Having a perfect tan doesn’t happen by accident - and if you really do it wrong you’re likely to seriously do some damage to your skin in the process. Take note of theseTop 5 Tanning Mistakes , and you’ll be on your way to flawless bronze in no time.

Mistake #1 - You weren’t prepared

Just like anything else, preparation is key to your tanning success. In order for your skin to produce melanin (the pigment which gives your skin its color), it needs the amino acid tyrosine. By applying a tan optimizing lotion in advance, you are essentially providing your skin with the fuel it needs to produce more melanin. For this, we suggest Base Tan, a richly-hydrating body lotion that contains a blend of tyrosine with other dynamic tan-activators as part of its proprietary Tan Boost Technology.

Mistake #2 - You’re rushing it

Slow and steady wins the race! You really have to work at achieving a tan or you risk burning. Take your time and slowly expose yourself to the sun in short increments until you build your tan gradually. You may believe the old wives tale that your red burn will later ‘turn into a tan’, but the truth is, it will quickly slough away as your skin peels and you will have inevitably cause some deeper underlying damage. Don’t rush it.

Mistake #3 - You're not moisturizing

When you spend any time in the sun, UV rays in combination with heat can zap the moisture out of your skin. That’s why its important to hydrate like your life depended on it! At the end of the day, wash away any sweat, oil, sunscreen, or sand in the shower and follow up with a rich moisturizer. Try out our High Tide in Shower Moisturizer. This lightweight body lotion works with the water on your skin to provide lasting moisture without leaving you feeling greasy. Save time in your day by applying before drying off and lock in that tropical hydration for the entire day.

Mistake # 4 - You got a burn instead

It happens to the best of us, our summers are short and vacations are even shorter - so we lay out and ignore the tingly skin until it’s too late. When you’re red and crispy, it’s important to minimize the long-term effects of sun damage as much as possible by supercharging your skin with antioxidants to combat the UV damage. Our unique after-sun Over Exposed, is not your typical aloe gel. It’s made with a unique extract from the Tasmanian Pepper plant which helps immediately reduce the appearance of redness, while an advanced neuro-peptide penetrates deep to the source of discomfort and alleviates the sore, irritated sensations caused by a sunburn.

Mistake #5 - You neglected SPF

While it may seem counter-intuitive to use SPF when you’re trying to get a tan - it's really important if you care about the long-term health of your skin. Even though sunscreen is meant to shield us from UV rays, in real-life situations involving sun, sand, beach towels, and sweat, plenty of UV rays still make it through to our skin. So while applying an SPF won’t stop you from getting a tan, it will prevent you from burning. This is exactly why we created Smart Screen, the world’s first mineral tanning sunscreen - it has all the same tan-accelerating properties as our signature Base Tan formula, but with the addition of a mineral-based SPF 20 to help keep your skin protected and healthy.

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