Why is Exfoliating Important When Self Tanning?
Sunless tanning has recently become the trend because not only is it safe, but it is also a lot cheaper and easier to apply-not to mention more convenient as it can be applied anywhere. But one of the things that you need to do several days before you apply these tanning lotions and creams is to exfoliate. So why is it important?
It’s important simply because it allows for your skin to evenly absorb the sunless tanning solution so that you’ll have an even tan. Because tanning lotions are essentially a lotion, you need to open up your pores so that the moisturizer is absorbed evenly throughout the skin.
The sun is the number one enemy of healthy skin as it not only causes skin cancer, but it also dries up your skin, making it look flaky and sometimes, even scaly. Exfoliating and moisturizing regularly, in this order, allows for the skin to maintain its supple and firm qualities. The same goes when you’re tanning-whether you’re self tanning or going to indoor tanning salons for spray-on tanning sessions.
So why is it important to exfoliate? What is the logic behind it? Sunless tanning lotions work in such a way that its active ingredient causes a darkening reaction on the dead skin cells on the outermost layer of the skin. But do you know that as dead skin cells are sloughed off, they tend to clog the skin’s pores. And this happens in the span of less than a week. Added to this is the dirt that accumulates in your skin if you simply just wash it off with soap. Plus, soap in itself tends to dry your skin. So, it’s always best to exfoliate using a moisturizing body wash.
Now when the skin’s pores are clogged, it means that it won’t be able to fully absorb whatever you apply on your skin. So when you apply tanning lotions and creams, as well as spray-ons, they tend to be absorbed in the unclogged pores and not so much in the clogged pores. This is what causes an uneven tan.
Imagine having a sort of map on your skin as splotches of tanned skin appears while surrounded by the whiter skin as the sunless tanning solution is not absorbed properly. Extremely ugly, right? Who would want to go out with this type of uneven coloring? No one, that’s who! And this is why exfoliating is important, because it unclogs your pores by taking out the dirt and dead skin cells.
