How to Home Tan

 

Flaming June is upon us, and we’re all desperate to get into our summer wardrobe. But let’s face it, after a long, dark winter and rainy spring, we’ve probably all neglected ourselves from the neck down. A good home tanning routine is the perfect way to get our body, skin and confidence glowing with megawatt radiance. So, how to home tan? With just a few simple steps, gleaming limbs are just a day away…

 

How to home tan for the best results?

 

First things first: it’s all in the prep work. To create the smoothest canvas possible for the best, longest lasting tan, you need to start 24 hours before you even pick up the tanning mousse!

 

1- Start with exfoliating. 

 

There are lots of different ways to do this- dry brushing, exfoliating mitt or a scrub are all good. Assuming you want to tan all over, you should aim to cover every bit of skin, using firm, circular massaging motions to stimulate blood circulation as you go (which has the added benefit of helping areas of cellulite, such as the thighs). Exfoliation is crucial to a good tan. It buffs away dead skin cells from the topmost layer, which is often the culprit for a patchy tan and dull looking complexion. Don’t scrub yourself raw, but aim to be thorough and liberal.

 

2- Hair removal. 

 

If you like to shave or wax any parts of your body, now is the time to do it. It might sound counterintuitive, but doing this 24 hours before applying fake tan ensures that the pigment doesn’t pool in the exposed pores and create a speckled appearance. It is particularly important to wash away any wax residue, or any leftover remnants of deodorant or body lotion, as all of these can make a barrier between the tanning pigment and the skin. Once you have scrubbed, washed and done any hair removal, pat the skin dry and do not apply any oil based/thick lotions to the skin and put the deodorant down! 

 

3- Apply your tan.

 

It’s been 24 hours since you prepped, so have another quick wash to remove any remaining residues and make sure you’re dry. It’s always a good idea to apply a thin layer of moisturser to the palms of the hands, knees, elbows, ankles or anywhere you might have dry patches to avoid the tan collecting in these areas and looking darker. 

 

It’s up to you what kind of tanning product you choose, but for the most nourishing, even, long lasting and natural looking tan, we recommend you buy a good quality tanning mousse, such as Eden Tanning Self Tan Mousse, packed with moisturising and toning ingredients, available in medium and dark, with a free tanning mitt! With its instant guide colour and non-drip, silky smooth texture, there’s no way to go wrong! It’s so simple to use- dispense directly onto your mitt with one or two pumps, and smooth over the skin, buffing the product until the guide colour looks evenly distributed. 

 

With a tanning mousse there is little or no drying time as it absorbs so well into the skin. However, to minimise rubbing and potentially ruining your carefully applied tan, plan to wear loose, breathable clothing while the colour develops. The best case scenario is to apply just before bedtime and sleep on a towel in case of any pigment transfer to your sheets (sometimes we can get hot and perspire in our sleep, which would lead to staining). In the morning (or after 8 hours) your tan will be fully developed. All that’s left to do is to rinse off in the shower and wash using a PH balanced soap, and moisturise using a gel-based lotion. Always pat the skin dry instead of rubbing to avoid any friction that could remove your tan.

 

4- Maintain.

 

You’ve got the perfect tan, and hopefully a confidence boost to match, but maintaining your glow is just as important as the prep if you want your bronzed limbs to last and fade evenly. Light, liberal daily exfoliation and moisturising is the key here. Your skin cells need to shed, so helping them along with gentle exfoliating will ensure that no unsightly patches appear and will help to prep the surface for your next tanning session. Simultaneously, a gel lotion (or even pure aloe vera gel) applied daily will help to retain the vibrancy and staying power of your skin colour while nourishing overall skin health. Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to reapply tan without properly removing the old pigment first!