Anna Francis is a freelance digital writer with an interest in women’s lifestyle and mental health. Find her on Instagram @thisisannalisa. Here she reveals why she’s changing her attitude when it comes to dealing with a lifelong skin condition…

“Why do you always have a rash on your legs?” my friend asked as we sat on the bench ahead of swimming class. I was around 13 and had, as far as I recall, never given the skin on my thighs much thought before. I didn’t know the answer to her question but I immediately assumed that this ‘rash’ wasn’t normal. I went from barely having noticed it to then spending many, many years afterwards trying to fix it.

It turned out though that, like many things in life, what I feared was abnormal about myself was in fact quite natural. I have keratosis pilaris, otherwise attractively known to some as ‘chicken skin’. It is described by the NHS as ‘a very common, harmless condition where small bumps appear on your skin’, which can be dry, rough and itchy and tend to form on the arms, thighs or bum. The condition – which happens when a build-up of keratin blocks the hair follicles – can run in families and has a tendency to stick around for years. Always nice to have something to look forward to…

With age I became increasingly aware of this staggering difference between my ‘rash’ legs and those that I saw in the media

So why, with this being such a common affliction, did it make me feel so strange and embarrassed? Perhaps it’s because, as a teenage girl looking to the outside world for reassurance, I’d realised that this was something we just don’t tend to see out in the open. After all, those affected by KP probably aren’t too keen on showing off their bumpy skin for all to see (which I can now attest to), and for me – with the condition particularly manifesting on my thighs – this has been made worse by the lack of ‘normal’ looking legs in the media. Take a look through a glossy magazine and you’ll notice that adverts and photoshoots tend to depict blemish-free, silky-smooth and evenly tanned pins – no ‘chicken skin’ in sight. And don’t even get me started on the alarming falseness of many Instagram and social media images.

With age I became increasingly aware of this staggering difference between my ‘rash’ legs and those that I saw in the media, and it turns out I’m not the only one. Actress and activist Jameela Jamil recently admitted in a candid Instagram post that seeing her legs looking flawless in a heavily airbrushed photo of herself negatively affected her mental health. So imagine the issues it can cause as an outsider looking at a picture that we may not be aware has been retouched – we assume that this snapshot depicts the norm, and worry because our bodies don’t match.

Perhaps without realising it for a while, this confusion between image and reality damaged me too. I was convinced for years after the swimming incident that my legs were something to be embarrassed about, and felt paranoid over the reactions of others. This sucks the most when it gets in the way of you living your life; on one occasion I was exploring a Greek island for the first time on a press trip, yet instead of taking in the beautiful scenery I couldn’t help but wonder whether my travel companions were looking at my thighs – bare in a tiny playsuit thanks to the 36-degree heat – with secret disgust.

The insecurity led to years of trying various products and tricks in the hope of ridding myself of the issue, which was ultimately a tactic to overcome the low self-esteem underneath it all. That old chestnut of “If x happens I’ll be happy” type-thinking crept in; “If it’s gone and I have perfect legs I’ll be a more attractive and confident person”. I went through a variety of shower gels, lotions, exfoliants, soaps and even hair removal methods on my mission. Occasionally I had minor results, only for the KP to reemerge again as angry as ever.

they’re natural and mine, and just real life really

But then something unexpectedly changed – not with my stubborn skin (there’s no way that will back down without a fight, oh no), but with my mind. Recently, with the rise of the body positive movement, I’ve started to be more accepting of the condition. Okay, so I won’t exactly be pointing it out to strangers and asking them to feel the, um, lovely tactile bumps, but if I’m having a particularly aggressive outbreak – and it’s a hot day and I want to bare some skin – then I’m not going to feel that I have to hide it away. My legs will still be out in their pale, blemished and bumpy glory, because they’re natural and mine, and just real life really. I’ve spent too many years fretting about the way my body looks and frankly I don’t want to waste much more time on doing so. Who wants to be so preoccupied with what they look like that they forget to actually enjoy life experiences? Changing my mindset is a work in process but I’m determined to set a positive example to those like my insecure teenage self; I look at my friends’ gorgeous young daughters and can’t bear the thought of them receiving the negative body image messages that so clearly affected me.

