how do you tan before holiday??

biddy3

Hi ladies, do you apply tan or get spray or sunbed before a holiday or go your natural colour? last year I felt so pasty, white and self-conscious. I have never gone on the sunbed and wouldn't be mad about the idea. I can see the spray tan get very patchy. What do you ladies do??

coffee_cake

I go out and get a tan on holiday and don't give a damn about looking white and "pasty".
I recommend you do the same

Cathmandooo

I go pasty and load on the suncream.

I don't think anyone will be looking at you and thinking you look silly being pasty. Don't worry about it and just go and enjoy your holiday.

Also correct me if I'm wrong but I do think if you apply tan before a holiday that any tan you get wont be even. Best off just being safe and enjoying yourself

shellyboo

biddy3 wrote: »

Hi ladies, do you apply tan or get spray or sunbed before a holiday or go your natural colour? last year I felt so pasty, white and self-conscious. I have never gone on the sunbed and wouldn't be mad about the idea. I can see the spray tan get very patchy. What do you ladies do??

I personally go out looking pasty and LASH on the suncream to remain as white as possible I freckle rather than tan!

Don't feel too self-conscious - in most hot countries where people are naturally tanned, you'll find that pale skin is the ideal. So while you're wandering around being jealous of all the tanned natives, they're lusting after your porcelain skin!

jellie

shellyboo wrote: »

I personally go out looking pasty and LASH on the suncream to remain as white as possible I freckle rather than tan!

im the same - not to remain as white as possible, more to avoid becoming burnt to bits. i burn & freckle, never ever tan, so id never bother even attempting fake tan, it looks ridiculous on me.

allabouteve

Cathooo wrote: »

I go pasty and load on the suncream.

I don't think anyone will be looking at you and thinking you look silly being pasty. Don't worry about it and just go and enjoy your holiday.

Also correct me if I'm wrong but I do think if you apply tan before a holiday that any tan you get wont be even. Best off just being safe and enjoying yourself

A natural tan is produced by the reaction of melanin in the skin to exposure to UV light. Any agent staining the dead upmost layer of the skin (that's all fake tan is) won't interfere with that, but it might look uneven until all the fake stuff wears off.

You're much better off avoiding tanning altogether, for the long term health of your skin and your looks. Unless you are sallow skinned, all a tan is is evidence of damage.

Skin cancer is an epidemic in Australia because of the mainly European heritage of most Australians, combined with the heat we get here. Most younger people will always ''Slip, Slap, Slop'' Slip on a teeshirt, slap on a hat, slop on the sunscreen. Good advice.

Dudess

biddy3 wrote: »

Hi ladies, do you apply tan or get spray or sunbed before a holiday or go your natural colour? last year I felt so pasty, white and self-conscious. I have never gone on the sunbed and wouldn't be mad about the idea. I can see the spray tan get very patchy. What do you ladies do??

For an even tan/glow, silky-smooth skin is best. So exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate, then moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.
The sunbed is pretty much the same as going out in strong sun so if you're feeling self-conscious, why not give it a go? But I'd agree with the others - no real reason to feel that way.

smileysurfer

Wouldnt go for the sunbeds, supposed to be extremly dangerous!

I usually get a spray or apply self tan and by the time thats wearing off, my own tan is coming up so it works out quite nicely :P

sillyputty

California last year i felt so pale i was whiter than milk! I was very self consious until i was shopping at a retail park and i was stopped and told i had fabulous skin how did i do it? I opened my mouth and straight away she knew how i had nice fair skin - im irish!

I head over there again next month and i'm looking for tips on getting a good tan - what sun factor should i start out at? Also is it true you should shower after sun bathing?*

*sorry for the hijack:o

Corcaigh abu

Bronz Express are doing a new tanning range which includes a drink thing that you take before on hols whihc is supposed to stimulate skins natural tanning agents. Its called Sun to Drink available in pharmacies.

In Touch

I do a few, about 3 two min sessions a week before my holiday.

rainbow kirby

Factor 30+ all the way. I am naturally incredible pale, and have quite a few freckles, so tanning does absolutely nothing for me. Fake tan is a pain in the arse too.

