Essential how-to-fake-tan tips everyone should know | finder.com.au
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Essential how-to-fake-tan tips everyone should know

Get a summer glow all year round with these fool-proof fake tanning tips!

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Alexandra Hourigan
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Fake tanning is not the easiest beauty technique to master. Especially if you're new to the world of fake tanning. Getting is right can be really tricky, so it's important to get the right products and use the right techniques. No one wants to end up with orange or streaky skin!

Lucky for you we've gathered the top ten things to know in order to get a seamless and glowing tan. Whether you want to look like you've spent the summer in Europe or you're just after a subtle glow, these tips will up your fake tanning game easily.

Fake tan preparation

1. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate

Probably THE most important step when it comes to fake tanning is removing your old fake tan and exfoliating. This is incredibly significant especially if you have old fake tan on. Putting a new tan on the top of an old one will cause it to be super patchy. Using the Bondi Sands Fake tan Remover will help when exfoliating off an old tan like it's no drama.

Even if you don't have any on, exfoliating will leave your skin silky smooth and without any dry patches for the tan to saturate to.

2. Timing is everything

There are two things to take into consideration when timing your tan. Whilst it seems extreme, you should never fake tan when you've just shaved or waxed, or had a shower.

Avoid tanning when you've shaved or waxed because your pores are going to be open. This will cause the tan to get trapped in your pores and will result in little dots all over your body or ingrown hairs.

For similar reasons, you don't want to tan immediately after a shower because your pores expand from the heat. If you're really running late on time then blast your skin with cold water so your pores close up.

3. Moisturise

Dry skin and fake tan are not good friends. The fake tan will cling to dry skin and result in looking dirty and patchy.

To prevent this, I'd suggest moisturising about an hour before you're going to apply tan. This will allow your skin to be hydrated and effectively soak up the tan for a really glowing and seamless look.

Fake tan application

1. Clean tanning mitt

Having a clean tanning mitt means a clean tan. You don't want to tan with a build-up of old product on your mitt because not only is that a great place for bacteria to grow, it's going to result in a really gunky tan. My personal favourite would have to be the Le Tan tanning mitt as it's super thick and distributes tan evenly.

2. Moisturise dry areas

As previously mentioned, fake tan is attracted to dry areas. Even though you should have moisturised an hour before, you will need to apply a small amount again to your elbows, knees, ankles and hands.

These are the places where the product tends to gather and end up looking darker or patchy, and the moisturiser helps prevent this.

3. Tan in sections

Work in small sections. I'd personally recommend doing your torso, legs and then arms first as these are the places on your body where tan is most likely to transfer, so you want them to dry sooner. By working in small sections you keep the tan from setting too quickly in one spot and ending up with an uneven look.

Just make sure you leave your feet, hands and face last.

4. Let it dry and do NOT get it wet

Before you get dressed you need to let it dry thoroughly. Give it at least five minutes and then you can even go in with a hairdryer (on cold) to help ensure it doesn't rub off on your clothing.

Obviously don't get wet as this is also going to cause the tan to come off.

Fake tan drying

1. Wear dark clothing

While you're waiting for your tan to soak into your skin, wear dark clothing. At this point in the process, your tan is most likely going to transfer so do your best to wear black or something similar so that this isn't a big issue.

2. Give it time

Every fake tan product is unique and requires different drying times. Essentially, the longer you leave the tan on the darker it will go. Some people even sleep in it to achieve the darkest shade.

3. Shower carefully

When showering the product off try not to use a lot of soap. This is going to cause your tan to fade. Try to allow it to rinse off with plain water.

When you're drying with your towel, resist wiping harshly as this will cause your tan to come off. Just pat your body, or air-dry instead.

Types of fake tan

1. At-home tan

Our pick: Le Tan Uber Dark Voilet Base

Probably the most popular form of fake tanning, it's cheaper than a spray tan and comes in multiple types and shades. You can choose from foam or mousse, spray or cream in a range of light to dark shades that suit your skin and needs.

2. Instant tan

Our pick: Loving Tan Bronze Shimmer Ultra Dark

Instant tan can really be your best friend. Whether your tan is toward the end of its cycle or you need a bit of a glow for one night, instant tan is there for you. It's usually more short-lived than normal fake tan.

3. Express tan

Our pick: Bondi Sands One Hour Express Tan

For those who don't have lots of time to sit in fake tan. Express tan varies between brands but the max you need to keep express on is around one to two hours. However, these go lighter than normal fake tans but they still get the job done!

4. Salon tan

Our pick: Bondi Sands Salon Professional Dark tan

Salon tans are the more traditional tan we see in the movies. Personally, I've found these tend to be more on the orange side and don't last as long, but since a professional applies it you will get a very even tan.

Where to buy fake tan

How to get fake tan off

Probably the more taxing part of the whole fake tan process, is actually getting the product off. A good fake tan stays on your skin well for at least a week but it's bound to start fading and before you apply a new you need to get the old one off.

Fake tan remover

Fake tan remover was honestly a gift from the gods. Using water and an exfoliating mitt as the only means to remove our tan was just timely and painful. The Bondi Sand Self Tan Remover was a game-changer for the industry as this product is quite literally magic.

The remover effectively strips off self-tan without harmful ingredients and excessive exfoliation in just five minutes.

If that's not magic, I don't know what is.

Fake tan on your face

Obviously, you don't want to walk around with a gloriously tanned body and a pale face. Peoples biggest issue with tanning their face is that it will cause acne or irritation and in some cases, this can be true. Some fake tans can contain harsher chemicals that irritate skin, making it oilier and blocking pores to cause breakouts.

When tanning your face there are three golden rules you want to follow:

1. Close your pores

Similar to the same idea about showering to close to tanning, you don't want the tan to get trapped in your pores because this will definitely leave you with some pimples. Use witch hazel to close your pores or even splash your face with some really cold water to shut your pores.

2. Protect the brows

Especially if you have light hair, you need to protect those browns. Fake tan can cause them to change colour or get trapped in the hair making them darker. In order to avoid this, wipe them with a small amount of moisturiser to prevent product build-up from being applied here to protect their natural colour.

3. Don't use too much

Most importantly, you want to start small. If you're scared of going too dark then mix the fake tan with a bit of moisturiser to dilute the product a bit.

Alternatively, you can leave your face and make sure you purchase a foundation that matches the colour of your tan. However, this also means you must always wear makeup so it's up to you which tactic you choose!

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