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.

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Tan accelerators claim to enhance your skin’s tanning abilities and improve the depth and staying power of your tan – perfect for those who want to achieve a deeper and more even tan on their next holiday. But how do they do this? And do they actually work?

What do tan accelerators do?

Tan accelerators are designed to prepare your skin for sun exposure, enable you to tan evenly and more deeply than you usually would, and help your tan to last longer. Keeley Aydin, Elemis’ Elite Skincare Specialist says: “Tan accelerators give your skin the added resilience it needs. Your skin is tricked into thinking it’s been exposed to the sun, enabling you to tan more evenly, and helping areas that are normally harder to tan”.

Not to be used as a replacement for SPF, tan accelerators are an extra skincare step prior to sun exposure. However they could be considered an essential part of your holiday prep, as Keeley adds, they “cut down the time you need to be exposed to UV rays to get any kind of colour change”, meaning we can expose our skin less but still develop a gorgeous sun-kissed glow.

How do they work?

Tan accelerators can help you tan because they are infused with ingredients that stimulate your skin’s natural melanin production. Melanin is the pigment that gives your skin its colour, so the more melanin you produce, the darker your skin will be.

Keeley explains that one of the key ingredients in Elemis’ Tan Accelator is Tyrosine, which is “an amino acid naturally present in the body and used by skin cells to form melanin”. The presence of these ingredients encourage your body to increase its production of melanin, therefore increasing your potential to tan and the depth of colour you could achieve.

Tan accelerators are also ideal for skin exposed to the sun as they generally contain ingredients with intense moisturising properties. Elemis’ offering contains a blend of shea butter, macadamia nut oil, and jojoba oil, while Gatineau’s Tan Accelerating Lotion has vanilla, daffodil and sweet orange extracts – all soothing, hydrating ingredients that help your skin prepare for, and cope with, the dryness it may experience with consistent sunbathing. Plus, the more hydrated your skin is, the less it will shed and the longer your tan will stick around.

If you’d normally spray tan before a trip, some formulas also contain a small amount of fake tan – great for holiday prep if you’re skin is feeling a bit dull or sallow. The James Read Tan Accelerator adds a subtle tinted glow to skin after up to seven days of use, all the while prepping your skin for the sun with ingredients to boost melanin production.

What skin types are they best for?

Keeley advocates that accelerators are amazing for all skin types, as we can all “benefit from the added resilience” they offer our skin. Not only are they perfect for anyone who wants to improve upon their tan, they’re also excellent for very pale skin types, and sensitive skin types such as those prone to heat rashes.

What’s the best way to use a tan accelerator?

First of all, a tan accelerator is so easy to fit into your beauty regime – simply use in place of your usual body moisturiser. If you’re looking for a summer solution to sensitive skin, Keeley recommends using a tan accelerator “instead of a body cream or aftersun all summer – particularly in the UK when we never know what the weather is doing!”

She suggests ramping it up for occasions where you’ll be in more intense heat or putting in some dedicated sunbathing time: “If you have a holiday coming up, apply every day for two to three weeks beforehand.” To keep up the good work you’ve done in prepping your skin, she also recommends using it every evening as an aftersun.

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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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Tanning products don’t just have to mean the usual self-tanning formulas. From instant or overnight fake tan, and gradual moisturising tan, to tinted face creams and products to help safely bring out your natural glow, we’re always on the look out for innovative new formulas. These are the latest you’re going to want to try.

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