So you have treated yourself to a beautifully golden spray tan. Your skin is glowing and you feel like a summer goddess. You want to make your spray tan last as long as possible without interfering with it too much. After some searching, you find that coconut oil is a good oil to use to maintain your spray tan. This seems a bit weird right – why wouldn’t you use normal moisturizing lotions that are made specifically for your skin?
But, surprisingly enough, coconut oil is a great option to use after a spray tan. It is natural, it is nearly fragrant free and it absorbs beautifully into your skin. Have you not heard the saying that coconut oil can fix almost anything? While the jury is still out on that one, it is true that it is one of the best ways to maintain your fresh spray tan.
Let’s talk about how coconut oil protects your skin and learn how to use it to maintain your bronze tan.
How Does Coconut Oil Affect the Skin?
Coconut oil is used in a wide range of beauty products, it is a natural ingredient that has so many different benefits for your skin, hair, and face. When applied to the skin, coconut oil has shown to speed up the wound healing process and is incredibly effective in increasing moisture in the skin.
Using coconut oil as a moisturizer before and after your spray tan will help prevent dry and flaky skin, which results in an uneven, blotchy spray tan. Moisturized skin holds a spray tan much longer than dry skin.
Coconut oil contains predominantly medium chain fatty acids, which are absorbed into your skin when massaged in. This fat helps reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and hydrates the skin deep inside. Virgin coconut oil is the most effective to use as it has the most natural and concentrated moisture and fats.
Because it is one of the heavier fatty-oils around, coconut oil helps to hydrate the skin, keeping the moisture locked in and does not allow for evaporation. This keeps the skin hydrated for longer than other oils or creams.
To add to its moisturizing benefits, the fat content in coconut oil has also been shown to improve many different aspects of the skin, wound healing, reducing the appearance of rashes, preventing acne and even working as an anti-bacterial balm. It really is an all-in-one natural remedy that is completely organic and safe to use.
Coconut oil does not contain high-contents of water or petroleum like many other oils or moisturizing creams. This is why it won’t clog up pores, leaving your skin refreshed and ready for a spray tan application. Coconut oil penetrates deep into the skin cells, so it clears away dirt and dead skin cells while hydrating from deep within.
Does Coconut Oil Work Well After A Spray Tan?
Sometimes, almost all the time, a natural solution is the best solution. Everything you put on your skin is absorbed into your body, so wouldn’t you only want to expose yourself to the purest and most organic ingredients?
Organic or virgin coconut oil is a pure moisturizer. There are no added chemicals that might harm your skin or have an adverse effect on your fresh spray tan.
By using coconut oil on your skin after a spray tan, you are ensuring that your skin is hydrated and nourished, helping your spray tan stay beautiful and bronze and actually on your skin.
Coconut oil has a wide range of uses, and its many different natural properties help it remedy many ailments. From hydrating to protecting the skin, coconut oil penetrates into the skin, allowing it to thoroughly cleans and hydrate from deep within the skin. This helps keep your spray tan lasting longer, as it isn’t just a superficial top layer that is protected and nourished.
Best Coconut Oil To Use After Fake Tan
I actually just use a simple organic extra-virgin coconut oil. I make sure that it’s cold-pressed and unrefined. I actually have just been buying this one from Amazon.
It’s inexpensive, high quality, and just fantastic for use after a spray tan, or for anything else.
Other Lotions and Oils You Can Use
Coconut oil is one of the more versatile oils out there, but there are many different options that would work well to maintain a spray tan.
Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter are both moisturizers that like coconut oil, are heavy and rich in fatty acids. They help lock down moisture to effectively moisturize and hydrate the skin, and because of their dense composure, they help stop the moisture from evaporating out of your skin too easily.
Argan oil and Safflower oil are less fatty than coconut oil but have been found to be effective on many different skin types.
Olive oil and Avocado oil are both heavy oils that are extremely rich in anti-oxidants and moisture. They are good for dry, patchy skin, however, they might be too heavy for those who suffer from acne.
Like with many different things, you will have to do some trial and error before deciding which oil will be best for your skin. Different skin types like dry, oily or combination, will have different requirements. For some, a heavy oil might clog up their pores and cause more acne, while others need a heavy-duty hydrator for their dry skin.
Ways to introduce coconut oil into your beauty regime
There are different ways you can use your coconut oil in your beauty regime daily. Not only will it be great for your skin, but it will go a long way in preparing your skin for your spray tan, and then maintaining it afterward as well.
Moisturizer – The most obvious way to use coconut oil when maintaining a spray tan is as a moisturizer. After a shower, rub a generous amount into your skin. The oil will hydrate and nourish your skin, and the massage will get your blood flow going, rejuvenating your skin as you go.
Cleanser – You don’t need to bankrupt yourself buying makeup remover when you can use coconut oil to take care of that waterproof mascara for you. Apply a small amount of coconut oil on a cotton ball and wipe over stubborn makeup.
Acne-repair – The fatty acids and natural properties in coconut oil help it act as an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial remedy. This will help fight off the effects of acne and help keep pores dirt free and soothe the red, irritated skin.
General Care After a Spray Tan
Preparing your skin before having a spray tan is just as important, if not more, than the after-maintenance. Showing up to your spray tan with unprepared skin won’t give you that beautifully even, nourished looking tan that you wanted to achieve. Dry, flaky skin will result in a patchy spray tan, and skin that hasn’t been exfoliated will also give an uneven looking tan.
Think about it this way – you can’t paint successfully on a dirty, unprepared canvas, can you?
To achieve the right look, here are some steps to follow before your spray tan appointment.
Exfoliate – Exfoliating is so important! Without exfoliating, your skin will still have an excess dead layer that will not allow the spray tan to adhere to healthy skin properly. Check out my full guide on exfoliation here.
Do not apply moisturizer on the day – Any additional moisturizer or oils on your skin will interfere with the spray tan formula. You should make sure you thoroughly moisturize in the days leading up to the tan through to make sure your skin is evenly hydrated.
Shave or wax 8 hours before – Leg hairs will get in the way of the spray tan sticking to your skin properly, and the tan will end up patchy. You want to make sure you shave or wax at least 8-24 hours before your appointment though so your skin has time to fully heal. Check out my guide on shaving before tanning here.
Things to remember:
Dark G-string or underwear – Wear a dark G-string or underwear to your spray tan. Some excess formula will probably get onto your underwear, and it is easy to remove from darker colors.
Baggy dark clothing – Bring clothing that is baggy and won’t stick to your skin. Darker colors are also easier to wash spray tan off of.
Umbrella – What is the point of a fresh tan if it is going to be washed off in the rain the moment you step outside? Be prepared!
Coconut Oil and Your Spray Tan
You really can’t argue the fact that well-hydrated and moisturized skin holds a spray tan better. Dry, flaky skin will only cause the tan to become patchy and fade quickly.
The best way to ensure that your skin is ready for a spray tan is to incorporate coconut oil into your beauty regime daily. This will help with the even application of spray tan, and will also make sure that your spray tan is maintained due to the moisture the coconut oil gives your skin.
In the end, it can do no harm. It is natural and it has many great properties that go further than just maintaining your spray tan.
