Skin Care Tips: Making Your Sun Tan Last Longer

We all know the risks of too much sun, from the most extreme impact of skin cancer down to the cosmetic risks of making your skin appear dried out and leathery and making you more susceptible to lines and wrinkles. Despite these risks a ‘healthy glow’ is still seen as desirable and fashionable.

If you are going to indulge in a sun tan over the summer you’ll want to make it last as long as possible and with the extensive range of skin care products on the market you should find you don’t need to keep topping your tan up with harmful UV rays.

If you want to healthy and longer lasting tan, let build naturally. Start the summer season or your holiday with a high SPF factor sun screen. No one wants to burn on the first day of their holiday and spend the rest of their summer break pealing and in pain. Gradually reduce the factor but never get rid of it completely; you will still tan even with skin care products and sun screen.

Once you’ve got your tan you need to look after it to make it last as long as possible. Keep your skin as hydrated and moisturised as possible because the UV rays will have dried your skin out. There are a wide range of skin care products available on the market that are designed to moisturise and hydrate the skin and you ideally need to do this at least twice a day, use a skin care cream that’s rich in vitamin E as this is believed to help slow the aging process as well as hydrating and nourishing the skin.

Exfoliating can also cause your tan to fade quicker so you’ll need to cut back if you want it to last. Your skin is always shedding dead skin cells, when you exfoliate you’re simply helping this process along. In order to help your sun tan last as long as possible try using a softer wash cloth instead of an exfoliating brush or louffa, this will stop the skin shedding too quickly. When you step out the shower, pat your skin dry rather than rubbing it vigorously with a towel as this will help keep your tan for longer.

Try swapping your usual razor for an electric one to keep your legs shiny and sun kissed for longer as regular razor blades remove the top layer of skin as well as the hair. When we shave we’re shaving the top layer of skin as well as the actual hair which is what we’re trying to preserve so by plucking from the root you’re just removing the hair and not so much of the skin, it may be a little more painful but not only will it be more effective it will help prolong your tan.

To make your tan more prominent plan your outfits accordingly, lighter and paler colours show off sun kissed skin better than darker browns and blacks. Applying a fake tan cream or spray will often work more effectively and look more natural when it’s applied to skin which already has a darker pigmentation and using skin care products like shimmering body dusts can help give you that extra glow when lightly applied to your check bones or lightly brushed over any exposed arms or legs. If you really want to get the most out of your tan, spa breaks are a great way to pamper your skin and give you an extra lift if you’re feeling down after coming back from a great summer holiday