So you’ve mastered self-tanning the body but can’t quite get your faux face glow game right. While your body looks amazing, your face always turns out a bit too orange for your liking. You’ve tried to lessen the amount but it’s just not working. Patchy, splotchy, uneven – we name it, you’ve been there. So what are you doing wrong?
Here are our four golden hacks to getting the perfect facial glow to match the rest of your faux tan.
1. Our facial self-tanner of choice: quality tanning drops.
What you put on your skin is what your skin will show off to the world, so make it a good one. While you have a bazillion choices in the market for tanning your face, our best bet ultimately falls on quality tanning drops. Tanning drops are not only easy to use but they are also foolproof. If you pick a good one, it should also give your skin a nutrient boost while giving you full control over how glow you wanna go.
Pick glow drops that are free from alcohol, contain only good nutrients, and uses natural DHA to activate the bronzing process. Our favorite: the Afterglow Tanning Drops. These drops were designed to ease into your favorite moisturiser, while adding its own decadent mix of fruits, oil, and vitamins into the mix. It uses an all-natural DHA that will create the most luscious, natural looking glow you’ve ever had.
2. Never skip the prep.
The skin on your face needs just as much pre-tan TLC as any other part of your body, so prepping is a must. Zero in on the dry patches on your face and make sure that they are exfoliated (gently) with a gentle facial scrub or other exfoliants such as serums or AHA wipes.
Make sure to do this at least 24 hours prior to application to allow your skin to settle down.
Come tanning time, cleanse your face with a gentle wash and make sure you remove all of your makeup. Tanning drops adhere best to clean, dry skin so make sure that you cleanse and pat your face dry thoroughly. Any kind of oil left on your skin might interfere with the DHA development.
3. Application time!
The moment we’ve all been waiting for – bust out your favourite moisturiser and apply your usual amount to your palm. Add your preferred number of drops into your moisturiser and mix well. We recommend starting with 1-3 drops daily until you have a better idea of how bronze you want to go. You can always increase up to five drops if you feel you need more.
Lather the mixture onto your face and neck, making sure to blend into your hairline for a natural look. If you’re on the extreme blonde side, avoid putting product onto your brows by rubbing petroleum jelly or moisturiser to create a barrier.
Avoid putting on makeup or any other product onto your face for at least 8 hours. The tanner usually takes up to 8-12 hours to develop (starting at the 2nd hour mark), so you’ll want to hold off on anything that could get in the way.
If you can’t afford to be without products, apply the mixture at night so it develops while you sleep. Just make sure to use a discarded piece of cloth or pillowcase to avoid transfer stains from getting on your pillow.
Top up on the drops as needed to maintain the glow you prefer.
4. Have an aftercare routine.
Just like your bod, facial tans need some sort of basic skincare routine to maintain. Make sure you moisturise at least once a day to prevent uneven fading. Also note that the Afterglow Drops have no UV protection, so it is imperative that you use sunscreen everyday.
When your glow starts to fade, be diligent with your usual exfoliation and hydration routine to ensure even fading. If it removes too much color, simply add on drops to your night cream and you’ll have a fresh glow in the morning.