Does moisturizer keep fake tan on?
Moisturising the skin everyday is the key to a longer lasting fake tan as it prevents the tan from cracking and flaking. If you're after a moisturiser that is going to extend the life of your self tan, we recommend trying our Luxe Moisturising Lotion.
However, keeping the skin hydrated can reduce the rate of sloughing and extend the life of your tan; the fewer skin cells that are shed, the longer your tan will last. Be sure to moisturise your entire body from top to toe after a sunless tanning treatment.
Moisturize Your Skin to Prevent Shedding
Moisturized skin is happy skin, and happy skin holds your tan longer. Apply a nourishing moisturizer daily to keep your skin hydrated and looking healthy. Avoid moisturizing with a concentrated oil like coconut oil or oil-based moisturizers and lotions.
Tanning Tip
If you're worried about self tanning your face, you could try mixing a little of your self tanner with your favourite moisturiser to dilute it slightly for a lighter application.
Moisturized skin will absorb the spray tan solution better and help you maintain your glow, but some lotions will actually strip your spray tan and cause more harm than good. We want to share some of those harmful ingredients and ingredients that will actually exfoliate your tan before you're ready.
Moisturise & Maintain!
Moisturising is an essential step in achieving a long-lasting tan. Prior to tanning, we'd recommend applying moisturiser to typically dry areas like your hands, feet, elbows and knees to prevent tan from clinging to any dry patches, resulting in a flawless result.
Sprinkle on Some Baby Powder Before Your Sweat Sesh
Fake tan hates friction, so it's a good idea to keep some baby powder in your gym bag. Sprinkle in sweat-prone areas to mop up excess moisture and keep rubbing and chafing at bay.
Moisturizing skin helps replenish and retain the normal moisture content of the stratum corneum, keeping the skin soft and supple. Moist skin is healthy skin and healthy skin will tan better and more evenly than dry skin.
How do self-tanning products work? Also known as "sunless tanning", and "fake tan", most self-tanning products contain the active ingredient DHA (dihydroxyacetone), which creates a 'healthy glow' by chemically reacting with the amino acids in the dead layer (the stratum corneum) of the skin's surface.
Apply a moisturizer or body butter to shower damp skin. (NOT Curel or Dove – these can ruin tans!) A few good choices would be Shea Moisture, CeraVe, Lubriderm, Vanicream, or Hempz, and some people prefer pure Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, or Cocoa Butter.
Does fake tan still develop after shower?
If you showered after just a few hours, you might notice your skin is not as tanned as you'd expected. Don't fret! Your colour will continue to develop and darken for a few hours (and a spray tan takes up to 24 hours to develop fully). That brown water disappearing down the drain?
In fact, it will only lead to streaks and blotches. "You can never use too much self-tanner because the skin can only absorb a certain amount of the tanning agent at once, so always apply enough to blanket the skin," Evans says.
Forgetting to moisturise daily is one of the key reasons that your sunless tan has faded faster than you'd hoped. While many of us moisturise daily already as part of your normal skincare routine, moisturising when you have a tan is important to help maintain that glow for longer.
We generally recommend sticking to the one self tanning product per application. If you do not find the colour to be as dark as you would expect, you can always apply a second coat 30-60 minutes after initial application or the following day if the developed colour is not to your desired colour depth.
Another way to make your tan darker is to apply two layers of self-tan or to top your tan up the day after the initial application. However, this is probably best left to the more confident tanners among us.
Shaving after a spray tan can remove some of the tan, leading to uneven or patchy results. Waiting 8-12 hours after the session and using gentle shaving techniques is important to maintain the tan.
Retin-A type products (Retin-A, Renova, Tazorac, Tretinoin) all will cause faster fading. Bore-type adhesive facial strips, or “peel-off” masks. Bug spray, perfumes, and body sprays when sprayed directly onto the skin, can make your tan look splotchy and fade faster.
We would recommend if sleeping in fake tan that you invest in tanning sheets (be it a fancy 'fake tan' specific sheets, old sheets you're not fussed about or a darker shade that doesn't show the tell-tale fake tan remnants so easily) and make sure you wear loose, comfy and fake tan friendly sleepwear to bed.
A spray tan on lighter skin tones might last for about 5 days, medium shades can last between 7-8 days, and darker shades can last up to 10 days. To be safe, we say that your spray tan will last anywhere between 5-7 days, depending on your spray tan care routine.
For the entire 24 hours before you apply your self tan avoid using bar soaps, high pH shower products, oil based products or in-shower moisturizers. These products may act as a barrier against your skin and can prevent the fast acting tanning agents to develop.
Can I mix self-tanning lotion with moisturizer?
Mixing in moisturizer creates a more subtle glow, which after a few applications, will amount to your perfect tan!
Some people like to mix a small amount of self tanner with their daily moisturiser, but if you do have sensitive or problematic skin, we recommend our Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk For Face, which is specially formulated for the area.
As for when you can repeat this process, typically you can use self-tanner every day or every other day until you reach your desired level of color and then once or twice a week to help maintain the results.
Follow your cleanse by applying your toner, serums, eye creams etc. then you're ready to get glowing. The final step in your skincare routine is your self tan step! Whether you're mixing your glow drops with moisturizer or your rose spraying the day away here are a few tips for perfecting your glowing facial tan.
