Fake tan [1] has been a summer beauty staple for white women year after year — and our obsession with an artificial glow has never been bigger following two years of lockdowns. Interest in spray tanning [2] and sunless tanning services have increased by 57 percent over the past year on Treatwell, and the numbers spiked by 45 percent this April.
As more information about the dangers of sunbeds [3] and sitting unprotected in the sun [4] become known, self-tanners are the safer way to achieve that sun-kissed appearance. But more and more beauty fans are challenging this desirable aesthetic [5] and questioning why we are changing ourselves for yet another beauty fad. TikTok users have been joining forces to reject the faux-bronze look — and I have been inspired to do the same.
I'm extremely pale and, to be honest, I often feel an immense pressure to fake tan in order to wear anything revealing. I use self-tanners on a regular basis, and I never go to an event without a couple of layers of my favourite tanning mousse. While this might seem harmless, reliance on fake tan can have damaging ramifications on our self-confidence, not to mention the additional expense at a time when the cost of living is rocketing [6].
"We should embrace what we are given and not feel pressured to fake tan. All skin tones are beautiful."
Sure, fake tan is not as permanent as other noninvasive tweakments or surgery, but the desire to alter our bodies is what is leading us to hitting the bottle. Confidence and Mindset Coach Hattie MacAndrews [7] explains: "We're living at a time where it's becoming increasingly 'normal' to tweak our bodies — either digitally through photo editing apps or physically through products and procedures — in order to fit an unrealistic beauty standard," she tells POPSUGAR. "Using tanning products and services to try and change ourselves is not sustainable and won't do any good for our self-esteem. These patterns can quickly become obsessive, leading to a feeling of vulnerability without having tan on. This behaviour validates the concept of unattainable beauty standards, as you have to change the skin you're in to feel beautiful."
While self-tanner is most commonly used to make light skin darker, it can also be used by deeper skin tones [8] to even it out and provide a glow. Of course everyone has the right to make any changes to their body they wish with no judgement, but I've had enough of feeling the pressure to apply the product just to leave my house. Looking for advice on how to go without fake tan, I spoke to 21-year-old Isabelle from Nottingham [9]. The content creator is the first person I saw talking about going fake tan-free on TikTok. In one video, she listed all of the things she doesn't miss about fake tan. It all felt so relatable: the panic when you're invited to spontaneous plans but you haven't fake-tanned, sticky and orange bed sheets, and the inevitable "tiger bread" stage when your tan starts to fade unevenly. Ditching "bottled sunshine" has never sounded more appealing.
When speaking to Isabelle, she told me that fake tanning had previously been her "safety blanket". It was becoming one of her main priorities and an "unhealthy obsession". She says: "When I started fake tanning at 16, I began to only feel comfortable with fake tan on, and I didn't feel myself without it. I was spending more than £500 a year on tanning products, which is ridiculous. I used to stay up late tanning and then apply more layers before I went to work, ensuring that I looked OK and felt confident. I felt an extreme pressure to always achieve this look and, if I didn't, I didn't fit in." After a year without fake tan, Isabelle feels much more confident and says she doesn't think she'll ever go back to her obsessive habit. "I never thought I'd be able to feel confident without a tan, but I've learnt to love my skin without it, and I finally feel amazing," she says. "I'm not saying that tanning is bad, but I think that we should embrace what we are given and not feel pressured to fake tan. All skin tones are beautiful."
@bellexchristina [10] Part 2. Things I DONT miss #fyp [11] #faketanfree [12] #confidence [13] #iquit [14] #palegyal [15] #embrace [16] #it [17]
♬ original sound - Kyle & Jackie O [18]
The biggest tip Isabelle had for me was to ease off slowly rather than going cold turkey. "I used a tanning water to help me slowly come off the mousse. These fade quickly and you don't need to keep scrubbing them off," she says. Another piece of advice she gave me was to speak to myself kindly. "It's not actually fake tan that makes you confident; it's the way you look at yourself and speak about yourself," she says. "If you are comfortable in your own skin, that will radiate. You are you. Beauty is looking different from others and accepting your true self."
