With the weather getting warmer and Coachella right around the corner, it’s time to prep our hot bods for the perfect tan. It’s quite obvious that I love being tan and I always recommend great at home self tanners and my favorite spray tans in LA (Be Bronzed Studio). But what’s even MORE important than a good tan, is prepping your skin + taking care of it afterwards. I put together all of my must haves for prepping and keeping my glow. Not EVERYTHING is necessary but you know, I’m extra.
Let’s start with PRE tanning. Before you put on tanner or get a spray tan, you want to prep your whole body. This will make for an even and nourished glow. I always start with a hot shower or bath. If you already have an old fake tan leftover, this is SUPER important. You want to make sure you exfoliate EVERYTHING off. I always use a Korean Scrub Towel with a body scrub. I love the Ouai Body Scrub because it’s intense but also so nourishing. You should do this whether you have a tan or not btw. But this extra step is for those with the leftover tan – The Over It Spray. This stuff is a game changer. Spray your body with this special tan removing formula and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then when you get in the shower to scrub it’s way easier and everything comes right off leaving you ready for a fresh tan. This product is amazing and these THREE products make the ultimate trifecta.
While you’re in the shower make sure to shave! You don’t want to skip it and then have to shave right after your fresh tan. Shaving obviously removes your hair but a good razor is going to mildly exfoliate your skin so you want to make sure you get it done beforehand. I love the Joy razor because it’s inexpensive and powerful. It’s seriously my new favorite razor. After you shave, make sure to exfoliate your face as well for a clean palette.
After the shower DO NOT MOISTURIZE! I know it sucks but you want your tan to go directly onto your skin and not use any oils that might prohibit it from sinking in. If you’re a freak like me, you can shave your face too. If you’re like, ‘WTF’, relax. It’s actually totally normal and NO your peach fuzz won’t grow back as a beard. I use the Dermaflash and am obsessed. You basically shave off all your peach fuzz and dead skin. I linked a normal face razor that’s great and inexpensive if you’re not sold yet. But just please try it, I love changing lives. You’ll be a little red for 20 minutes (don’t freak) but then you seriously GLOW and feel like a babies bottom. (It’s great for pre-makeup too because your foundation goes on flawlessly).
Make sure you shower a couple hours before to let your skin breathe and start hydrating. I love this gallon water bottle off Amazon because it’s a challenge. You will have SUCH a better tan when you’re hydrating. The H2O is prepping your skin, helping your skin absorb the tan, and then keeping it hydrated to LAST. So grab a gallon and start drinking! Obviously don’t just drink a shit ton the day of your tan, you have to stay hydrated the whole time you have a tan! (It’s almost like you should just stay hydrated in general?!) crazy. Throw on some dark sweats before your tan so you’re comfortable and covered. I love the XLE set (obvi) in black so it doesn’t stain and you don’t look completely homeless. If you wear white or tight clothes, you’ll get tan on your clothes and lines on your skin!
Finally for a couple post tan tips, my spray tan girl boss recommend just using a natural lotion after a spray tan. You don’t want to use anything crazy because it will just break down your tan and that’s not pretty. (Obviously you don’t moisturize until after your first shower). I usually moisturize twice a day because tans can dry me out easily. Another post tan holy grail are these deodorant wipes. The only time I can smell a tan is if it’s too much in the pits. These wipes are amazing. I take one under each pit the morning after and it refreshes, gets rid of any scent from the tan (or just in general), and removes SOME of the leftover tan (that’s probably making you stinky). After I wipe I apply deodorant to the CLEAN pit and never smell again.
This might seem like a lot, well because it is. But NOTHING is worse than seeing someone with a NASTY, splotchy, and smelly spray tan. So just trust me. Prep your skin! Drink water! Wipe Your pits! Shave up to your face! And Moisturize! SAY IT WITH ME! Jk. But I love love love all of these products and they are the best – so make sure to click on them and shop!
Love,
