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You've got a gorgeous sunless tan - now what do you do? How long will it last? How do you keep it looking great? Don't worry - it's not as difficult as you might think!
Your maintenance routine is going to depend upon several things:
- the product you used
- your skin
- your lifestyle
As I mentioned in "Choosing a Product", some sunless tanning products tend to produce a tan that lasts a bit longer than others. Airbrush solutions tend to last the longest, followed by lotions, aerosols, gels, and mousses. Generally. But your skin type and lifestyle can also affect how each of those products works for you - so everyone is going to get different results.
Moisturize: Most people will find that applying a good moisturizing lotion
Use a moisturizing shower gel: Now is the time to use a moisturizing shower gel
Avoid friction: People who live an active lifestyle or who wear tight clothing will generally find that their tan will rub off in certain areas. If you wear running shoes with tight socks - your feet are going to fade quickly. If you wear tight sandals/shoes, you're probably going to have striped feet, with the tan rubbing off where the shoes touch your feet. Bras rub the tan off your torso. If you wash your hands a lot, your hands are going to fade quickly. Actually, in general, hands & feet fade most quickly anyway. You can try powdering areas that receive friction - sometimes that helps reduce the amount of rub-off. Some people even use Monistat Anti-Chafing Powder-Gel
Most people find that their sunless tan starts to fade the third or fourth day after application. The trick is to reapply the day before your tan starts looking like a lizard. Splotchy. Flaky. Icky. For some people, this is Day 3 - some can wait until day 4. Sometimes it depends upon what type of product you used. For me, with most ABS, I need to reapply on Day 3 if I want to maintain a constant color. I can stretch it another day, but my tan is usually a lot lighter.
So it's Day 3. Now what? Do you scrub it all off and start over? Or do you just reapply as-is? The correct answer is somewhere in-between.
If your tan still looks good and is just starting to lighten a bit, you're going to want to shower, shave, and lightly exfoliate with your nylon exfoliating gloves
If your tan is splotchy and uneven, you're going to need to do a little more work. And that's why it's best to reapply before your tan gets all jacked. In this case, you need to shower, shave, and do a little more exfoliation with those nylon exfoliating gloves. Concentrate on the areas directly surrounding any white spots, trying to gradually even out the color a bit. It doesn't have to be perfect. You might need a little more than the gloves - baking soda
Can you just keep doing this forever?? Well, some people can! For me, it's not quite that easy. There comes a time when I have to remove most of my sunless tan and "start over". I think it's because my natural color is so pale. After awhile, the build-up starts to just look funky because the pale skin is showing through. Not so much an issue for those who have a darker natural skin tone. We'll be discussing removing a sunless tan in the next part of the series.
Don't forget to check out the other posts in the series!
Sunless Tanning Tips series: Part 3 - Sunless Tanning Tools
Sunless Tanning Tips series: Part 4 - Application
Sunless Tanning Tips series: Part 4 - Application
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