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8 Golden Rules for Prolonging Your Summer Tan

It’s that time of year again… been getting chillier in time for fall, and the last thing I want is to lose the tan I’ve worked so hard for all summer long! If you’ve just come back from a summer holiday with perfectly sun-kissed skin, you’ll know exactly what I mean. As summer slowly slips away, I’ve been employing different methods to keep my summer glow. Today, I’m sharing my 8 golden rules for prolonging a tan! 🙂

1. MOISTURISE.

The key to sustaining a tan (real or fake) is to keep your skin moisturised at all times. I’ve found that when I get lazy with moisturising, my skin gets dry, causing my tan to essentially “flake” off. So, use a quality moisturiser to start & finish each day. Body moisturisers I recommend are extra virgin coconut oil and Kiehl’s Creme de Corps. Focus on areas that may be drier/flakey, such as your elbows, knees, and feet, for example.

2. EXFOLIATE.

This might sound counterproductive, and you might think, “why exfoliate if I don’t want to be scrubbing the tan off?” Exfoliating actually encourages healthy skin regeneration & growth, and new skin tends to be soft and smooth. A tan will be more likely to stick onto healthy, smooth skin, rather than dead flakey skin cells! I recommend using a body exfoliating mitt in the shower or a bath once a week.

3. ENHANCE.

“Touch up” your tan by soaking up a bit of sun whenever you get a chance. Don’t forget sunscreen, though, because no tan is worth getting skin cancer (and no, sunscreen DOES NOT prevent you from getting tan, contrary to popular belief — it protects your skin from harsh UV rays)! If you’d prefer to go sunless, I highly recommend investing in self-tanners. The one I like using in fall/winter is the self-tan bronzing mousse by St. Tropez. I do not recommend caking on self-tanner everyday though, as this can easily just build up, look unnatural, and maybe even flake off, depending on your skin type. There are many moisturisers out there that have the natural tanning properties (my two favourites are by Nivea and Jergens). I’d definitely opt in for those if I must, while limiting self tanning mousses to once or twice a week. I’ll also give myself “off days” and just use a normal moisturiser to keep the tan looking natural.

4. STAY HYDRATED.

In addition to exfoliating & moisturising, drinking plenty of water will help keep skin in its best condition. When your skin is supple rather than dry, your tan will stick around longer.

5. EAT CARROTS.

We should be eating plenty of veggies for the sake of overall health, but boosting your carrot intake regularly (& consistently) will help you hold onto your tan, as the beta-carotene in carrots encourages golden skin.

6. SHOWER IN COOL WATER.

Hot water can aggravate & dry the skin, so shower in the coolest water possible to avoid this. Also, consider using a bath oil instead of your regular body wash every now and then, to keep your skin moisturised and supple.

7. AVOID WAXING.

Waxing can be extremely tough on the skin, and may pull off a layer of your skin (and thus your tan) during the process. Opt in for shaving whenever possible on areas you’d like to keep your tan!

8. WEAR NEONS & WHITES OFTEN.

A quick little style tip that’ll bring you a long way: Bright colours help to bring out your tan by giving a strong contrast. Neons & whites are great examples and will give you a nice pop of colour — outfit & skin-tone alike 😉

Do you know of any other tips & tricks to prolonging a holiday tan? Enlighten me in a comment below!

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64 Responses

  1. Great tips! I just got back from Hawaii and got a nice tan… Definitely will try to keep it as long as I can with this guide. Thanks for sharing! ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply

  12. Your tan is on point in all your photos babe! Love following you on Instagram. Definitely need to put these tips to good use so I can be just like you 😉 <3

    Reply

  17. This is such a very helpful guide to those who really wants to be tan. I have no idea of some mentioned that it also helps to long last tanning. OMG! Haha! Well, I am not fan of being tan actually because you know genes. Thanks for sharing this babe!

    Elisha | http://loveelisha.net

    Reply

    1. You already have such a nice complexion, Christine! Haha I am totally with you though… one of the reasons why I’m not a fan of fall/winter is because it’s so much harder to sustain a tan! Hopefully St. Tropez will do me well this year 😉

      Reply

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