I’m not saying that you have to throw out all products and be done with it, of course – if you find something that works and gives you that extra bit of confidence then go for it. Personally I have yet to strike upon anything that offers solid results with KP; I’ve tried some of the specialist products available on the market and had some success, but find that I really have to commit to using them regularly (which, let’s face it, in today’s insanely busy world can be a challenge). My advice would be to occasionally use a very gentle exfoliating mitt along with an equally mild body lotion. And perhaps, rather than focusing on getting rid of the condition, think of these more as self-care tools. There is also the option of course to speak to a pharmacist if you’re really struggling.

But if you try all of that and it still doesn’t clear (which, with keratosis pilaris known for persistently returning, is sadly quite likely)? Please don’t worry. We’ve come so far recently in showing that things like cellulite and body hair are perfectly normal – so isn’t it about time that natural, blemished, angry-red-bumpy legs, like mine and countless other women’s, become the next skin ‘taboo’ to be broken?

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Dental hygiene is one of the most important parts of our daily routine. Often not prioritised – aside from brushing – it is not deemed an everyday step to follow. We all know that we are supposed to brush twice a day and visit our dentist once to twice a year to make sure everything is in check. Flossing, mouth wash and all these other bits are things we know should fit into our oral hygiene routine somewhere – but somehow they don’t always make the cut. It’s hard to know what’s important, and where to start.

So we’ve broken down the essential steps of dental hygiene, so we can all put a little more effort into caring for our teeth, in the same way we do our skin.

Gum Health

Gum disease is one of the most commonly spread health conditions from which the nation suffers. It can cause bleeding, ulcers and even go as far as leading to loss of teeth.

According to Dr. Jerome Sebah, founder of the Dentist Gallery and Waterpik ambassador, bleeding gums are an alarm from your mouth asking you to clean it again. “If your gums are bleeding, it means there is an inflammation and plaque is under the gum.” Dental plaque is a combination of bacteria and food stuck to the teeth. If not cleaned properly, it can calcify and cause inflammations which are not only painful but could lead to gingivitis, he cautions. “Regular flossing is necessary to reduce the bleeding – it is a sign of the plaque being removed and will stop with time and commitment to flossing.”

Do the Floss

Floss at least once a day. This should be an imperative part of your dental hygiene. If you start to notice your gums are bleeding, you should up your flossing game; if they bleed regularly, Dr. Sebah recommends seeing your hygienist or dentist. It will be uncomfortable at first but after frequent flossing, you and your teeth will get used to it and you will have healthy gums in no time.

Plenty of people are loyal to the old school dental floss string. Give yourself enough string to work with – you need about an inch or two to use on your teeth but if you struggle with holding your grip, wind an extra few inches around your middle finger – this also helps for replenishing floss for the next teeth. Hold the floss tight – you don’t want it going anywhere – and gently ease it between your teeth. Move it underneath your tooth, next to the gum for maximum effect. Never snap or force the floss as this could damage your delicate gum tissue; instead, use a gentle back-and-forth motion to move it down your teeth and back up again.

Try new tools

Alternatively you can use the newer and trendier water flosser tool. Dr. Sebah encourages the use of these to make a positive impact on your oral hygiene. If you want to give these a go, it gives more of a trip-to-the-dentist feel afterwards. They’re a little trickier to get the hang of so it’s up to you if you want to try one of these out or stick with your trusty dental floss string.

For water flossers, lukewarm water is best, especially if you have with sensitive teeth and it is recommended to start off at the back teeth and come forward, holding the flosser in place to clean each individual tooth. Just like with an electric toothbrush, there’s a lot less manual work to be done here. But be careful – keep the flosser pointed at your teeth to avoid your bathroom becoming a waterpark and hold the tool at a 90-degree angle for most efficient use. As with anything, the more you practise, the easier it becomes and you’ll get the hang of this new (outside of a dentist’s chair) floss method in no time. Most water flossers are also portable, cordless and super easy to pack for travel use – so you don’t have to worry about slipping in this routine when you go away on trips.

