If you’re like me, it’s also ‘self tan season’ in your own beauty routine. I wanted to share my best fake tan prep products, because prepping your skin is the best way to insure your tan looks even and lasts a long time. There are a ton of products out there, but these have been my favorite and best fake tan prep. Bonus, they are all cruelty free!
You’re probably going to be shocked at the amount of products because I like to keep it simple. These are literally all I need to keep my skin exfoliated and moisturized. The best way to prep your skin for a fake tan session is to exfoliate and moisturizer 24 hours before application. Of course, you want to moisturize your skin every day while you have the fake tan on. I’ve found that exfoliating twice a week, with at one of the exfoliation sessions being 24 hours prior to a fake tan has worked for me.
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bod Buff
This Sol de Janeiro has been amazing. It’s kind of a multi-use product. You can use it to exfoliate. It has exfoliating beads in a creamy formula that also moisturizes your skin. If you use it as a body mask, you can leave it on for 5-10 minutes and then rinse off. It also has Sol de Janeiro’s signature Cheirosa ’62 fragrance that I love! A little warning, the Bod Buff is a bright yellow color with blue beads. In fact, it’s the exact color of the packaging. This has not stained my shower or tub, but I do rinse them well any time I use this.
You might be wondering why I’ve included a tan remover mitt, because don’t we want our tan to stay on? Well, friends, this is the best exfoliating mitt I’ve ever used. Yes, you can use it to remove excess tan build up. Granted, it’s only exfoliating your skin so it’s not going to completely remove your fake tan. It can speed up the process of exfoliation if you need to even out your tan. However, I’ve been using this to exfoliate my skin a couple times a week. This, paired with the Bod Buff, has made my skin super smooth.
Grove Collaborative Coconut Body Lotion
This is an old picture, but my current bottle has seen better days. It’s so squished, I thought this picture would be so much better. Side note: I still love all of these products! But, this is all about the body lotion.
I discovered Grove’s Coconut Body Lotion when it was a free gift with purchase, and I instantly fell in love with the scent. It’s so clean and floral with a hint of coconut. I use this year-round, but the coconut does give me some summer vibes. I’m on my third bottle of it. The hydration is the perfect amount for my skin without being sticky. This is the best moisturizer I’ve found to keep my tan lasting longer!
I hope this was helpful for anyone at a loss for prepping their skin for fake tan. I definitely like to keep it simple! I’ll be back later this week with my favorite fake tan products.
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Rebecca has been writing about style, beauty, and lifestyle topics since 2011. Thank you so much for reading this post! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below. I love hearing from you!
