We’ve been waiting a long time ladies, and summer is well and truly here – finally! That means it’s time to hit the beach, get in the sea and have a well-deserved ice cream (or two). But if you can’t face pulling out your pasty pins on the sand, a sun tan is the way to go.
If you want a safer way of getting a tan than sunbathing for hours or using a sunbed (people who use sunbeds before the age of 30 increase their risk of skin cancer by 75 per cent), you should consider a spray tanning treatment at a beauty salon.
“Why at a beauty salon?” I hear you cry. Surely you can just use fake tan at home? Well yes, you can, but you may not get the same results. This article, provided by beautician uniforms specialist SimonJersey.com looks at the pros and cons of each option, then offers preparation and aftercare advice.
self tan at home vs. spray tan at a salon
Self-tan at home
· Inexpensive – a tub of Clarins Delicious Self Tanning Cream costs £22 for 125ml
· Takes a little longer to apply yourself
· Difficult to apply evenly and get a natural look
· Can fall victim to streaking
Spray tan at a salon
· You’re in the care of an experienced beauty therapist
· Specialist equipment ensures a natural finish
· Costs around £20 a session
· It’s less time-consuming than rubbing a lotion all over your body
· A spray tan dries faster than self-tanning products
Essentially, unless you’re on a really tight budget, it makes sense to go for a salon treatment so that you’re in the capable hands of the professionals for a flawless finish.
To ensure the best possible results, it’s important to correctly prepare your skin before a tanning treatment and to care for it properly afterwards.
Before having a tanning treatment (whether at a salon or at home), make sure you thoroughly exfoliate your skin. If you don’t, you’re at risk of only tanning the top layers of skin, which may soon rub off. Avoid any oil-based exfoliants as they could leave behind residue which could cause streaking. Make sure you moisturise afterwards to help to prolong your tan.
Arrange any other treatments, such as hair colouring, a manicure, waxing or shaving beforehand. If you need to shave your legs and underarms, you need to give your pores time to close afterwards (so shave the day before), but also all of these treatments can remove self-tanning lotion.
If you have a salon treatment on the day of your tan, refrain from wearing make-up (yes, really!), perfume, deodorant or lotions. They will only act as a barrier which will stop the tanning solution from fully penetrating the skin.
After tanning, air dry yourself and wait for at least 20 minutes before putting on any clothing. If you can you should wait until the following day to have a shower so that the solution can penetrate the skin. Avoid using any deodorants, perfumes or moisturisers for about eight hours after your treatment as again, these may stop the tan from developing.
To preserve your bronze tan, wash with a gentle cleanser and moisturise your skin regularly with a Zero-Oil lotion to keep it soft and supple. Don’t forget to slap on high factor sun cream when you’re out an about – just because you look brown it doesn’t mean you’re protected. Choose a broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
Which do you prefer? Are you a dab hand with the self-tan or do you leave your body-bronzing to the professionals?
* this is a guest-blogged sponsored post on behalf of Simon Jersey for which I have received payment.
I’m a home tanner, it’s the thought of the paper pants that put me off!
I’ve never had a spray tan, being an old cheapskate who just rubs a bit of Morrison’s own-brand into my shins, with the expected dreadful results. 🙂
However, a friend the other day was looking very ‘well’ and healthy. Turns out, she’d had a spritz at a salon and I have to say, I was very impressed. If I was going on the kind of holiday that would involve me showing my legs on the beach, I’d certainly get one, if only to avoid being mistaken for Moby Dick.