Brush up

As established, we all know brushing twice a day is an imperative part of dental hygiene. It’s also essential to remember to replace your toothbrush regularly. Every three to four months is advised but you’ll need to keep an eye on the condition of the brush too. If the bristles are too flat, they are less effective in their cleaning. No matter how close you are with someone – your family, your partner, your BFF – do not share your toothbrush. You don’t know what bacteria lies in someone else’s mouth.

Minty Fresh

No one likes to have bad breath but people often think it’s just a case of passing on the garlic-laden food at lunch. Unfortunately it takes more than that to combat the oral inconvenience. Dr. Sebah confirms that “bad breath always – well 90 per cent of the time – comes from the bacteria on the tongue.” Use mouthwash when you can (particularly before bedtime) to both combat bad breath and complete your dental hygiene routine.

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I gave birth to my first baby 18 months ago. She is walking, talking, asking for a cuddle, saying an emphatic ‘noooooo’ to brushing her teeth. She’s old enough to have actual opinions. And I still look pregnant.

Before becoming a mum, I had a flattish stomach, I never had lower back pain and I considered myself reasonably strong. But now I have a gap of around 3-4 cm in my abs – a deep, diamond-shaped depression around what remains of my (previously innie) belly button. I also have what can only be described, depressingly (as if I were a marsupial) as a ‘pouch’ of soft, stretch-mark criss-crossed skin, which makes high-waisted jeans look odd and makes body-con a thing of the past. Medically, it’s called Diastasis Recti (DR), a condition where your ab muscles separate during pregnancy and don’t knit back together again. Emotionally, it’s a car crash.

any physical change post-partum is doubly mentally debilitating because your sense of self has already changed so much

Coming to terms with my new body is an ongoing process, tied up with so many expectations, from myself and from the world around me. I’m not the first to say this, but there is one hell of a pressure to get back to looking exactly like you did before your body grew another human. It’s just sort of in the ether – on social media, in the press, in the envious or otherwise glances of other mums at play groups, inside your own head.

I had no idea I had internalised the societal pressure to look like some kind of Love Island contestant so deeply, but any physical change post-partum is doubly mentally debilitating because your sense of self has already changed so much. In the new baby days, when you’re conjoined 24/7 with a person you’ve just met (whom you also somehow love) and your emotions, hormones and social life have all radically altered, you can become unrecognisable to yourself. That makes it even harder to come to terms with a physical manifestation of all this seismic change.

I was officially diagnosed at about six months postpartum after taking a Google search and the word of my Pilates teacher to my GP (who had to Google it himself). I was then referred for some light-touch physio, which did not much at all, and subsequently paid for an online exercise program specifically to heal DR and other pelvic floor problems. I’m gradually, slowly, closing the physical gap, although I know my abs may never join back together completely.

maybe it’s not as blaringly obvious to others as it is to the afflicted – we obsess about our own physical imperfections, but really, no one else cares

Mentally, I’m trying to be OK with my new body – sort of like I’m coming to terms with my new life. I worry about what future pregnancies and births may do to my already fragile core – I had a forceps delivery, which, along with a big baby (she was 9lbs) is a major contributing factor to DR.

Instagrammers like Anya Hayes of @motherswellnesstoolkit and Joanna Diplock of @the_motherhood_movement are doing great work raising awareness of DR and helping women rationalise and celebrate their post-pregnancy bodies. It made me feel a whole lot better when Instagram mumfluencer Gemma Breger from @ThisIsMothership talked about her DR recently – I follow her outfit posts religiously and I hadn’t even realised she had it. That made me feel maybe it’s not as blaringly obvious to others as it is to the afflicted – we obsess about our own physical imperfections, but really, no one else cares. So I’m trying really hard not to care either – it’s a work in progress, but I’m getting there.

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Watching Love Island this summer I sat open-mouthed when contestant Anton announced to his fellow Islanders he shaves all of his body hair off – with his mum even giving him a helping hand with his hard-to-reach backside. The girls in the villa laughed at this and found it off-putting, as did I, but the reality is those girls are probably hair-less from the eyebrows down themselves. Whether we agree or not, body hair is no longer a feature of the ideal female body. I’ve worked in the magazine industry for many years, and it would be air-brushed away to meet this beauty standard. But why do we think differently when it comes to men? The episode fuelled my ongoing confusion with why us women are expected to shave, wax, pluck and even laser our way to this supposed ideal.

