the tan commandments
The Tan Commandments: Everything to know before you get a spray tan and use self tanner.
Whether you prefer to lather on the self tanner yourself, stand in a booth to get sprayed by a machine, or see your favorite spray tan artist for a sunkissed glow, there are a few cardinal rules for fake tanning that can and should be used for all three methods. After all, the keys to achieving your best glow lay in how you care for your skin before and after the application. From how to prep your skin and what to avoid afterwards, our tan commandments provide you with everything you need to know about tanning.
First time tanner? A vet who tans weekly? Consider the following tips as the laws to fake tanning.
remove (unwanted) hair
If hair removal is your thing, shaving and waxing before you tan is key as removing hair also removes your tan.
2. exfoliate and remove old tan
Removing dead skin and old tanner is key to creating a clean, fresh canvas for your new tan to develop. Not removing old tan can lead to build-up, splotchiness, and a very uneven tan.
3. make sure skin is completely clean
After you shower and before you tan, your skin should be free of any soap residues or lotions that could clog your pores and prevent the tan from developing evenly.
4. apply moisturizer as a barrier anywhere you don’t want tan to develop
With that being said, applying a barrier anywhere you do not want tan to develop is key. This includes on dry spots, the palms of your hands, bottoms of your feet, fingernails, toenails, and a light layer on the tops of your hands, feet, elbows, and knees. These areas are known to gather color more easily which can lead to overdevelopment and dark patches.
5. wear loose clothing while it develops
Tight clothing can stick to your skin and ultimately rub off your tan as it develops, resulting in uneven development or completely removing it. Wear loose clothing that won’t rub against your tan, and if your tanner has a color guide, be sure to opt for dark, loose clothing so the bronzers don’t turn your lighter clothes bronze.
6. avoid getting wet while it develops
Perhaps one of the most important rules of fake tanning is to avoid any type of moisture as your tan develops. Whether your tanner’s formula is clear or has a color guide, gradual or express, your tan needs to develop on dry skin for best results because moisture stops the development process.
7. the longer you let it develop, the darker it’ll be
Most express solution tanners begin to develop around one hour after applied, while other standard tanners begin at around four hours, however, regardless of the solution; the longer you wait until showering, the darker your tan will be.
8. don’t use soap post-tan
A lot of tanning solutions contain a high amount of DHA (dihydroxyacetone; the color additive that darkens the skin and stimulates the tan) which will continue to develop even after the first shower. Therefore, the first shower should just be a rinse, as soap can stop the continuation of the development process.
9. moisturize everyday (but avoid alcohol-based moisturizers)
Moisturizing everyday is key to maintaining and elongating the life of your tan as dry, dead skin cells will flake off, thus flaking off your tan. However, not all lotions are made equally, alcohol-based and heavily fragranced moisturizers are known to strip tans, while aloe-, shea-, and cocoa-butter-based lotions will nourish the tan and make it last longer.
10. shave and exfoliate sparingly
Shaving and exfoliating instigate tan removal, so therefore, to make sure your tan lasts as long as possible, keep shaving and using exfoliatiants to a minimum for at least the first three days post-tan.