I know what some of you may be thinking, self-tan for black girls? Surely it’s not necessary when we’re already blessed with beautiful melanated skin. While that is true, some of us may want a fast-tracked glow which is tough to achieve in sun-starved Britain. Whether you have that dark spot that just won’t fade, or stretch marks that you’d rather cover, self-tanning is great for evening out the skin tone, but it’s not a miracle worker so keep that in mind!
Dipping your toe in the self-tan pool
So you want to give self-tan a go but where do you start? The market is inundated with products, but it’s important to consider if they are suitable for darker skin; how are the undertones? The shade range? We’ve come across some great skinfluencers that have touched on the topic. Here are our two favourites....
Dr Ewoma Aukeleghe @drewomaaukeleghe
An award-winning medical and cosmetic doctor, Dr Ewoma’s Instagram is great for general cosmetic tips but she also has reviews on various self-tan products for darker complexions that are highly informative! Check out her Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drewomaukeleghe/
Alicia Lartey @alicia.lartey
Alicia’s account is full of product reviews and educational content about skin types and how to cater to them. She also has a demo of how to apply self-tanning products accompanied with a review of Bondi Sands’ popular aero foam. Check out her demo here:https://www.instagram.com/p/CMsQGyxniMg/
Dos and Don’ts
The first rule to achieving a seamless and even tan is to exfoliate! Think of your skin as a blank canvas ready to be covered in glistening gold, if you haven’t gotten rid of dry skin it will flake, patch and cling. That doesn’t sound good now does it? Aside from exfoliating and making sure you use a good quality mitt, it’s up to you to find what works best for you. Whether you want to do it as prep for special occasions or want to integrate it into your skin and body care routine, the benefit of self-tan is you can do that. And remember, what you can use on your body can’t necessarily be used on your face!
Happy self-tanning!