We love fake tan as much as the next person. In fact, we love it more than the next person and the person next to them too. But if there's one thing we do not love, it's fake tan that has been badly applied. If you're finding yourself the victim of unsightly streaking, patchy colour or flash-in-the-pan tans, it might be that you haven't yet perfected your pre-tan regime or you need a more natural-looking tan. If you don't prep properly and make sure you've got tan-ready skin, you could end up with any one of these problems so follow our pre-tan guide to make sure your colour is smooth, natural-looking and long-lasting.
1. Exfoliate. Dry and patchy skin will lead to a dry and patchy tan so the first step you need is to scrub off all that dead skin to leave a fresh and even canvas for your tan. Xen-Tan Body Scrub has been designed especially for pre-tan use and is oil-free to prevent streaking. It's even gentle enough to use after you've tanned! A winning product in our eyes.
2. Cleanse. Any dirt or product residue on your skin is going to mess up your tan so you'll need to make sure your skin is extra clean. Use Whitetobrown's Body Wash, it's specially formulated for tan preparation and will even moisturise your skin as well as cleanse it.
3. Moisturise. Talking of moisturiser, this is a key pre-tan task for the same reason as exfoliation; dry skin will lead to a patchy tan. St Tropez's Tan Optimiser Body Moisturiser is made with softening cocoa butter to ensure streak-free colour and can even be used to optimise a natural tan too.
4. Smooth. If your skin still feels a little rough or you just want to be extra-vigilant against streaking and patches, use a smoothing spray such as this one from Crazy Angel Wing on areas that are prone to roughness like your elbows, knees and ankles.
5. Protect. Lastly, there's nothing that gives away a fake tan like discolouration around the hair-line, knees or on the palms of your hands. To avoid this faux tan faux pas, invest in a good barrier cream to prevent unnatural looking patches.