Panel of experts
Victoria Riedl, beauty editor at In-Style magazine; Nick Lowe, consultant dermatologist and author of Away with Wrinkles (Kyle Cathie £14, 99); Amanda Coveney, general manager of the Urban Retreat spa at Harrods
Our top tips for a healthy tan:
Reapply suncream every couple of hours. Don’t trust suncreams which claim that you need to apply them only once; sweating and physical activity will warrant the reapplication of any cream.
UVA protection is measured by the number of stars that are usually displayed on the back of bottles of suncream. These rays play a part in the development of melanoma and premature ageing.
UVB protection is measured by the SPF (sun protection factor). These rays are responsible for burning the skin.
Don’t expect clothing to protect you from the sun, especially if it’s wet. A loose weave of material means that you can still burn, so use suncream underneath.
Advertisement
Seek shade between 11am and 3pm.
Keep children under the age of 3 out of the sun at all times.
Don’t apply anything less than SPF30 to children and anyone with fair skin.
Come out of the sun when your skin starts to feel taut and tingly.
No matter how often we’re told that the pale and interesting look is in, we still prefer bronzed skin. From powders and pills to lotions and potions, myriad products promise a sun-kissed sheen; then there’s the varying advice on the best approach to tanning. Our panel sheds (non-damaging) light on the top ten tanners — and how to avoid wrinkles, redness and the Robert Kilroy-Silk look.
Advertisement
ANNA SHEPARD
The RKS factor - each of the tanning methods has a star rating to tell you whether it will leave you looking like a politician with a permatan. (1-star low risk to 4-star high risk)
FAKE TAN AT HOME
It won’t protect you from the sun, but you avoid looking pasty on the beach. The key is exfoliation, so the tanning ingredient won’t stick to dead skin and leave patches.
Buy this Johnson & Johnson Holiday Skin Body Lotion (£4.99 for 250ml) is good for first-time fakers. Au Courant’s Instant Sunless Tanning Spray (£25 for 180ml, from Harvey Nichols, 020-7235 5000) gives a sun-kissed look. St Tropez Instant Self Tanning Mousse (£18 for 120ml) gives a deep footballers’ wives tan. The best for face is Lancôme’s Hydra Flash Bronzer (£28.50 for 50ml).
Advertisement
Expert opinion A healthy tan.
Best for Mousses are good for fair skin as it’s easy to apply a thin layer. Thicker lotions are better for darker skin; sprays are not for first-timers as a controlled hand is vital.
Top tip Do your fake tan in the evening so you don’t have to dress afterwards and use a product with a tint so you can see where it has been applied.
Wrinkle factor 1 Don’t forget to slap on suncream as well.
RKS factor: 3-star Depends on individual skill and commitment to exfoliation.
Advertisement
PROFESSIONAL FAKE TAN
Before the St Tropez revolution, a professionally applied tan was considered a peculiar luxury. Now there are salons offering it on every street corner. The main risk is unsightly streaks, so check with the salon whether you should avoid moisturising on spray day, and how long you should wait before showering. When it goes patchy (usually after four days), exfoliate.
Buy this For paler skins try a lotion treatment such as Clarins Get Glowing (from £38, 0800 0363558), which includes a face and body exfoliation. Au Courant’s Fantasy Tan (£30 for whole body, Martyn Maxey, 020- 7629 6161) is good as you can choose the tanning level.
Expert opinion If you’re not happy with your DIY efforts, go professional.
Best for anyone, but very pale skins will want to choose the lightest option to avoid moving too far from their natural colour.
Advertisement
Top tip If disaster strikes, swim in a public pool. Chlorine is an effective tan-stripper.
Wrinkle factor 1
RKS factor: 3-star Follow instructions carefully; if not, your future’s orange.
BRONZING PRODUCTS
If you’re nervous about having a fake tan, a face or body bronzing product is a good route to a golden glow. The benefit is that you can wipe it off if it looks bad.
Buy this Guerlain’s Terracotta range (£13 to £36) for a matte look; Bobbie Brown’s Shimmer Brick (£27 for 10.3g) for glister; Shiseido’s Luminizing Powder compact (£24) for pale skin; Scott Barnes Platinum Body Bling (£28.27 for 120ml) for darker skin.
Expert opinion A fast-track to a tan for bronzing virgins.
Best for Fair skins can choose lighter products; darker skins can top up tans.
Top tip Brides-to-be take note, staining is a problem if you’re wearing white.
Wrinkle factor 1 But watch out, as most products don’t contain SPF.
RKS factor: 3-star Don’t do a Tony (Blair) and forget to match face-colour to hands.
TAN MAXIMISER
Also called tan maintainers, these relative newcomers to UK shelves combine an after-sun lotion with an ingredient that induces melanin (dark pigment) production. This means they are glorified moisturisers, with a hint of fake tan, so they offer no protection.
Buy this For a budget option, try Tesco’s Finest After Sun Tan Maintainer (£4 for 200ml), or Lancaster’s After Sun Tan Maximizer (£20 for 125ml).
Expert opinion Worth it if they give your tan a boost; which means you’ll spend less time frying under the rays.
Best for Any skin.
Top tip Wash your hands after use to avoid dark-stained palms.
Wrinkle factor 2 The damage starts when you go out in the sun.
