Hear me out…
For year’s, many beauty products and brands have not catered for black skin. The Faux-Tanning industry is one of them. Besides the fact that yes, black women (and men) are full of melanin (lucky us!) our complexions fade in the colder and harsher temperatures of winter just like everyone else (some more than others, but still!).
So what are the melanin rich to do when this happens yet we still want to be glow-getters like the rest of our peers?
Enter: The Faux Tan
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The Black Girls Guide To Faux Tanning
The Beginners Intro
If you have caucasian friends or simply have been reading western magazines your whole life, you will know that there are many types of faux-tanning operations setup for glow-getters of all complexions.
There are Tanning Beds; Tanning beds have various levels of intensity, so communicate your desired results and skin type to your tanning instructor.
Top tips?
Limit your tanning to once a month (if necessary).
Go to a salon with tanning beds equipped with machinery that measures your pigment, first. The bed will take the colour on your forehead (darkest area) and the colour right below your wrist (lightest area) and come up with an even colour for your body.
Use indoor tanning lotion on your entire body, which is different from SPF products.
Always wear eye goggles to protect your eyes.
Spray Tans
Also known as UV-less tanning, these fake tans offer immediate results in just a few minutes. These tans can make your muscles look more defined and help even varying body tones.
Make sure you thoroughly shave and exfoliate the areas you plan to tan, or else you run the risk of getting nasty lines and odd shading.
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Do It At Home
This is truly the easiest way to get an incredibly quick faux-tan. Slick on a glimmering, slightly tinted lotion, gel or oil to instantly give you the glow you are after. I recently tried Isle of Paradise in ‘Dark’ – a vegan organic and cruelty free brand for this review…
This type of faux tan was one I was a lot familiar with however I had only ever tried this once, before going out and the results were limited. This time round, I followed the instructions and incorporated it into my weekend self-care routine aka not leaving the house for any reason whatsoever.
After my morning shower, I moisturised my entire body with Crabtree & Evelyn’s delicious Pomegranate & Argan Oil, Nutri-Oil and ensured all of the dry bits (black girls, you know the areas I’m talking about) – hands, elbows, knees, feet and all the in-betweens. If I were to go extreme and use this on my face, it would be key to moisturise my hairline and eyebrows… take note.
Shortly after, I grabbed a brand-less tanning mitt and pumped mousse directly on it and began sweeping over my skin in a lengthways motion. Blend out any overlapping of the tanning formula by using this motion gently in those areas.
The last step in this process is to wipe down your palms, nails and eyebrows for any signs of faux-tan.
Then all you have to do next is allow it to dry for 4-6 hours before showering again.
I could immediately see a glow which was great but for even better results, wait till the evening or following day…
No streaks – Just Glow! WIN!
