A question we get asked a lot. The answer depends on whether your tan is au-naturel or comes from a bottle! Let's take a look, along with some other tanning myths.

Will shaving fade my tan?

You can't shave off your (natural!) tan. Tanning is a function of melanin production within your skin, not just on the top layer.  Shaving is actually a great way to exfoliate and remove any dead flakey skin to let your glow shine through!

 

What about if my tan is from a bottle?

1. The more you shave, the faster your tan will fade! As the 'tan' is on the top layer of skin only, shaving will speed up the fading process.

2. Shaving before applying fake-tan helps exfoliate and prep your skin for application to limit that pesky streaking. Leave at least 24 hours in between shaving and fake-tanning to limit any irritation. 

Doesn't shaving increase my chances of burning?

This is an old beauty myth that simply isn't true. Whether you're rocking your body hair or keeping things smooth, this will not affect the amount of sun that your body is exposed to.

 

Do I need to wear sun protection if I have dark skin?

A common misconception is that darker-skinned folx don't need to use sunscreen. Whether you're Black or white, hairy or smooth, wear fake tan or go au-naturel, you need sunscreen! We have an entire blog post on how to pick a clean sunscreen here.