Dudess

I'm pale too but I get a glow on my face. The rest of me, not a hope. And fake tan on me just looks like... fake tan.

SarcasticFairy

Dudess wrote: »

I'm pale too but I get a glow on my face. The rest of me, not a hope. And fake tan on me just looks like... fake tan.

I'm the exact same.

I couldn't care less about being pale anymore. I used to be really self conscious about it, and I used to avoid my Mam and her suncream at all costs - all that happened was I burned. I never ended up tanned. Now, I'm happy being pale, and lash on the cream (usually factor 50+ - I'm that pale). However the sun gives my face a nice glow, and randomly, my forearms tan a little! But after that, I'm a milkbottle all the way. Would definitely prefer this to damage.

I would avoid sunbeds, and go with the fake tan if you're really conscious about it.

The Sweeper

I'm pale, so I use factors 30 to 50 and cover up most of the time. I live in Oz and I have had three occasions in two years where I've burned badly on the exposed V at the top of my chest when wearing a long-sleeved top and a hat, just forgetting to put sun cream on that part, or not realising that I'm that exposed to the sun. Takes 10 mins for fricasseed me.

I wouldn't do a sunbed in a million years. Skin cancer is highly unattractive.

Morgase

allabouteve wrote: »

You're much better off avoiding tanning altogether, for the long term health of your skin and your looks. Unless you are sallow skinned, all a tan is is evidence of damage.

Skin cancer is an epidemic in Australia because of the mainly European heritage of most Australians, combined with the heat we get here. Most younger people will always ''Slip, Slap, Slop'' Slip on a teeshirt, slap on a hat, slop on the sunscreen. Good advice.

Excellent advice.

That's what I do when I go on holidays - keep a hat on (burned scalp is a horrid feeling) and a t-shirt to stop my chest from burning. I also use a very high factor suncream. I love the heat of the sun but not so much the tanning effects; pale and interesting ftw!

Also remember to reapply the cream every few hours (it'll say how often on the bottle). It's not good enough to just put it on in the morning and leave it at that. I see Boots have some sort of "apply just once" stuff but I don't know anything about it really.

Malari

I don't tan at all, pale skin all the time. I have to use LOTS of suncream, but I'll put a bit of fake tan on to take off the glare in the summer.

On hols recently, I was walking along in a pair of shorts and I heard someone right behind me comment "oh my god, look at the colour of her legs, they're so white!"

When I looked around there was a whale of a woman, colour of a mahogany table, skin like a leather handbag, actually pointing her finger at me! :eek:

I'd prefer to look the way I do, thanks.

Dudess

smileysurfer wrote: »

Wouldnt go for the sunbeds, supposed to be extremly dangerous!

Is it not the same as going out in very strong sun though?

sillyputty wrote: »

is it true you should shower after sun bathing?

Wouldn't you anyway? To cool down/freshen up/get rid of the SPF lotion and sweat from the sun?

Corcaigh abu wrote: »

Bronz Express are doing a new tanning range which includes a drink thing that you take before on hols whihc is supposed to stimulate skins natural tanning agents. Its called Sun to Drink available in pharmacies.

Oh god, sounds well dodgy.

*Lees*

I would imagine that drinkable stuff is just full of beta caroten? I always hear of people taking beta caroten tablets before holidays, does anyone know if it actually does anything?
I go seriously white during the winter, so white i almost glow! I would usually do a couple of sunbeds before going away just to get rid of the glow in the dark effect! I use high factors when im away especially on my face! I tan very easily anyway so i don't have to worry about being white for long!

metaoblivia

Haven't done so yet, but I usually do the Mystic Tan thing if I want a tan for any reason. I'm too concerned with healthy skin to actually go out and tan or use a tanning bed.

Tupins

Malari wrote: »

On hols recently, I was walking along in a pair of shorts and I heard someone right behind me comment "oh my god, look at the colour of her legs, they're so white!"

See this is why I hate going au naturel - I've had that experience too of people staring and pointing out how white I am. (As if I hadn't noticed). It's really embarassing.

