GLOSS | Beauty: Do It Yourself

BEAUTY

SELF SUN

Its official- this summer has a mind of its own. Don’t fret though... get all you need to know to achieve that flawless, natural looking, faux tan.

STEP 1:

Firstly, plan ahead. Which day do you want your tan looking its best? Do your tan a day or two before this.

STEP 2:

Exfoliation is key. Exfoliating removes all the dead skin cells and gives the tan a good base to start with. The product's active ingredient is designed to cling to freshly buffed skin. Concentrate on areas such as knees, feet, elbows and ankles. Do this once again before you apply your tan. You need to get rid moisturizer, deodorant and sweat. This is also the best time to shave too- so you don’t strip your tan off later. Tip: Never apply a tan or get a spray tan done with deodorant on. The chemicals react with your skin and you will be left with Greenish patches under your arm pits- so not hot!

STEP 3:

Sparingly apply a little bit of moisturizer to ankles, heels, tops of feet, knees and hands and elbows. This stops these problem areas from soaking up excess tanner and going OTT.

STEP 4:

Start tanning from your legs up. Only use tan sparingly on the previously mentioned problem areas. The excess on your hands if using cream is plenty, otherwise a quick once over with an aerosol tan will also do the trick.

STEP 5:

Most tans will specify to wait a 5-10 minutes before dressing to allow your tan to dry.

STEP 6:

Wait at least eight hours before washing. And remember: it's normal for some colour to come off when you first shower. Keep your water temperature at cool to warm and don't scrub your skin. Instead, gently wash your body (without a loofah) and when drying, pat your skin rather than rub it.

STEP 7:

Keep your body moisturized over the next seven days. You can't stop the natural cycle of shedding skin cells, but you can keep your skin hydrated so that patchiness is reduced as your tan fades. Better yet, slow this process down with a tan extender- a moisturizer with a little bit of tan within it. This will extend the life of your tan and can even make you go darker if desired.

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