The Golden Guide to Men’s Self-Tanning

You may think that self-tanning is a thing only women do, but actually, a quarter of UK men aged 16 to 24 have tried self-tanning. I can certainly remember the craze amongst my circle of friends wanting to get that pre-tan look before heading out to Ibiza. With my skin tone I've not really got that concern. But I can appreciate especially even more in today's world of social media, how people need there tan to hit the ground running when they strip off pool side. 

In this article I want to present some tips and guides to men's self-tanning, brought to you by the good people at Tan-Luxe.

The benefits of self-tanning

Whilst being horizontal on a scorching hot day, frying eggs on your stomach (Ray Winstone voice) being exposed to that much UV for prolonged periods is not good for your skin. 

There are many benefits to self-tanning including how it is much safer than tanning in the sun especially as men are 3x more likely to get melanoma than women.

To get a gorgeous golden glow safely, using a self-tan is essential because you’ll be able to achieve all-over coverage without the health risks of traditional tanning. Below are some top tips for self-tanning for men. 

Moisturise: get into the habit early

For the smoothest tan application, it’s best to moisturise your face and your body regularly in the build-up to your tanning session. And who doesn't like to rub moisturiser all over themselves on a regular basis? You'll need to differentiate the face from the body and have different products for each. 

Why I hear you ask? Facial moisturisers are formulated to address your specific skin concerns, like oiliness or acne, while body lotions tend to be a bit too heavy for the face and can make you break out.

We recommend moisturising your face twice a day, every day, after you wash it. You'll find countless reviews on moisturisers and grooming products reviewed on my blog here. For your body, apply a body lotion all over every day after you’ve showered or bathed.

Trim: 24 hours before you tan

Top tip –  if like me you have a beard, then you might want to think about shaving it ahead of time. If you try and apply your tanning product over your beard it won't stick to your skin efficiently. 

Shaving 24 hours before tanning is the optimum time. But if you’ve got a last-minute night out you need to tan for, don’t worry – you can still tan even if you’ve just shaved. I won't suggest you should shave your legs!

Exfoliate: 24 hours before you tan

The ultimate tan will be an even and natural looking tan. That's why it's very important to exfoliate properly. Ideally you'd need to stroll down to the beach early morning, pluck a hard rock from the shore line and have at it over your naked body ALA Ethan Hawke in Gattaca. Failing that any decent facial & body scrub will suffice. Why is exfoliating important for men's self tanning? 

Men's skin is thicker than women’s skin, which means it can be a bit rougher in texture too. That’s why it’s so important to remove any dead skin, which can turn a different colour to the rest of your skin when you’re tanning, resulting in an uneven colour.

After exfoliating, make sure you moisturise again. I'm guessing you'll need a hearty supply of moisturiser. A tub of E45 is very accessibly priced for these kind of practices. When moisturising pay close attention to your hands, elbows, knees, and feet. These can be tricky areas to tan because the skin is even tougher here. 

Dry and protect: immediately before tanning

Ever done a tan and noticed those pesky streak marks? You can mitigate that when you apply your tan by completely drying your body hair, stubble, hairline, and skin completely. After giving yourself a good rub down apply a thin coating of lip balm or Vaseline on your nails, eyebrows, and hairline to prevent the tan from staining or leaving weird streaks around these areas. This is like taping the skirting boards when painting the walls of your house. 

Apply your tan

Finally, here we are. Time for application. For sprays, apply a single, light coating all over your body from an arm’s length distance using a soft, circular motion. Once applied, take a dry towel and gently pat away any excess build-up on stubble or around your hairline. Still with me? Hang in there stud nearly done. 

When using mousse, a tanning mitt is the easiest way to apply the product without staining your hands. The ideal amount for a first coat is three pumps for each section of the body. But ultimately you'll have to decide how much pumping is required. After applying, use a clean, soft-textured face cloth over any hairier areas of the body to avoid any build-up at the hair follicles and to prevent the hair from changing colour.

The trick to successful self-tanning is that less is more. Start small and work your way up to a deeper tan. If you go too hard too soon, you could be spending the holiday avoiding all cameras. You can even build up a deeper tan over the course of a few days if you’re brand new to it and you want to take it slow. A bonus here is that you’ll look like you’re bronzing more naturally!