Of course we are all aware (or at least we should be aware) of the risks of skin cancer from prolonged exposure to the sun. Malignant Melanoma, one of the most deadly cancers, can be caused by the suns harmful rays. In fact, it is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans will contract some form of skin cancer at some stage in their lives, with the vast majority of the cases able to be avoided by simply limiting sun exposure.

See, sun tans are actually the suns rays cooking the flesh. It can be pretty nasty stuff. But what many people don’t understand is that the suns rays actually damage your looks.

Excessive sun exposure causes premature ageing of the skin, that will have you looking 10 years older than you actually are. Look in the mirror now and chances are you see soft, subtle skin that looks health and youthful. But if you spend time working on your sun tan, chances are in just a few years time your skin will start looking leathery and dry.

You see the sun removes the moisture from your skin, and over time this can become permanant. This lack of moisture results in peeling, cracking, unsightly spots and dramatically increases the lines around you eyes, mouth and anywhere else you care to think of. In no time your gorgeous soft skin is looking like a wornout handbag.

Tanned skin is beautiful, but it does not need to result in you looking like a dried up old prune. Spray tans are faster, safer and healthier than bathing in the sun. SunFX spray tans are 100% natural with no harmful chemicals or additives. So if you want to still be looking tanned and stunning 10 years from now, then avoid the sun and get into the salon. A SunFX salon of course.

Well if you have chosen a SunFX salon then you are off to a great start. But relying on the best quality tanning solutions and highly trained staff alone is not enough. No, there is a little something that you need to do to help create the perfect tan and it’s called ‘Exfoliating’.

Now sure we have all heard about it, done it, know we should etc, etc. But do you really understand why you need to exfoliate prior to getting a spray tan?

Well, if not, then keep reading. It all has to do with your skin cells.

When you are sprayed with a SunFX tanning solution, the all natural active ingredient in the solution reacts with the amino acids in your skin, to create a rich, gorgeous tan. But this only happens on the surface of your skin. It does not penetrate deep through the layers.

Now your skin is made up of millions of tiny skin cells. These cells don’t live long, and eventually they die and fall off. Don’t worry, there are more getting made every second of every day. But the important thing is to realize that they do die and they do fall off.

So if your tanning solution only tans the very top layer, it stands to reason that you want that top layer to be as new and alive as possible doesn’t it? Therefore you need to get rid of all the old, dried up, dead skin cells prior to your tan.

Ideally this needs to happen the night before your appointment. If you have not exfoliated for a while then you might like to do it a couple of nights in a row leading up to your tan. Pay particular attention to rough areas of skin like the tops of your feet, heels, ankles, elbows, knuckles etc. These areas lose skin cells very quickly.

IMPORTANT:

So now you understand why it’s important to exfoliate prior to your appointment, you now need to know that not all exfoliating treatments are the same. Now I am not going to get into the various styles of manual vs. chemical, BHA’s vs. AHA’s, that’s a topic for a different time. What I do want you to realise though, is that some exfoliating foams, gels and treatments contain oils.

Now in case you have not realized it yet, oils on your skin are bad for your spray on tan. Why you might ask? Well simply because they stop the tanning solution from properly reaching your skin cells. In areas where there might be less oil on your skin, you might find that your tan looks ok, whereas areas with a lot of oil might not tan at all. As you can imagine this results in a blotchy tan!

So to avoid a tanning disaster, I recommend that you use SunFX Body Polish. This gorgeous body polish combines walnut shell and pumice with rich emolient properties that gently remove dead skin cells, leaving only fresh healthy skin cells for your tan. More importantly, it contains no oils that would interfere with your spray on tan.

So remember, you must get rid of the old skin cells prior to your appointment by thoroughly exfoliating your entire body, and do not use an exfoliant that contains any type of oil. When in doubt, choose Body Polish from SunFX.

But for some peope the feeling of looking gorgeously tanned does not last as long as it could. In this article we are going to take a look at the top 5 things that you should avoid to help extend the life of your tan.

1. Exfoliating

To avoid any confusion let me say straight away that you MUST exfoliate prior to your tan if you want it to last. But be careful which exfoliants you use, as some contain oils that interfer with the tanning solution. For more information about pre-tan exfoliating you should read our article on exfoliating. But the number one killer of the lifespan of your SunFX spray tan is exfoliating AFTER you receive your tan. The solution does not penetrate deep into the skin. Instead, the tanning effect takes place on the surface layer. Your skin cells will naturally die and fall off over time causing your tan to fade, however exfoliating will rapidly speed up this process. If you want your SunFX spray tan to last, then exfoliating is definitely a no, no after your application.

2. Water

Long hot baths and showers might feel devine, but they can play havoc with your spray tan, particularly if done in conjunction with particular soaps, some of which can have an exfoliating effect. Brief showers and baths, as cool as you can stand them will definitely extend the life of your tan. You should also use SunFX Body Wash instead of soap, as it is non-abrasive and perfect for extending the life of your tan. Chlorine in swimming pools can also cause your tan to fade prematurely and should be avoided where possible, as too should spa baths.

3. Perspiration

Some times it is impossible to avoid perspiring, and a little amount of perspiration will not adversely affect the life of your tan. However, excessive perspiration as might occur during a heavy workout session at the gym can reduce the lifespan of your tan. And it should go without saying that saunas are a no go zone. So if you want your tan to last longer, try to keep your physical activity to something more leisurely, than a full-on workout.

4. Oils and moisturizers

Whilst some moisturizers can help to increase the life of your tan, by keeping your skin cells moist and alive, others can be down right bad news for a spray on tan. Among these, baby oil is possibly the worst, as it has the potential to virtually strip away your tan before your very eyes. If in doubt we would recommend that you use a tan extending moisturizer such as SunFX Tan Extender or SunFX Summer’s Secret.

5. Tight fitting clothing

Now you may be looking at this list and thinking to yourself ‘What’s the point of having a spray tan if I can swim, exercise or wear what I want?’. Well the fact of the matter is your SunFX tan will have you looking so amazing that you will want to be out and active. You may also want to wear tight (very tight) clothes to show it all off. And so you should. But keep in mind that material rubbing against your skin will begin to remove skin cells, those same skin cells that you just got spray tanned. And of course the tighter the clothes, the more they rub, the more they rub, the faster your tan fades. So by all means wear whatever you want when you go out, but where possible, change back into something loose fitting for around the house.

Of course these are just guidelines on what to avoid to increase the life of your tan. The most important thing is that you get out and show off your new tan, and if that means that you have to break some of the above rules, then so be it. Just don’t go blaming your spray tan if you choose to do any of the above. But when it’s all said and done, we’re here for a good time, not a long time. Besides, it only takes 5 minutes in the salon to get a whole new tan.