How long does a tan actually last? (the honest answer)

Somewhere around midnight - between a text you shouldn't have reread and a video of a stranger reorganising her fridge - you typed it into the search bar: how long does a fake tan actually last.

You're in good company: it's one of the most-Googled questions in self-tan. The honest answer, with the marketing fog switched off, is five to seven days. Anyone promising you a fortnight is selling you a stain, not a tan.

The part nobody puts on the bottle: those days aren't decided when you apply. They're decided every morning after, in a hundred tiny bathroom choices you never knew were choices.

The villain: your shower

The long, scalding, answer-three-emails-in-there kind. Heat lifts colour like a getaway car. Keep it warm, keep it short, and pat dry - a towel is for drying, not for sanding down a deck.

The hero: moisturiser (gloriously boring)

Twice a day. Hydrated skin holds its colour; dry skin sheds it in little flakes that surface - naturally - on your shin, in daylight, at brunch. A hydrating formula helps from the very first coat: our Coconut Fudge mousse is whipped with real coconut water so skin lands plush, not thirsty. Lotion is the entire difference between day five and day eight.

The honest bit: it's a schedule, not luck

The women whose glow "just always looks good" simply top up before the patchiness, never after. They reapply on a quiet schedule - a fresh coat every five to seven days - and let everyone assume it's effortless. You now have the secret. Wield it responsibly.

The tan is temporary. The reputation is forever. The grey socks remain non-negotiable.

Ready to restock? The whole shade range lives here.

Quick questions, honest answers

Does fake tan wash off in the pool?
Not exactly, but chlorine and salt water speed up how fast it fades. A tan that's had time to fully develop and set holds up far better than a fresh one, so swim a day or two after applying rather than the same night, and moisturise once you've dried off.

Why does my fake tan go patchy?
Patchiness is almost always dryness. Skin sheds fastest on knees, elbows, ankles and hands, so colour lifts there first. Exfoliate and hydrate those spots before you apply, and keep them moisturised after.

How do I make a fake tan last longer?
Three things: prep dry skin before, moisturise twice a day after, and keep showers short and warm rather than long and hot. Do all three and a five-day tan comfortably becomes eight.

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