The sun is trying to shine here in the UK ready for our
Easter Bank Holiday weekend and many of us are home and perhaps have time to
enjoy a few of the sun’s rays!
But who is ready to exposure their white, winter body?
Fear not! There are
some great products on the market to help you achieve the perfect tan.
I always think that NOTHING gives you the results of a Spray Tan. It is flawless, natural and one of the easiest ways to psychologically tone up your body! Who doesn’t feel slimmer and more toned after a tan?
If you are a trained therapist, and have your spray tanning
machine easily accessible, achieving the perfect tan is simple. But, some of us don’t have access to the
professional products, perhaps are not qualified in spray tanning, or just want
to be able to do our own tans at home (which is the majority of us during this
COVID-19 lockdown).
Here are my recommendations for how to achieve the perfect
tan and the products that I love to use.
Skin Preparation
A step I often skip and instantly regret. Skin preparation is vital to a good tan
application.
Hair Removal
Make sure you have removed any unwanted hair a good 24/48 hours prior to using any form of self tanner. If you shave on the day of your tan, it is likely to stick in pores or the emollient strip, that is on many razors these days, will leave a film on your body preventing your tan from taking.
Exfoliate your skin
Easy options are
Body brushing with a natural body brush – I use one similar to this
Exfoliating mitts in the shower.
If you are going to use an exfoliating scrub, make sure it
does not contain oils that could prevent the tan taking to your skin.
For fair skinned or nervous tanners
Instead of going in fully with a tanning mousse, why not try a gradual tan. Gradual tans are moisturisers that have a small percentage of the tanning ingredient (DHA). You can apply it over a few days and build the tan to the level that you are happy with.
I do like using products that, not only, give me a great tan, but also have good ingredients. If you have not already tried the Radiant Glo Gradual Tan, I can highly recommend it. It has beautiful natural ingredients and I even use it on my face to give me a healthy glow. Avoid your brows and hairline if you are using any facial tanner.
It can be applied with your hands (make sure you wash them
afterwards) onto clean, dry skin. Colour
is buildable very natural.
For seasoned tanners
A tanning mousse, spray or cream is the perfect solution.
I personally prefer the mousse option as I have made a
serious mess of my bathroom using sprays!
Mousses are applied using a mitt. Again to clean, dry and exfoliated skin. Pump one to two pumps of the mousse onto the mitt (depending on the size of the area you are tanning) and apply in long stroking movements. Always make sure it is rubbed in well and ensure all areas are covered. Applying a moisturiser to ‘danger areas’ such as elbows, wrists, knees and heels will help prevent the tanning grabbing and looking unsightly.
Again I lean towards a brand of tan that has good ingredients and yes course I choose Radiant Glo. The Medium mousse is my favourite and is definitely easier to apply. The Dark Mousse is less forgiving (as with all dark mousses) as any application errors are more noticeable.
Medium or Dark Tans?
Remember a tan is going to react to your skin. You need to think about the base colour of
your skin, as when the tan fades, if you have chosen the right colour for your
skin, the fade will be natural. If you
chose a tan that is too dark for your skin, this usually results with the
cracked, crocodile skin look as the colour of the tan compared to the base
colour of your skin, is very noticeable.
How to get the best
fade?
If I am using a mousse, I will generally top my tan up after
a few days with the Gradual Tan. This
keeps the tan looking fresh, but also moisturises my skin.
If I want to use a moisturiser, my favourite go to is Shea Moisture
Again it has beautiful ingredients and really hydrates the
skin. Remember body oils will break down
the tan.
What about becoming a Pro Tanner?
If you would like to become a professional, consider booking a spray tanning course.
Tanning is a thriving business in the UK and it is a very
lucrative service to offer.
Obviously we are not taking bookings for training currently due to COVID-19 but it is certainly something to consider to boost your income once we are over this lockdown.
More details can be found here