Now there are so many great fake tans on the market, there is no need to bake in the sun or fry
on a sun bed to try and achieve a tan. When you see your favourite celebrities with a golden glow,
you can bet they are sporting a fake tan – after all, no celebrity is going to risk getting wrinkles
if they can help it!
There are so many different formulations out there but generally fake tans fall under three categories:
1 Fake tans which develop overnight to a full colour the next morning.
2 ‘Gradual’ tanners that you use every night for a few days to build up colour over time. These are great for people with fair skins or if you have never tried fake tan before.
3 Wash off tanners that you can use for a special occasion and literally wash off when it’s over!
Fake tans are also available for different skin tones, and several brands do fake tans that suit fairer skins. Most beauty salons have fake treatments, but tend to only treat customers over the age of 16, so if you are under 16, or simply want to tan at home, chances are you will need to become your own expert in fake tanning. As for all you boys out there, lots of male celebs are using fake tan these days too, so why not give it a go?
Why not have a tanning party, invite over some friends, and buy the products between you? You don’t have to buy the most expensive products to get great results, either – there are plenty of budget brands on the market who produce high quality self-tanners. And finally… please remember that most fake tans do not contain sun protection or sun screen, so if
you go out into the sun you will need to use a sun screen as well to protect your skin.
Follow our steps below and you will soon have a golden glow that could grace any red carpet!
THE PERFECT FAKE TAN by LISA FULTON
Lisa is an international expert tanning therapist who was worked with Girls Aloud, Paris Hilton, Sienna Miller and the cast of hit show ‘90210’, to name but a few.
Pre-application tips:
• Conduct a patch test using your fake tanning product 24 hours beforehand. Try the back of the neck, below the tummy button or under the upper arm. If irritation occurs over the next 24 hours, do not use the product.
• If you use a hair removal method like waxing or depilatory creams, make sure you do use them at least 24 hours before using a fake tanner.
• Just before you use a fake tanner, use an exfoliating body scrub in the bath or shower – this will prepare your skin for your tanning treatment by getting rid of dead skin cells.
• Make sure you skin is clean and free of cosmetics like deodorant and perfume. You can use an oil-free moisturiser on drier skin patches like hands, knees, elbows and feet before you apply your fake tanner – this avoids the streaky look.
• If you have fair hair and are using one of the new ‘airbrush’ style tanners wear a bath cap. You might want bronzed skin but you don’t want bronzed hair!
• Don a pair of thin latex gloves – if they don’t come with the product you can buy them cheaply from the chemists.
Application tips:
• Have some wet wipes at hand to quickly remove unwanted tan. They are also useful for cleaning around the cuticles of nails on your hands and feet.
• Apply tan in a circular motion, starting with the feet, and working your way up the body. Never apply too much product. You can always apply more the next day if you would like an intensified result.
• Apply less product to the hands, neck and feet. For good results on hands, apply some tanner to the back of one hand, and rub the backs of the hands together including fingers. This means you get tanned hands and no streaky palms!
• If you don’t want too dark a result on your face use less tanner here.
• Apply your self tanner at night for best results and remember not to wear your best pyjamas! To reach your back we suggest you get a friend to help – have a tanning party sleep-over!
Post-application tips:
• Leave at least eight hours after using a self tanner before taking a shower or getting a bath.
• Use a body lotion or moisturiser afterwards to keep your skin soft and maintain your tan.
• Remember to use an appropriate sunscreen if you go out into the sun.