In a bid to reassess my own relationship with tanning, I committed to quitting for at least a month. It wasn't easy, and if I'm being totally honest . . . I cheated. More than once. But, I've come out of the experiment with a newfound admiration for my natural skin. On the hottest day of the year in July, I dared to bare my legs in denim shorts and visited some busy parks and bars. And you know what? It wasn't that bad. I was on the receiving end of some unwarranted jokes by friends, but once I wrapped my head around how deeply ingrained it is that pale skin is less desirable, it's easier to brush off these comments.
I'm not going without tanning products forever because I enjoy changing up my look to suit my outfit and the occasion. However, I will be more mindful about selecting a shade closer to my skin tone and only whipping the bottle out on special occasions. On regular days, I'll stick to a luxurious body-care routine to ensure I feel as confident in my bare skin as possible. Other times, I'll use a very subtle fake tan that enhances my existing skin tone rather than dramatically changes my look. Read on to for the 17 products I tried to help boost my confidence, from luxe moisturisers to products that gave a glow, and others with a subtle touch of bronze.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Cleo's Paradise Botanical Bath & Body Oil from Soak Sunday
A capful of the Cleo's Paradise Botanical Bath & Body Oil from Soak Sunday [19] (£22) will soothe your skin and your mind. This is the ultimate relaxing formula for bath time, made with almonds, oats, vegan manuka honey, chamomile oil, and jojoba oil. Slip into the bath and leave with silky smooth skin, or apply directly to damp skin as a nourishing body oil.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Naked Sunday's SPF 50+ Glow Body Mist
Sun protection is never usually pleasurable to use, but Naked Sunday's SPF 50+ Glow Body Mist [20] (£21.50) is a different story. If you're looking for an incentive to start wearing SPF on a daily basis, look no further than this glamorous, soothing, and, quite frankly, beautifully packaged and formulated product. It's a moisturiser and SPF50 all in one, infused with vitamin C rich Kakadu plum and watermelon oil. It even smells like a holiday and feels like a treat when sprayed on skin on a hot day. For protected and hydrated skin, lightly spritz all over.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Bali Body's Body Scrub
If you're into physical, hard-working body scrubs, you'll be obsessed with Bali Body's Body Scrub [21] (£21). Made with a blend of Pink French Clay and nourishing plant oils, your skin is being treated as you get rid of dead skin. Use in the shower or bath in circular motions, starting at your feet and working upward with a gentle pressure before rinsing.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Glossier's Body Hero Dry-Touch Oil Mist
Glossier's Body Hero Dry-Touch Oil Mist [22] (£24) is an absolute staple. Three antioxidant-rich oils work to moisturise and soothe skin, and Sea Fennel Extract will help even skin tone and boost radiance.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: SKINSTANT Instant Bronzed Tanning Stick
If you regularly find yourself making spontaneous plans, keep the SKINSTANT Instant Bronzed Tanning Stick [23] (£24.99) in your handbag for an instant and flawless glow. You can use it on smaller areas to contour or apply with a mitt and buff into wider areas wherever you want a bit of colour. This is the perfect option if you want a 24-hour tan that can be washed away with soap and water in a flash. Unlike lots of wash-off tans, this formula is totally splash-proof, sweat-proof, and water-proof, making it the ideal companion for parties, clubbing, gymming, and hitting the beach.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Exfolikate & Tan-Luxe Prep & Glow Duo
Get your hands on this illuminating collaboration from Kate Somerville and Tan-Luxe, the CEOs of glow. The Exfolikate & Tan-Luxe Prep & Glow Duo [24] (£55) is available at Tan Luxe.co.uk [25] and KateSomerville.co.uk [26] right now. Start by sloughing away dead skin, smoothing spots, and polishing up bumps with the exfoliator, and then build up a radiant colour with the Gradual Illuminating Tanning Lotion. You can use one without the other, keeping the tan for special occasions if you like.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Skin Accumax by Advanced Nutrition Programme
