It is that time of year again. Our blue/white legs are out, the winter harvest has begun and the wax strips and razors are out in full force. In beauty terms, we have reached an ‘Oh crap’ moment and if you are like most of us here at Oak & Eve Beauty, you’ll be wondering how our skin got so pale or if anyone would notice our limbs mixed amongst the sand dunes. While we don’t condone sun baking, it doesn’t mean we can’t get a good glow ready for our summer debut. That’s where some handy home tanning tips can really help you get the most out of your at home self-tanning products or in salon spray tan to keep you golden all year round.
Our best advice is all about prep. Trust us when we say, correct preparation is key. This doesn’t mean it has to be hard though. It’s just like trying to make a cup of tea without boiling the kettle. Sure it would kind of work but it’s not quite the result you were hoping for. (And no one likes a cold cup of tea)
Tan Prep 101
- Hair removal first. If you are going to shave or wax, do this about two days before your tan. This way your skin has settled and you won’t then take your tan off a few days into your new found glow.
- Buff and Polish. Like any regular tanner will say, a good exfoliation goes a long way. This can be as simple as an exfoliating glove in the shower, or you can pick up your favourite body scrub. We love the EcoTan Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub as it also has moisturising benefits and wont aggravate sensitive skin.
- If you are using an organic tan, like our EcoTan range, its best to do all of this 48 hours before you apply your tan so there is a slight build up of fresh skincells for it to stick to.
- If you are using a traditional tan like a Bondi Sands, MineTan or Naked Tan, then you should do this the night before.
- Moisturise! No one like a crocodile print on their legs. That scaley effect is great on a tiger loaf but not on our skin so use a good quality moisturiser before you apply your tan. You can also use a small amount during your tan application on areas like your heels, elbows, knees and wrists to ensure the tan doesn’t stick too much and stain into these naturally more absorbent areas.
- Shower and remove all creams and deodorants before you tan. This is so important. Barriers between your skin and tan will stop the tan applying evenly. Deodorants often contain aluminium which will make your under arms go green too so make sure you shower beforehand.
Simple stuff, shave, scrub, moisturise, shower.
Application
- You want your tan to apply to clean, dry skin. The only exception to that is where you may want to pop on a touch of barrier cream like I mentioned earlier.
- If you are opting for a salon tan, this is where we come in. Time to pop on some loose clothing and come on down to Oak & Eve Beauty. But if you are more of an at home tanning guru, read on.
- Find you favourite applicator mitt. Depending on the style of tanning product you are using may vary which texture mitt you choose. For foaming and cream products we like a velvet or fabric texture. For liquids like our 1 hour express Hemptian spray, we would pick up a smoother vinyl glove. Luckily, we have the EcoTan applicator mitt which has one of each texture on either side so you are set no matter which formula you prefer.
- Start applying your tan on your legs. Move in circular motions with the amount you see on your product directions. Remember you can always do a second coat, so use less and get the application even rather than having too much and causing streaks to appear.
- Once you get to your feet and ankles, pick up a kabuki style makeup brush and buff a small amount of tan into these areas. Pay particular attention to your ankles, heels and toes so it looks natural. The great things about these brushes is that they are firm and fluffy so you can push hard and be rough without causing streaks to appear.
- Repeat this process over your entire body, remember to repeat the kabuki brush application on your hands and wrists or any other intricate areas like your neck and under arms.
- Before you tan your face, we prefer to use a face specific tanning product. This is because the skin on our face is a lot more delicate than our bodies and also reacts in different ways. Our go to and absolute favourite is the EcoTan Face Tan Water. If you want to know more, click on the link. But trust us, it’s a best seller for a reason.
- Once you are happy with your application grab your favourite comfy clothes and marinate for a while. Rinse and shower according to your products directions.
After Care:
This one is pretty simple. Use skin loving and hydrating products in the shower, don’t scrub unless you want to remove your tan, and if nothing else, moisturise daily.
We would love to see your post tan transformation! Tag us in your pics at #iamoakandeve to be featured on our social media pages.