloe Vera Skin Gel.

If a particular area feels especially uncomfortable, you may want to apply a 1% hydrocortisone cream that you can buy without a prescription.

2. Drink lots of water. When sunburnt, your body diverts extra fluid to the skin’s surface to start the healing process, and the rest of your body misses out, so top up your water levels to help prevent dehydration.

 

3. Soothe the burn. Apply compresses several times a day. Moisten a soft cloth with cold water, witch hazel or tea tree oil (which have anti-inflammatory properties) and apply to the area for several minutes.

Oatmeal is rich in soothing allantoin. Wrap some dry oats in a gauzy fabric, then pour cool water through the cloth, so the water goes milky. Toss the oats and soak the cloth in the liquid. Keep this in the fridge between applications, and apply the compresses every 2 to 4 hours.

Yogurt and milk contain lactic acid, which is also soothing. Apply the milk in a compress and the yogurt directly on burned areas. Rinse off in a cool shower, then gently pat skin dry.

Tea bags (rich in tannic acid) are a blessing for burnt eyelids. Chill a teabag with ice water, then apply on your eyes to reduce swelling and help relieve pain.

4. Assess the situation. If you’re feeling great discomfort, you can take an anti-inflammatory like aspirin or ibuprofen (unless it is contraindicated for health reasons) to help reduce redness, swelling, and pain.
Go to your doctor if: 

• You have severe blistering over a large portion of your body,
• You are running a fever and have chills,
• You feel woozy or confused.

5. Don’t pop! Blisters mean that you have a second degree burn and, despite what the old wives’ tales say, don’t pop your blisters. They are there to allow your skin to heal. If you pop them, you risk infection.

6. Take extra care to protect sunburned skin while it heals. Wear soft, loose clothing and don’t expose your skin to any more sun.

Read More. Want to Know If Your Sunscreen Is Really Protecting You?

After the Fact - Prolong the Tan

Want to keep your golden colour you’ve gradually acquired over the summer for longer? Swap your regular moisturiser for an after-sun product. These contain moisturisers, soothers and antioxidants to soothe skin. We like: Piz Buin After Sun Lotion and La Roche Posay Posthelios After Sun Gel.