My confusion started when I was 13, at secondary school, when walking between classes a boy in my year pointed at my legs and shouted ‘eww look at your hairy legs’. I was so embarrassed, I went home and stole my mum’s razor and shaved for the first time. Before that day, I had never given a moment’s thought to my body hair, but social pressure made me conform.

Female body hair might be natural, but we’ve become conditioned in society to find the presence of it unnatural. It’s often labelled ‘gross’, ‘disgusting’ and even ‘unhygienic’. So much so, if it’s spotted on a celebrity it makes headlines for standing out. Just look at the media field-day it got when Julia Roberts walked the red carpet with armpit hair or Gwyneth Paltrow talked about how she prefers a 70s bush. It seems so offensive to some, but why? It’s natural!

To be more body confident when I forget to shave, and not really care what other people will think.

Let’s talk more about the hair between our legs. Popular opinion from our opposite sex is that they prefer us with minimal to no hair at all. You just have to watch the Channel 4 show Naked Attraction to see this. Now, I’m normally with Gwyneth on this one and like to rock a more natural vibe. But dating a new partner last year, I decided to join the ’Hollywood’ gang (that’s waxing the lot off) for my third date. So once again in my life, I conformed to what I thought was a social norm.

It’s refreshing to see that women are finally on the backlash. Celebrities like Adele and Ashley Graham are reported to be proud of their body hair. Miley Cyrus is often spotted rocking the au natural look, even dyeing her armpit-hair pink, and Instagram is full of pictures of women embracing their body hair with hashtags like #bodyhairisbeautiful. My beautiful sister-in-law even gave me a shock, when she flashed her arm-pit hair at me and proudly told me she’d stopped shaving. And it was great to see earlier this year, a razor advert finally got real, as Billie’s razor advert showed not only arm and leg hair but pubic hair in their campaign.

These women’s collective honesty and refusal to conform to these idealistic values of what makes a woman beautiful, has made me be more honest with myself. That it’s ok that I like hair in places where others don’t. I’ll no longer be removing any of my body hair to please a man, but it’s ok to do it to please myself. To be more body confident when I forget to shave, and not really care what other people will think. To love individuality, because the world would be a boring place if we were all the same. If we all ‘just do you’ we should see a change in people’s attitudes to it. If men can go as hairy or hair-free as they please, women can too.

The post Sabine Wiesel: Let’s stop finding women’s body hair so offensive appeared first on Stories.

If you’ve ever had an issue with ingrown hairs, not worn a cami top because of body acne, avoided shorts or dresses because your thighs rub together, experienced boob sweat in a heatwave or kept your jacket on because of ‘chicken skin’ on your arms – you are not alone. These issues are so much more common than we think, and almost everyone has experienced at least one of them.

With these ‘taboo’ topics, the issue is most certainly that we’re made to feel abnormal, or somehow wrong for experiencing anything less than perfection. We’re supposed to just naturally look put together, and give off a cool, calm and collected demeanor, rather than the reality, which is us as a sweaty mess on the tube at 8am. The fact that these under-the-surface ‘beauty issues’ aren’t widely talked about merely adds fuel to our body-conscious fires.

So let’s talk about them. Let’s talk about how they affect us, and the treatments and solutions to ease our discomfort and encourage a little more confidence.

Your thighs rub together

Also know as ‘chafing’ or ‘chub rub’, this can be a pretty painful, uncomfortable reality for a lot of people, as many of us don’t have the thigh gap lots of publications would have us believe is the norm. A result of friction, it can often end with red, sore skin, and even bleeding. It makes the idea of walking anywhere an absolute no-no, and can also mean that half of your ideal summer wardrobe is out of bounds. Dresses and skirts? Only if you can wear cycle shorts underneath. Shorts? Forget it.

There are two options here. Keep the area dry by dusting powder on your inner thighs. Baby powder is great for this, but another option you may already own, or be more likely to carry around in your handbag, is a light translucent powder. This will reduce the friction and pull on your skin, and soak up any moisture, allowing for a seamless glide. Your other choice is to apply a balm to the area, which also gives your thighs that elusive gliding effect. Decleor’s Cica Balm has anti-inflammatory cica, while Australian Bodycare Balm has tea tree oil to soothe irritated skin.

