St Tropez offers 10 tips to ensure your tan stays gorgeous for as long as possible.
1. If you are a tanning junkie, make sure you exfoliate regularly to avoid build up as several layers of tan can result in an uneven result.
2. If you are waxing or shaving before tanning, make sure you do it more than 24 hours before your tan.
3. When you are tanning give yourself a good all-over polish and apply plenty of moisturiser the night before to get your skin as silky as possible. The most common cause of a patchy tan is dry skin, so it is crucial to moisturise problem areas (wrists and hands, elbows, knees, ankles, and feet ) immediately prior to self tan application.
4. Keep palms tan-free — try using latex gloves or an applicator mitt when applying, then simply sweep the backs of the hands with self tan diluted with moisturiser. St Tropez tan remover — which you can use for up to four hours after tanning — removes any unwanted tan.
5. When you’re applying your tan, make sure you are covered all over. Don’t worry if you go over the same area twice — the tan will only be patchy if you miss a bit, not if you double up.
6. Make sure you don’t rub in your gradual or self tan. Gentle smoothing is all you need, then you can let the product do its work. Rubbing may make the finish uneven.
7. Try to avoid washing your hands for as long as possible in the development time, a minimum of two hours. Try a hand sanitiser or wipes instead.
8. Your tan won’t get deeper the longer you leave it — once it has been on for the required amount of time (check the pack ) it will have given you the natural-looking golden colour you’re after. For a deeper tan you should reapply on successive days — two or three days in a row will give you a really deep, rich, bronze tan.
9. When you’ve applied your tan wear loose, dark clothing and avoid tight-fitting underwear. Anything that is pressing on skin may make the results a bit patchy.
10. The hands and face will fade quicker than the rest of the body so apply Rapide Face to the face and the backs of the hands to keep your tan looking fresher for longer. For a colour boost for the rest of the body, try using St Tropez tan intensifier every few days, but don’t forget to polish and moisturise, too, or your colour won’t fade evenly.