Treat your skin from within with some vitamin and phytonutrient supplements that help to nourish all layers of your skin. Advanced Nutrition Programme's Skin Accumax [27] (from £45) supplements literally feed every cell in your body, helping to banish acne and other skin problems on your face, chest, back and shoulders. When you do all you can to keep your skin healthy from within, you're giving yourself the best chance at feeling confident without lashings of tan.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Face Mist
The St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Face Mist [28] (£22) is just as much about skin care as it is tan. A few spritzes of this on bare skin or under makeup will gently deepen your complexion while delivering intense moisture and a soothing, cooling sensation. Packing with hyaluronic acid, hibiscus extract, and mandarin water, this is the perfect item to keep in your handbag to fight against pollution and free radicals.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk
When you hear the word 'milk', you know you're looking at a light but luxurious formula that blends seamlessly into the skin. The Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk [29] (£9) provides a gentle sun-kissed and natural-looking tan while hydrating the skin with a mix of aloe vera and vitamin E.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Oskia SPF30 Vitamin Body Milk
SPF is one of the most vital components to consider when discussing body care. It's hard to find an SPF body moisturiser that doesn't cause pilling or leave a greasy, white layer on our skin. However, the Oskia SPF30 Vitamin Body Milk [30] (£49) does the job nicely, while supplying your skin with nourishing and hydrating vitamins and omega-rich oils.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Dewy Stix Body Oil Gloss by Ciaté London
If you're after a natural-looking sheen without the tan, this oily little stick is your new bestie. Infused with coconut oil and vitamin E, the Dewy Stix Body Oil Gloss by Ciaté London [31] (£20) will soften your skin while highlighting the high points of your collarbones, legs, shoulders, and arms for a long-wearing supermodel look. We love the shade Sun Catcher, which is filled with super-fine micro pearls for the ultimate golden gleam.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Transforming Body Lotion Illuminating Glow Formula
AMELIORATE's Transforming Body Lotion Illuminating Glow Formula [32] (£19) is infused with illuminating pearl particles, which means it's the best-kept secret for an instant glow. Made with lactic acid, it's the best moisturiser for someone with rough, dry, or bumpy skin (especially if you have keratosis pilaris).
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Tan-Luxe Super Glow Body Hyaluronic Self-Tan Serum
Tan-Luxe Super Glow Body Hyaluronic Self-Tan Serum [33] (£26) is made with Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate multiple layers of your skin. This hard-working serum prevents trans-epidermal loss of water, all while providing a subtle glow and super soft skin. If ageing or sagging is a concern of yours, this product contains organic Rape Seed oil and energising Caffeine to contribute to firmer skin.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Cetaphil Moisturising Cream
Cetaphil's Moisturising Cream [34] (£15) is one of the richest body moisturisers on the market. Sweet Almond Oil nourishes and hydrates while Niacinamide, Panthenol, and Vitamin E leave skin softer and more comfortable. And, it's pretty affordable if you're using it daily.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: He-Shi's HD Wonder Glow
If you're looking to highlight and illuminate your skin while covering blemishes and veins, this is the product for you. He-Shi's HD Wonder Glow [35] (£17.50) can be used on the face and body to add temporary coverage, colour, and glow in seconds.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: St. Moriz Advanced Miracle Glow Face Tan Serum
Sometimes all you need is a light glow on your face. St. Moriz's Advanced Miracle Glow Face Tan Serum [36] (£11) builds a natural-looking radiance while improving firmness, hydration and combatting signs of ageing.
Confidence Boosting Body Care Products: Sunescape Illuminating Body Tint
If you're after an instant glow that will wash off with soap and water, the Sunescape Illuminating Body Tint [36] (£21) is the right product for you. With just a hint of shimmer, this sheer and non-sticky formula is perfect for smoothing uneven skin tones. Free from DHA, this body tint delivers instant results and is perfect to wear on its own or to enhance your tan. Washes off with soap and water. Indulge your skin and your senses for a soothing, hydrating luxurious experience.
Price: £21.00
Stockist: sunescape.co.uk [37]