You have ‘chicken skin’ on your arms or legs

Keratosis pilaris, aka ‘chicken skin’ occurs when keratin protein congests the hair follicles on your body. It usually occurs on your upper thighs and upper arms, and is recognisable by many red dots, sometimes raised. It’s most common in those who suffer from dry skin, though anyone can have it as the exact cause is still not known. It can also be exacerbated by sweating, making sports and summer a bit anxiety-inducing if you suffer from it.

There’s no all-out ‘cure’, but the condition can be managed by exfoliating acids to help reduce the keratin build up. Try Alpha-H Liquid Gold Resurfacing Body Cloths, for an easy yet effective treatment. They’re infused with the signature Liquid Gold blend of glycolic acid and botanicals, with a textured side to gently buff away dead skin cells, and a smooth side to smooth and hydrate the skin.

If you want to try products you already have on your bathroom shelf, you most likely already have skincare with ingredients that can help, such as a toner or serum. Ren Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic is a toner that contains chemical exfoliant.

Follow your exfoliant with a skin-smoothing formula such as Decleor’s Cica Oil, or M.Asam Retinol Intense Body Cream, as the retinol can help smooth the look of bumpy or uneven skin.

Ingrowing hair

Anyone who practices hair removal will know the irritation of ingrown hairs, caused by hair getting caught in skin before it can grow out of the follicle, so it grows into the skin rather than out. If you have sensitive skin that gets irritated by shaving, or curlier hair that has a tendency to grow back on itself, you’ll know this pain more than most. Summer can be a minefield for those prone to ingrown hairs – think more regular hair removal and more areas of skin on show.

Both shaving and waxing can lead to ingrown hairs, and the only way to completely eliminate then is to not remove hair in the first place (though the occasional one may still turn back on itself and grow into the skin), or to opt for laser hair removal, a more expensive but worthy solution.

If neither of those are the option for you, the best way to manage ingrowing hairs is to regularly exfoliate. This will reduce dead skin cells and therefore reduce the risk of hairs getting caught. Both manual and chemical exfoliators are great for this, and should be used every day.

Use a manual exfoliant in the shower (Rituals Body Scrub smells amazing, while Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Body is great if you have sensitive or dry skin), or a chemical exfoliant immediately after showering (try Jane Scrivner Skinfoliate, or Pixi Glow Peel Pads which are super easy and quick – perfect for travelling), as your pores will be open and more receptive to dead skin removal.

Another tip is to use a soothing cream immediately after hair removal (Decleor have a gel designed specifically for this, or use a product with soothing ingredients such as aloe vera) which will reduce inflammation, and if shaving, shave in the direction of hair growth for less irritation on the skin. Also ensure your razor blade is in good condition – Gillette recommends replacing your razor blade every one to two weeks if you shave daily, or every four to six weeks if you shave twice a week.

Under-boob sweat

No matter what bra size you wear, it’s likely you will have experienced this to some degree. If its hot outside and you’re wearing a bra, chances are you’ll get the boob sweats. However those with bigger breasts will know better than most the fear of the under-boob sweat patches, and the uncomfortable stickiness and chafing that can come with it. Not only that, but this can actually cause skin sensitivity, and become susceptible to fungal infections if not kept in check.

The best thing to do is use antiperspirant. That’s right, antiperspirant isn’t just for your underarms – you can actually use it anywhere. It’s designed to prevent sweat from leaving your glands, so it’s perfect for anywhere you sweat. However if your skin is feeling sensitive already from chafing or rubbing, antiperspirant may not be the best option, as it won’t be all that gentle on irritated skin (though Australian Bodycare’s Deodorant is super gentle). Another option, as with thigh rub, is to use powder to soak up moisture and create a barrier. And if you’re worried about infections or want to soothe irritated skin, be sure to use an antibacterial wash like Australian Body Care’s Skin Wash to keep the area clean and fungi-free.

Body acne

If spots on your back, shoulders, chest or buttocks are making you feel that you can’t fully embrace swimsuit season, you’re not the only one. We urge you to don that bikini anyway, but also understand it’s something you’d just rather not have to deal with.

