Preparation is key!

As the weather turns nicer, we are starting to raid our summer wardrobes, outfits get shorter and the thought of exposing pasty, pale legs to the general public fills us with dread!  With the known detrimental effects of sunbeds and too much exposure to the sun's UV rays, more and more of us are turning to the bottle for our healthy all year round glow.


Someone pass me the fake tan - STAT!

Fake tan has come a long way recently and can now produce a beautiful, natural even tan without appearing orange and streaky however it must be applied correctly and preparing your skin is key to avoid streaky, patchy colour.

Here's how I prepare my skin to keep my tan natural and make my fake tan last:

1.) Exfoliate: This is extremely important to remove dead, dry skin cells from the skin. If you apply fake tan without exfoliating this can lead to a patchy, blotchy effect and the colour will not last as long.  I like Jan Marini Bioglycolic Resurfacing Body Scrub which offers superb retexturizing benefits for all body skin types and especially for skin that is dry or environmentally damaged. Resurfacing Body Scrub combines glycolic acid and polished granules  in order to provide an aggressive but safe approach for reaching a  noticeably improved level of body skin rejuvenation. This formulation  enables patients to immediately address roughened or calloused areas  while enhancing overall smoothness and tone.
For more sensitive skin, you could try Taer Icelandic Silky Refining Scrub, a sumptuous, creamy scrub containing Icelandic yarrow and angelica to  purify and detoxify, fine walnut dust to gently exfoliate and apricot  and lime oils to uplift and brighten.

Gently massage your chosen exfoliator onto wet skin to remove dead skin cells, rub in a circular motion and then rinse to reveal the healthy skin underneath.

2.) Shave your legs - Trying to apply tan on top of hair makes your hair matted and the tan blotchy.

3.) After drying off completely apply a very light layer of moisturiser to elbows and knees. Have you ever noticed when applying fake tan that your knees go darker than the rest of your legs? This is because the skin is drier and the self tan gets absorbed more readily. Moisturiser can prevent the fake tan from absorbing completely so whilst it should be avoided elsewhere on the body, It can prevent unsightly darker knees.

4.) Wash and dry your hands before applying your tanning lotion. Also, make  sure to wash your hands thoroughly after applying, as this is another area where  lotion is absorbed the quickest.  I use thin latex gloves to apply fake tan to avoid orange palms, however you must remember to apply a very small amount of tan to the tops of your hands last to avoid white hands.

5.) 24 - 48 hours later moisturise all over to maintain colour and extend the life of your tan.  I like Medik8 Hydr8 Body which is light and easy to apply with a lovely light, fresh fragrance.

Follow these steps to look less like an Oompa Loompa and more like a Bronzed Goddess!