How to keep a natural tan from fading

It has now been a good few days of glorious sunshine in Ayrshire, and most of my days have been spent in the garden or down the beach. Troon Beach was a laugh, july 18th cooncil coachella, i was sitting judging all the youngsters as the drank cheap cider and played heavy techno (just deep down i was totally jealous) 

It’s been legs oot, bare shoulders and bellies for the girls & Tapsaff for the guys.

A natural Tan is great, as long as you’re doing it safely; plenty of UV protection & hydrating of skin.

So you want to keep that healthy glow as long as possible before the inevitable rainclouds descend.

TOP TIPS TO MAINTAIN NATURAL TAN 

Here’s the science:

Bronzed skin is born when the sun activates a pigment in your epidermal layer. The skin’s top layer – and therefore your tan – only lasts between six to 10 days owing to the natural turnover of cells, but there are ways of extending the regenerating process. 

1. Cool showers. Hot baths can dehydrate your skin, leading to faster peeling. Stick to cool showers and use a moisturizing shower oil to really lock-down your colour. 
2. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!  There’s no better way to hang on to sexy summer skin than by slathering on the lotion. You should upgrade to a body butter and lotion-up every day.
3. Exfoliate. It can feel like the last thing on your mind but it’s important to give your body a weekly exfoliation to help remove dull, parched surface cells and prepare the skin for the self-tanning to come.
4. Gradual tan. The secret to extending your tan is to create a simple ritual that’s easy to maintain. A gradual tan is what’s needed here: something you can slap on as readily as a body lotion, straight after your morning shower, and get dressed without waiting for it to dry. The subtle colour will enhance your tan without looking overdone and you can reapply every two days without streaks.
5. Baby Oil Spray. Here’s a trick we use on beauty shoots: glistening limbs look leaner and sexier. A spritz of Johnsons Baby Light Oil Spray, £2.99, over arms and legs will help your tan come back to life.
6. Eat beta-carotenes. Various studies have shown that a diet rich in beta-carotenes (a type of red-orange pigment) can recreate the glow of sun-kissed skin from within. Amaze! The best natural sources are sweet potatoes, apricots, mangoes and especially carrots. So be sure to pack your meals with these sunshine-coloured fruits and veg. (We recently got a juicer and it’s the quickest, easiest and tastiest to get all that goodness)
7. Drink water. Don’t slack-off drinking water just because you’re not in 30 degree heat. Keeping hydrated can help prolong the life of all cells (including those nicely tanned cells at the surface) and also plump and smooth the skin.
8. Protection. We all know that sunburnt skin equals damaged skin, so if the thought of bulldog-like wrinkles doesn’t scare you into safe tanning, remember that colour achieved through burning will fade quicker, too. (Red, blistered skin regenerates quickly to heal itself, hence the peeling.) To stop UVB damage, always use a high-factor sun cream and apply it frequently. The longer it takes you to develop a tan, the longer it’s likely to last.
9. Wear white. Finally, it’s a tried-and-tested trick for giving the illusion of darker skin: simply wear a white or lighter shade next to your face. A crisp white shirt, bronzer and pink lip-gloss is one of the best mood-boosting combos we know!

 #TopTanTips

So enjoy the sun, get yourself down the beach & into the beer gardens whilst it lasts, but do it safely

Follow those tips and you should be looking Tanned long after the sun goes down, and once THAT fades give me a wee shout.

Angela @ Beautyrokz x