Put simply, acne on the body is exactly the same as acne on the face – it can be hormonal, and can also be caused by blocked pores from oil or sweat. Luckily, it can be treated in much the same way too, with the same spot-fighting ingredients. The most effective of these is salicylic acid, as it helps to dissolve the bonds that stick the skin together, breaking up impurities and clearing pores, so it’s great for targeting excess oil and clearing blackheads. It’s both an exfoliant and an anti-inflammatory, so it will help clear congested skin while reducing redness and inflammation. Plus, the skin on your body is less sensitive than your face, there’s way less worry about overdoing it.

AHAs are also worth using, and again you may already have these in your skincare stash. If you’re short on time and want to combine your exfoliant and moisturiser, Gatineau’s AHA Body Lotion has natural fruit acids to gently exfoliate. And again, be sure to keep the area as clean as possible with an antibacterial shower gel. An option for hard-to-reach areas such as the back is an antibacterial spray, while wipes are great for when you’re out and about.

The post The ‘taboo’ summer beauty problems no one talks about, and the products to help solve them appeared first on Stories.

So to help you through those heatwaves we’ve pulled together our guide to the beauty ‘knights in shiny packaging’ everyone should be investing in this season.

The post The beauty saviours you need to survive summer appeared first on Stories.

This season the trend for tropical beauty is going nowhere. Not only are our senses in luck with a mix of amazing fruity scents that transport us instantly to sun, sea and sand, there’s also an abundance of products powered by tropical fruit ingredients. So whether you’re jetting off this summer or staying put, make sure you always have that happy holiday mood with these tropical picks.

The post The tropical beauty products giving us high-summer feels appeared first on Stories.

Although calming scents and soothing formulas probably won’t solve the reason for your stress, never underestimate the power of some T.L.C to put things into perspective and soothe your mind. We’ve selected some stress remedies that can help you on your way to a calmer you, encourage you to take a break and clear your head, and engage your senses to bring you back into the moment – even when you feel up against it.

The post Need to de-stress? Try these heroes appeared first on Stories.

Rebecca Fearn is a freelance beauty journalist living in London. She is a Glamour magazine alumni, and now writes for titles such as Dazed Beauty, Refinery29, ES Magazine, and Bustle. You can find her on Instagram (@beautyandtheb). Here she discusses the issue of palm oil in beauty…

Palm oil is a big beauty buzzword right now, but for all the wrong reasons. I attempted to eliminate it from my beauty routine entirely…

I’m always striving to be more eco-conscious in my beauty routine, and life as a whole. From avoiding plastic packaging like the plague, to shopping vegan and organic formulas – as for many of us – it’s on my mind more than ever. But unfortunately, one thing we can’t seem to avoid is palm oil. It’s everywhere we turn these days; in our food, our cleaning products, and our beauty bits. Avoiding the ingredient in beauty products has become the ultimate challenge, because truthfully, our options are limited. So is it really possible to find a beauty routine sans palm oil? And if not, what does the beauty industry need to do to make things better going forward?

Let’s begin by taking a quick crash course in what palm oil actually is, and how it is used in the beauty products on our shelves. Palm oil is derived from the fruits of African oil palm trees, which grow in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. It has been used as a staple food crop for over 5000 years, but was first largely sought after by British traders after the industrial revolution, who wanted to use it as an industrial lubricant for machinery. Ever since then, palm oil has commonly featured in everyday items across the world, including cosmetics, where it is used as an emulsifier and a surfactant. 

However, palm oil is an area of concern for environmentalists, as it has a huge impact on nature and communities in the countries it is produced. In order to grow the large amounts of palm oil required for the demand of it, space is required – and I’m talking a lot of space. Green Peace reveals that shockingly, an area the size of a football pitch is torn down in Indonesia’s rainforest every 25 seconds for palm oil plantations. Malaysia is in a similar position, and this all comes at a huge cost to the environment. Natural habitats are destroyed, and animals such as orangutans are forced out of their homes to make room. According to Green Peace, we now lose 25 orangutans a day because of palm plantations. High street beauty retailer Lush also points out that this land-grabbing affects indigenous peoples as well as animals, and human rights abuses are rife.

