Tanning tips

I’m pretty much never seen without a tan. As I’ve mentioned before I’ve been fake tanning for about 10 years now, maybe even longer. Before the days of mouse tanning I was using my mums gradual tanner, putting it on before bed with no colour guide, waking up with patchy streaky orange legs, looking like a freshly baked loaf of tiger bread.

I’ve always felt so much more confident with a tan, I think absolutely everyone looks better with a nice golden glow. It awakens the skin and makes you look so healthy, as well as taking off pounds!

Unfortunately I’m not one of those people who change to a lovely shade of brown within a matter of hours, like my lucky boyfriend Mat. My dad tans super well and has a pretty olive skin colour all year round, but my mum was and most of my mums side are super pale and struggle to tan at all! I’m somewhere in the middle of the two, it takes me a lot longer than Mat to get a tan and even if we spend the same time out in the sun, he will be so much darker. Honestly I still have a problem accepting that…it’s just not fair!

Mats lucky enough to be able to catch a tan just walking around in the sun, but I have to lie there and really try. What I didn’t really think about before coming away was that we wouldn’t be tanning everyday. We haven’t been by the coast/on a beach for nearly 3 weeks now, which means that the tan I’ve slaved over has started to fade and I’m heartbroken about it! I really don’t want to go back to my fake tanning ways because it’s time that I’d rather spend doing other things, so I’m absolutely desperate to get back on that beach to top up my tan!

Anyway enough of the self pitying, I thought today I’d share the tips I’ve learnt/have tried and have worked for me – for those who, like me, take that bit longer to tan, or for those who struggle to tan at all!

There’s only a few tips on the list, but I swear by them all!

1. exfoliate exfoliate exfoliate. Sunlight reflects off of dry/ dead skin. So by removing the top layer of your epidermis you keep your skin in the condition it needs to be to take on all those rays.
2. Moisturiser is your best friend. Following on from my exfoliation point, keeping your skin moisturised is so important, both before, during and after you’ve been in the sun. Sun burn happens when you’re skin dries out and becomes dehydrated. Especially if you’re one to burn easier, hydrate your skin in all the ways you can, externally but more importantly internally. Drink ample of water, way more than you usually would bring out of the sun, you’ll see such a difference. I like to apply aloe after I’ve been in the sun after I’ve had a shower and before bed.
3. Being in water. This has to be the most effective tip out of all for me and it’s one I’ve really learnt by myself. I know that everyone says ‘you tan more in the water because the sun reflects of the water’ and it really is true. But what I’ve learned is that it’s even more effective to see at the waters edge and relax in the really shallow bit of water. It’s so relaxing too, you have the water cooling you down as well as the constant water crashing on you which is so soothing, I sit there for such a long time people watching and it’s where I see the best results.
4. Don’t dry off once you get out of the sea. The salt from the ocean water contains nutrients that encourage tanning, so don’t towel off, let yourself dry naturally!
5. Don’t let it bother you. Easier said than done when you’re surrounded by crazily tanned people are all over the place, but I honestly think the more you worry about it the less it happens. Remember that if you struggle to get a tan you’re going to be the person looking at others thinking ‘gosh aren’t they tanned’…not the other way round! I know that before I got my tan I was so focussed on it and that obsession is coming back now as my tan fades, but when I had my tan I didn’t focus on it at all because I had it. I wasn’t comparing myself to others (besides trying to compete with mats colour, but what’s new there), Mat even said ‘see you wanted a tan for so long and now you’ve got one you’re not even appreciating it’ and it’s so true.

So whatever colour you are, paper white or mahogany brown, your tan or lack thereof is totally irrelevant to who you are…so don’t put pressure on yourself!

If you’ve got any other tips that you swear by, please share. I must say I’m kind of obsessed with picking up tips!

Until next time,

Megan

x x