Why is it that a tan seems to vanish the minute you’re back on home soil?
Working on a holiday glow doesn’t end with the sun lounger – Patricia Boland, skin specialist and lead product developer at mineral make-up and skincare brand Colorescience, gives us her top tips when it comes to maintaining a tan post-holiday…
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Prepare & exfoliate
The key to a long-lasting tan is all in the preparation. A week or two before you head off, exfoliate your skin to rid it of old cells, ensuring the sun can penetrate the new cells at the beginning of their life cycle. The outside layer of skin replaces itself every 28 to 30 days, with skin cells on the surface flaking off over time, making way for new ones growig in the bottom layers of skin. Once out of the shower, make sure you keep skin nice and hydrated with a moisturising body lotion.
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Protect
Even if you’re after that holiday glow, you must make sure to wear sunscreen that has both UVA and UVB protection, applying it regularly throughout the day. Allowing skin to burn only means your red-tinged tan will fade quicker and simply peel off.
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Hydrate
It’s widely believed that keeping hydrated on the inside helps extend the life of your skin cells, so it’s best to drink as much water as possible. Certain foods can help, too – melons and cucumber have a high water content, making them the perfect poolside snack.
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Facial care
The delicate skin on your face needs different kind of care to the rest of your body. The best way to keep up a glowing complexion is by using a gentle facial exfoliant before and after your holiday, which will help to gently scrub away any peeling skin, revealing the healthy tanned skin underneath. Top up with facial sprays and serums throughout the day to keep skin hydrated.
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Moisturise
Keep peeling at bay with a decent hydrating moisturiser – it’s key to a healthy and long-lasting tan. The face is the first area where a tan usually fades, so you’ll need a good quality product for your face as well as your body.
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Intensify the tan
If you’d like to be even browner post-holiday, then why not fake it! There’s so many great ‘intensifier’ lotions and oils on the market that’ll deepen your tan, complementing your real colour. You could even substitute your daily body moisturiser with a gradual tanning lotion.
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Bronzer can do wonders
While the rest of the body picks up colour easily, many find it trickier getting an even tan on their face. Make-up is a great way to cheat that holiday glow; use a cream-based bronzer and some clever contouring tricks to fool others into thinking it’s totally natural.
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