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Streaky legs, patchy elbows, random dots and orange palms – we’ve all been there. To beat all of these fake-tan fails, we’ve gathered some of the leading tanning experts along with some of our own tried-and-tested advice, to help you avoid and conquer…

Your tan has gone patchy

The best way to avoid an uneven tan is to keep your skin in as good condition as you can, with regular exfoliation and moisturising. However, if you’re struggling to keep up with the maintenance, ensure you exfoliate about three days before you plan to tan. This will remove any dead skin cells and ensure your skin is a smooth canvas for application.

Exfoliation is also important to keep your tan fading evenly. After tanning, use a gentle exfoliator every two to three days to make sure the colour doesn’t stick more in some areas than others. For this exfoliation, avoid a salt or oatmeal scrub as this can be too harsh – try a formula with natural exfoliating ingredients, such as Rituals Body Scrub.

Prevent your tan adhering too much to ‘problem areas’. Tan expert Jules Von Hep advises extra moisturising immediately prior to tanning on ‘hands, elbows, knees and feet, as well as your nails’. For those with fair hair, Jules has an extra tip: ‘add a light layer to your hairline and eyebrows to stop them from absorbing tan and changing colour’. Another good tip is to not apply product directly onto these problem areas, but rather use what’s left on your mitt to sweep over once you’ve finished tanning.

Patches and streaks can also be caused by not using enough product. Generally the guide is about one pump per limb, but don’t be afraid to use more. Using more product won’t make the colour darker, it will merely ensure an even and thorough application.

You’ve got brown dots on your legs

It’s happened to all of us: those unsightly brown dots on your legs where the tan has settled itself into your pores. How to avoid it? This is usually due to one of two things. First of all, hair removal. You should ideally shave a day in advance, or wax one to two days in advance, depending on how long your skin takes to settle.

If you still find it’s an issue, or you couldn’t plan in advance and absolutely had to shave your legs that same day, Jules has another great tip to shrink your pores: ‘blast your skin with cold water’ he advises, ‘it will reduce the chance of them getting blocked’.

You don’t have time to tan

If you need a quick bronzing hit, a instant tan or fast-developing formulas give quick colour pay-off. Or why not tan while you catch up on your beauty sleep? A recent rise in tanning innovations has seen several hybrid tanning and skincare treatments that are designed to develop overnight, so you wake up with both a subtle colour and glowing skin.

When speeding up the development and drying process, help appears in the most unlikely form: your hairdryer. If you’re really pushed for time, tanning expert James Harknett says ‘use your hairdryer on a warm setting to speed up the developing process – it will activate the DHA faster so you’ll get the same colour in less time.’

Tan-Luxe founder Marc Elrick also advises using your hairdryer ‘to blast cool air over your tan to help it dry’. He also suggests lightly dusting on some powder before getting dressed, to soak up excess moisture and keep your skin from sweating off your tan as it develops.

Fix those errors

If you do find a little extra product has clung to a dry patch of skin, a quick fix is to use an acid-based toner or treatment – Pixi Glow Tonic and Alpha-H Liquid Gold both contain glycolic acid, making them the perfect choice. Use it to dampen a cotton pad or an earbud, depending on the area size, and rub across the area you want to lighten. The acid has exfoliating properties that will help to remove the top layer of colour, meaning your error will become a lot less noticeable.

Using a mitt will save you from any orange hand disasters, but if you do get any fake tan on your palms, use a scrub and gently rub between your palms, then rub off using a make-up wipe. The last thing you want to do is use water, as getting any other part of your skin wet could cause the tan you’ve just applied to wash off or go streaky..

Make your tan last

Making your tan last, and last well, comes down to maintenance. Be sure to keep your skin well-moisturised, as this will ensure your tan fades evenly and doesn’t cling on long to drier areas of your skin. Every two days, use a gentle exfoliator to slough away dead skin and prevent your tan from fading unevenly. It’s also advisable to keep away from body washes and lotions containing oil, as oil-based products will cause your colour to fade faster. For a simple way to multitask your tan maintenance, use a gradual tanning moisturiser to keep skin hydrated and refresh your colour at the same time.

The next time you’re ready to self-tan, keep these tips close to hand and you can’t go wrong. Need some inspiration? Check out our favourite products for the job below.

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