Yes, you can sunbathe with self tan. The colour does not stop you from being in the sun – but it does not protect you either. The tone sits in the outermost layer of your skin and lets UV radiation through just like normal.
Here we cover what applies in the sun, how swimming and heat affect the colour, and how to keep your glow through the whole holiday.
Can you sunbathe with self tan?
Yes. The colour does not stop you from sunbathing or swimming, and the sun does not ruin the colour itself. The only thing you need to wait out is the development time right after application.
The important thing to understand is that self tan is not a suntan. The tone comes from DHA colouring the outermost layer of your skin – it contains no melanin and gives no protection against UV radiation.
So you can both tan for real and burn just like normal underneath the colour. Always use sunscreen, exactly as if you had no colour at all.
Self tan does not protect you from the sun
When the sun tans you, it is melanin – your skin's own UV protection – building up. Self tan gives the same look but without melanin, and therefore without any sun protection whatsoever.
It is easy to be fooled: your skin looks tanned, so skipping the sunscreen feels natural. It is one of the most common self tan mistakes on holiday.
The rule of thumb is simple: use the same SPF you would without the colour.
Wait for the colour to develop before sun and swimming
During the development time – usually 2–12 hours depending on the product – your skin needs to stay dry. Sun, heat and sweat during that window can make the colour streaky or uneven.
So plan your application for the evening, or a day you can stay indoors, and wait with sun and swimming until after your first shower.
A gradual mist reaches full effect after around 24 hours, but it is not sticky and has no guide colour – which makes it the easiest to combine with an active holiday day.
How sun, swimming and heat affect the colour
The sun does not bleach the colour directly, but everything that comes with a holiday wears on it: salt water, chlorine, frequent showers, sweat and towel-rubbing make your skin renew faster – and the colour goes with it.
Rinse off with fresh water after swimming in a pool or the sea, pat your skin dry and moisturise every evening. Dry holiday skin is the most common reason a tan fades quickly and patchily.
Sunscreen on top of fully developed colour is no problem – on the contrary, a moisturising sunscreen helps the colour last longer.
Self tan on holiday – how to do it
Exfoliate and apply your colour 1–2 days before departure. That way the tone is fully developed, the first shower is done and your skin is ready for sun and swimming.
Pack a gradual mist to maintain the tone during the trip – a couple of light applications a week is enough. Mist and mousse come in travel sizes that fit in your hand luggage.
Moisturise every evening, ideally with after sun or a fragrance-free moisturiser. That way the colour fades evenly instead of in patches.
Self tan instead of sunbathing
The whole point of self tan is getting the tone without the downsides of UV radiation. The sun's rays – and the sunbed's – age the skin and increase the risk of skin damage.
Many people therefore use self tan as their base: an even tone built up before and during summer, without chasing hours in the sun.
If you still want to sunbathe, the same rules as always apply – sun protection, moderation and extra moisturising afterwards.
The holiday routine for your glow
- 1Exfoliate and apply your colour 1–2 days before departure.
- 2Let the colour develop fully before sunbathing or swimming.
- 3Always use sunscreen – the colour gives no UV protection.
- 4Rinse off chlorine and salt water after swimming and pat your skin dry.
- 5Moisturise every evening.
- 6Top up with a gradual mist a few times a week.