October has arrived and fall has officially begun! Autumn is debatably the best of all seasons, but if you’re like most of us, the end of summer marks the end of your great summer tan. We all wish we could keep that perfect natural bronze year round, but when that’s not possible, you at least want to hold on to your color for as long as you can!
Moisturize
While it is pretty late in the season, you still want to keep what natural tan you still have left. The key here is moisturize. This will prevent your skin from drying out and flaking off. When you lose these skin cells, you’ll lose your color too. Find a good lotion for your body and a good lotion for your face and apply it immediately post-shower to lock in the hydration.
Minimize Hot Showers
Try not to dry out your skin too much with really hot water. This will cause it to lose moisture faster and again cause your tan to slough off. When the temperature outside drops, it’s tempting to want to stand in a steamy shower to warm up, but keep it short or lukewarm to save your tan.
Avoid Exfoliation
Exfoliation does great things in the way of keeping skin smooth and bright, but along the same lines as hot showers, it will also buff off your color and cause it to fade faster. Minimize the frequency of harsh exfoliants and scrubs to preserve your tan.
Find a Good Bronzer
The first thing you look at when you see someone is their face. Keep yours sun kissed with a bronzer that brings out the color you still have. Apply it on the forehead, nose and cheeks, where the sun would usually hit, to keep your look natural and not fake.
Finally… Find the Right Self-Tanner
Once your tan is beyond salvaging, it’s time to recharge it yourself. Avoid the tanning bed with the right self-tanner and your skin will thank you later. With so many options out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but extremely important to choose the right one; unnatural results can be painfully obvious, and orange is never a good look.
Lotions: A self-tanner lotion is a great way to give yourself some gradual color and moisturize at the same time. Plus, it lets you control how dark you get. Be careful to let it dry completely before putting on clothes, or it may transfer or become streaky.
- Try: Coppertone Sunless Tanning Gradual Tan Moisturizing Lotion gives a great faux-bronze without the usual smell of self-tanner. Plus it contains no parabens, if that’s something you look for in a product. Just make sure to wash your hands off after rubbing it in, and go easy around the elbows and knees – they get darker faster.
Sprays: A more immediate alternative to lotions, a self-tanning mist will give you a boost of color in a shorter amount of time. Ideally, you can get a streak-free tan without having to rub anything in, which is great to avoid the whole “orange palms” aspect of self-tanner.
- Try: Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Mist is great for overall color and can be sprayed at hard to reach angles like on your back. It’s easy to layer for a darker tan and it smells like lemons!
Wipes: A relatively lesser-known option, self-tanning wipes are great for their convenience. They’re perfect for on-the-go and aren’t messy or prone to leaks and spills. However, these maybe difficult for beginners, as it can be difficult to see where you’re apply the product, leaving you prone to streaks.
- Try: L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes are fast drying and smell great. One towel is usually enough for your entire body and the color is even and long lasting.
Just because summer is fading into a memory doesn’t mean your tan has to as well. A radiant glow is universally flattering and so easy to achieve with just a few tricks. Good luck and stay golden!