Beyond the Session: Essential Tips to Prolong Your Tan

Is your tan fading quickly? After a sunbed session, there’s an art to keep your tan looking great for longer. From exfoliating before a session, to pinpointing the right tanning lotion for you, these tidbits are especially important to know during the winter when we’re starved of sunlight. 

To help you maintain that fresh-from-the-beach look long after a sunbed visit, let’s explore our essential tan maintenance tips that you need to know. 

How to make a tan last longer 

If you’re wondering how to make a tan last longer, the trick lies with the preparation and aftercare, let’s take a closer look. 

Preparation

• Hydrate: Make sure your skin is supple and hydrated before the sunbed, as this will help you to tan more effectively, and prevent flaking or peeling. 

• Exfoliate: Gentle exfoliation will remove dead skin cells, making for a more even and high-quality tan that’s likely to last longer.

• Moisturise: Skin will stay glowing if it’s taken care of properly, and that’s why daily moisturising is recommended leading up to a tan bed session. 

To get a full picture of how to prepare for a tanning visit, you can see our previous article for advice.  

Aftercare

• Hydrate: This was top of the list in our preparation section, and it’s also top of the list in our aftercare guidance. Hydration is your skin’s biggest supporter, maintaining its elasticity and health, and potentially improving the appearance of a tan. 

• Use After-Tan Products: Tan extenders and decent moisturisers are both useful for improving the quality of your skin, and maintaining a deeper tan for longer. Do some research on the best after-tan products for your skin type. 

• Limit Your Visits: Overdoing sunbed sessions and over-exposing skin to UV can actually result in the opposite of the desired effect, reducing the appearance and longevity of a tan. You might want to build up your session duration over time too, helping your skin to adjust. Always follow the advice of the tanning bed provider to find out how many sessions per week they recommend for your skin type, both to achieve a base tan and to maintain it afterwards. 

• Avoid Hot Showers: Immediate hot showers after a sunbed session can be detrimental to a sun-kissed glow. Follow the advice of your sunbed provider to find out how long after a visit you can start bathing or showering in hot water. 

• Gently Does It: Loofahs and harsh products in the days following sunbed sessions can irritate the skin, promoting peeling and degradation of a tan. Opt for gentle products and pat-dry with a towel to ensure the quality of your glow remains. 

Ultimately, aftercare should be tailored to the individual. Try a few things and see what works, and always remember to make use of the expertise of the tanning team at our sunbed site.

How to get started 

Are you a tanning novice? You don’t need to worry as our team members will help you every step of the way. We’ve also created a ‘Tanning Bed for Beginners’ article so you can brush up before your visit too. You can also make use of our gym for a complete workout and tan experience, and read about how to maintain a post-workout glow for a healthy look. 

Searching for local Nottingham sunbeds in the heart of the city? Here at Formula One Gym, you don’t have to be a member to use our sunbeds, and our friendly team is here to help you from the very first visit and throughout all subsequent sessions.You’re also welcome to sign up to our gym to enjoy workouts and tanning all in one place, so please get in touch to find out more.