RKS factor: 1-star No risk of a permatan, only a slight change in skin colour.
TANNING PILLS
It sounds like a vision of the future: a few pills and a tan-tastic skin tone is yours. Of course, it’s not that simple. There is not enough research to back up claims by companies such as Imedeen that high doses of vitamin E and C combined with lycopene (found in tomatoes) kick-start the body’s melanin production. What’s more, there is nothing to confirm whether it is possible to protect the skin by taking these supplements by mouth.
Buy this Thalgo Ocean Sun (£21 for 60 capsules, www.thalgo.co.uk); Imedeen Tan Optimizer capsules (£37.50 for 60), from Boots.
Expert opinion The range of vitamins may give you a healthy glow.
Best for Anyone who fancies a vitamin boost.
Top tip Avoid pills containing iodine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Wrinkle factor 2 But slap on the cream when you hit the beach.
RKS factor: 1-star Don’t exceed the dose or you could just end up looking tan-goed.
UV CLOTHING
Not all fabrics protect you from the sun. It depends on the tightness of the weave; a cotton T-shirt, for example, will be penetrated by the UVB rays that are responsible for burning, and when wet the CPF (clothing protection factor) is even lower. Now you can buy clothing — from sun hats to swimsuits — with built-in all-day protection. Solumbra, based in the US, is endorsed by doctors and dermatologists and claims a patented 30+ CPF fabric. The only drawback is lack of style.
Buy this For Solumbra products, visit www.sunprecautions.com; Sun Togs is good for children (long-sleeved T-shirt £16.50), www.sun-togs.co.uk; Snow & Rock for shirts and shorts, www.snowandrock.com
Expert opinion Don’t forget to protect exposed areas.
Best for kids, watersports fans, the fair-skinned, and anyone who has had skin cancer.
Top tip Check how long garments remain protected.
Wrinkle factor 2 But watch out for skin still exposed.
RKS factor: 1-star Zebra tan if exposed areas are unprotected.
HIGH-FACTOR SUNCREAM
Pursuit of the precious rays is still a holiday motivator and a contributor to the growing number of malignant melanoma cases. In the past decade new cases have risen by 64 per cent in men and 45 per cent in women, according to the Office of National Statistics. The message is don’t even think about dropping below an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15, even if you have dark skin. Stick with SPF30 if you are fair or spending extensive time outside. The SPF measures protection from UVB rays, which burn the skin. UVA protection is measured by the number of stars, usually on the back of the bottle. UVA plays a part in the development of melanoma and ageing, so use products with four stars or more.
Buy this Weleda Edelweiss Sun Cream SPF20 is sweet-smelling and easy to spread (£6.45 for 50ml, 0115 9448222); try Lancaster’s Global Protection Cellular Support SPF30 (£55 for 50ml) for a splash-out. Expert opinion Stay out of the sun between 11 and 3pm.
Best for all skin types.
Top tip Seek shade every hour to see how your skin feels. If it’s taut or tingly, you’ve had enough.
Wrinkle factor 3
RKS factor: 2-star Lobster limbs are even worse than orange ones, so stick with a high SPF factor.
SUNCREAM WITH FAKE TAN
An all-in-one fake tan and suncream sounds like a good idea until you realise that these products have a low SPF, so if you slap it on as often as needed for skin protection, you’ll end up bright orange. With 69,000 new cases of skin cancer every year and 2,000 deaths, you can’t afford to ignore the importance of regular application. All suncreams should be reapplied at least every two hours.
Buy this If you’re not exposed to the sun for long, try Clinique’s Radiant Bronze Face and Body Tinted Self Tanner SPF15 (£13.50, 120ml).
Expert opinion No good unless you are spending minimal time in the sun.
Best for No one.
Top tip Use two separate products: one for fake tan; one for decent protection.
Wrinkle factor 4
RKS factor 4-star If you’re out in the sun, you’ll end up either burnt or bright orange.
BRONZING OILS
Those with darker skin might be tempted to whip out a bottle of something with a low SPF. Don’t. These oils offer no protection from either UVA or UVB rays; their oily sheen intensifies the rays’ impact. Dark skin may not look as though it’s burning, but it will still suffer the same damage, accelerating the ageing process.
Buy this None recommended.
Expert opinion Don’t use them. Best for No one.
Top tip Don’t even put on oil as after-sun care, better to use a lotion-based moisturiser.
Wrinkle factor 5
RKS factor: 3-star Serious burning is more of a problem than the day-glow factor.
SUNBEDS
Sunbeds get the thumbs down when it comes to cancer risks and wrinkles. Radiation from predominantly UVA, but also UVB, rays leads to severe wrinkling, sun-spots and a heightened risk of melanoma. The UK has an estimated 8,000 tanning salons and figures from the World Health Organisation suggest that 10 per cent of the Northern European population use them for tan top-ups.
Buy this Don’t. Sunbeds are designed to speed the tanning process by increasing the intensity of the rays that accelerate the effects of skin ageing. Expert opinion Why bother when there are such good fake tans available?
Best for No one.
Top tip Leave long gaps between sessions and always use the protective cream on offer.
Wrinkle factor 5-plus
RKS factor: 4-star Don’t go there.
All products are available from large department stores, unless otherwise specified