If you live in Canada and you are reading this, winter has begun and chances are you are feeling a little bit pale. You are also probably daydreaming of taking a quick getaway vacation somewhere warm, right?
There's nothing better than getting back from a holiday and having a bit of a bronzed glow in the middle of winter (one amazing excuse to go make-up-free for a while, eh?).
But after having our skin covered with sweaters, coats, hats and mittens, the prospect of stepping out in public in a bikini during those first few days after arriving at your destination, uncovering your pale skin for the first day can be horrifying.
So surely an organic spray tan before your holiday would be the best solution?
Believe it or not, many people think not. When I mention to people about getting a spray tan before their trip, they recoil in horror. 'But won't it go streaky in the pool?' 'What if you come back paler than when you leave?' 'Can you tan through a fake tan?'
When you go on vacation without a spray tan you worry that you could be so pale upon arrival that you might be tempted to panic-tan (also known as panic-burn). This is obviously a terrible idea. Not only because you could end up looking like a lobster for the whole duratioh of your vacation, but also you would be exposing your delicate skin to the harming UV effects (aging and cancer). On the flip side, when arriving at your destination with a spray tan you will not feel in such a hurry to get a bit of color on those pale limbs. A spray tan takes the edge off.
It's important to remember that a spray tan will offer no protection from the sun, so proper application of a 30+ SPF is always a must. Your holiday spray tan will gradually fade away and be replaced with a natural sun tan. It is really quite marvelous.
A pro tip is to use St. Tropez After Sun Lotion, with a hint of self-tan – it’s creamy texture is brilliant for soothing your skin and it's enriched with a self-tanning ingredient to give you a deeper glow. This is without a doubt my number 1 on-vacation essential tan product!
How can you stop your tan from going streaky in the sea/pool?
Don't go in the pool while your spray tan is still developing (usually 6-8hrs for it to develop) - it's important to make sure you've washed off all of the color guide beforehand.
Try not to go in the pool on the first day and use a sun cream that's formulated to work with a spray tan. Keep it topped up for longer, just make sure you use a product that is designed to not strip away your spray tan. Another of my favorite products for this is the St.Tropez SPF 30 with Tan Enhancer for Body – It is formulated with a melanin activating ingredient called Melanobronze so it will not strip away your spray tan.
So there you have it: Getting a spray tan before you go on vacation is a great idea. When you follow these simple after-care steps, you will end up with a deep natural glow that will be the envy of the locals.