How long can a tan last?

Tanning is the protection of the skin from the sun's ultraviolet radiation. In order not to let mutagenic radiation inside, to living cells, the skin produces melanin, a dye that absorbs ultraviolet rays.

The skin is constantly renewed: the outer layers of cells peel off and fall off. Complete replacement of the epidermis occurs in 3-4 weeks - therefore, this is how long a tan should last for young people. The older a person is, the slower his skin renewal occurs: at 40 years old this process takes 5-6 weeks, at 50 – 8-10 weeks.

A southern tan washes off about twice as fast. This happens because a southern tan is a serious stress for unusual northern skin. The skin thinks it is damaged (mild sunburn) and begins to renew itself faster than usual.

How to maintain a tan?

1) Sunbathe in the shade, exclusively in the morning and evening - this will reduce the stressful effects of the southern sun on the skin.

2) In the south, actively use cream after sunbathing, and upon return - moisturizer. Moisturized skin renews itself more slowly.

3) Do not visit the bathhouse/sauna, do not lie in the bath – rinse quickly and that’s it.

4) Eliminate whitening products - shampoos, gels, foams, tonics, masks, peelings, whatever else happens.

5) To be cunning - go to a solarium or use self-tanning in secret from everyone, and tell those around you “I don’t know why it lasts so long.”

How to remove tan?

1) Wash more often with a washcloth and/or scrub - this way you will mechanically remove the tanned layers of the epidermis.

2) Use skin whitening products - ranging from lemon, cucumber and potato juice to industrial creams.

Luxurious brown skin color is the dream of almost every second girl. Since it is not easy to maintain a tan after the sea for a long time and not peel off, you need to be patient and use numerous folk and professional remedies.

What not to do

The most important thing in maintaining a tan is getting it right. If the skin is burnt, then it will certainly begin to peel off soon; this cannot be prevented. In essence, tanning is the body’s protective reaction to exposure to ultraviolet rays. In the surface layer of the epidermis (also called the spiky layer), active cell division begins, exceeding a certain norm of which can develop into oncology. To slow down this division, the body begins to produce melanin, which colors the body in pleasant shades of brown.

Girl sunbathing

Therefore, the first thing you need to know in order not to peel off and maintain a tan after the sea is to try not to get sunburned. The body peels off when it lacks certain substances or only dead cells remain on the surface. The reasons can be distinguished by the type of layer being removed:

1. If the epidermis simply peels off or looks dehydrated, then the problem is a lack of nutrients and moisturizing substances;
2. If it peels off in large pieces, then the body is freed from problematic keratinized cells.

Peeling method

What can you do to maintain a sea tan, but the body begins to peel off:

1. Use products with deep moisturizing properties. First of all, these are special creams or after-sun creams. They are saturated with natural ingredients and chemical elements that retain moisture in the skin even in the hottest heat. Do not use glycerin - it will “suck” moisture from the deep layers of the epidermis and speed up the process of removing the outer shell;
2. Use mild soap or shower gel, do not use chemical or cheap detergents. In most cases, good gels contain effective moisturizers: oils, extracts, extracts. They will help nourish and protect the body from tissue keratinization;
3. Special masks and wraps will help preserve your tan. For example, from seaweed or honey.

But, at the same time, if peeling begins on the face, then the process is irreversible, you need to get rid of the cause and moisturize. At home, a scrub made from sugar or coffee will effectively remove scales. Under no circumstances use chemical or acid peels in the summer - they can affect natural pigmentation. Wash your face several times a day with chamomile infusion or rose water and be sure to apply a cream with a good UV filter (from 25). This will help maintain a dark complexion at first. In the future it will simply light up again. As an analogue of creams, you can make a carrot mask every morning, but this method is only suitable for dark-skinned girls.

Photo - Tanning creams

The most important thing for blondes and redheads to remember is how to maintain their tan longer. In girls of this type, the sun “sticks” the fastest and lasts the least on the epidermis. Even an instant burn can be turned into a gorgeous tan if you apply shea butter to it. It is not only a natural antioxidant, but also an excellent natural pigmentation enhancer. You can also use cosmetics with coconut or shea butter additives.

The Crimean southern tan always catches the eye, it even differs in shade from that obtained in central Russia. It also lasts the longest, but it can be extended, if you are burned, literally until the next season:

1. Apply vitamin E, A, or beta-carotene to yourself both before and after sunbathing. These substances will not only help improve the quality of pigmentation, but also help protect the resulting pigment;
2. Do not take a steam bath in the bath or sauna - otherwise your body will peel off very quickly;
3. Bathe in herbal infusions; for example, nettle, string or chamomile have proven themselves to be excellent activators.

Photo - Vitamin E

The next rule is to draw up the main menu. According to research from leading beauty companies, girls who regularly eat peaches, watermelons and carrots stay tan longer. This is due to the presence of a certain substance in these fruits that affects the amount of pigment produced by the body. Olives and black olives have proven themselves to be excellent enhancers.

And the most basic rule for prolonging a tan is quality sunbathing. The fact is that if you initially tanned incorrectly, then the dark skin color will not last long. Therefore, prepare in advance for going to the beach.

Video: useful tips for maintaining a tan

How to tan properly

You can maintain a southern tan longer after your vacation if you scrub thoroughly before going to the beach. Otherwise, dead cells will dry out and begin to take moisture from healthy ones, this will lead to peeling and varying degrees of pigmentation (colored spots on the body). For home scrubbing you can use:

1. Salt or sugar;
2. Coffee;
3. Professional scrubs or shower gels with special additives.

If you don’t have anything like that at hand or you’re already on the beach, then just wipe yourself with sand. By the way, this is an excellent prevention of cellulite and ingrown hairs after depilation. Only contraindicated for wounds and cuts.

Photo – Coffee scrub

Next, you need to choose the right creams for sunbathing. You should use cosmetics with UV filters even in winter; this will help maintain your summer tan and prepare your epidermis for the new season. An excellent activator is olive oil. It can be used on both the body and face. Olive ether will also help protect you from burns in the first months of solar activity. If you regularly apply a couple of drops of this product to yourself after a shower, the pigmentation will last at least a couple of months longer than usual.

Tips for proper tanning and to avoid skin peeling for a long time:

1. Wash in running water without adding chlorine. Chlorine is a chemical element that whitens skin;
2. Always after sunbathing and swimming in salt water, hurry to wash off in a fresh source, otherwise the epidermis will begin to dehydrate and peel off;
3. Proper care will help you get a beautiful tan and maintain it. Always use protective creams in the sun (the factor is selected according to your skin type), do not sunbathe between 11 am and 2 pm, and use moisturizing lotions after showering.

if you get a sea tan (got it at sea) - then very quickly, up to 2 weeks, if you have a regular tan, which you got gradually over 3-4 weeks, and it also depends on age, the older a person is, the longer his tan lasts, as the process slows down epidermal renewal

Everyone has their own answer to this question, because how long a tan will last depends on many factors: skin type, quantity and quality of water treatments, where and how it was obtained.

The most persistent is considered to be a gradual tan acquired in the same zone. The southern one goes away faster for many, but at the same time, if you tan correctly and for a long time, it can last up to two months, but, of course, not for everyone.

For example, I have two children: the eldest is light-skinned, and the youngest is dark-skinned. Accordingly, one tans easily and his tan is even and lasts a long time, while the other turns red rather than bronze, and this redness disappears in literally 10 days. So, more than a month has passed since the holiday at sea - the younger one is still tanned, but the older one has no traces of his stay in the south.