My skin is so pale it's almost blue! One time in the summer I was out in my own back garden and my cousin comes in going "Jesus Christ, talk about milk bottles!" (referring to my legs) in front of other people. I was mortified.

I really like Johnson's holiday skin as it's very natural looking. It's important to exfoliate well for best results. It's a pain having to do it but I just can't bring myself to bare my glowing white skin!

Malari

Tupins wrote: »

See this is why I hate going au naturel - I've had that experience too of people staring and pointing out how white I am. (As if I hadn't noticed). It's really embarassing.

My skin is so pale it's almost blue! One time in the summer I was out in my own back garden and my cousin comes in going "Jesus Christ, talk about milk bottles!" (referring to my legs) in front of other people. I was mortified.

I really like Johnson's holiday skin as it's very natural looking. It's important to exfoliate well for best results. It's a pain having to do it but I just can't bring myself to bare my glowing white skin!

And this was after a bit of fake tan I have tried the super bronze look too, but it is awful on me, so I'm happy once the real white white look is gone. Things is most people's pale is my reasonably tanned!

Tupins

Oh god, I'd say you and I have exactly the same skin. One time I was trying on a skirt and I said to my friend "what do you think" and she looked and said "it will look great once you've got tights on for a bit of colour". I don't know who was more embarassed when I told her I was already wearing them. (Admitedly the tights were not that dark, but still!)

I wish I was just 'normal' colour. As you say other peoples normal skin would be mine tanned!!

Malari

Tupins wrote: »

I wish I was just 'normal' colour. As you say other peoples normal skin would be mine tanned!!

I'd love it! But then we would probably be unhappy with some other part of our bodies!

No-one is ever fully satisfied with what they have, eh?

JessieJames

*Lees* wrote: »

I would imagine that drinkable stuff is just full of beta caroten? I always hear of people taking beta caroten tablets before holidays, does anyone know if it actually does anything?
I go seriously white during the winter, so white i almost glow! I would usually do a couple of sunbeds before going away just to get rid of the glow in the dark effect! I use high factors when im away especially on my face! I tan very easily anyway so i don't have to worry about being white for long!

Ive always been pale and never got a decent colour wen i was on holls just went red and got millions of freckles is all, until last year. 3months before the holl started taking tanning tablets (2 before bedtime) did a few sunbed sessions a week before the holl and suprisingly got a gr8 colour from just the sunbeds:) when i was away i never burned not even a bit and got a great colour, albeit it lasted for about 4 days when i got home :rolleyes:

pookie82

I'm whiter than white and have never tanned before so last year before a sun holiday I decided to bite the bullet and tried to get a "base" on a sun bed for a few weeks before I left. might as well have pissed into the wind. Spent a fortune to burn, go a bit red, and fade straight back to white again. i found the gradual tanners to be great on holidays. I can't bring myself to sport the milk bottle look in sun dresses/bikinis, so I applied it for a few nights before leaving and had a lovely glow out there. WHen it washed off from the pool, I'd just re apply a bit before bed. I find it's a lot less harsh and patchy when compared to full on fake tan, and comes off in a less noticeable manner. The garnier one is really good, but if you're super pale and just want to take the "blueish hue" away, then a lighter one, like the dove one for fair skin, is probably better.

MJOR

i tan like a handbag so factor 30, 15, 10 factor 50 on my face and clevage:D

Lia_lia

I usually apply some of that Johnson's Holiday skin stuff for a few weeks leading up to the holiday. Not that I'll tan, anyway.

Twee.

I'm pale as can be and do my best to stay that way! Factor 30 usually, especially on my face. I like my freckles, but hate when they go into overload in the sun. I was the only person who didn't get burnt on our group holiday last year. And it was a festival in Spain. I was very proud. Even my half Egyptian mate got burned ("Black people don't get sun burn!" Eh..check your back love....)

You can get after-sun with self tanner in it. Nice way to build up a colour when you're there.

hussey

I live in Oz, and after seeing a tanned 40year olds with crocadile skin
I'd much rather my pasty white skin

fonpokno

I've never tanned in my life. Ever. If I burn I go bright pink and return to white, there is never ever ever a tan.

And I like it that way!