AFTERSUN TAN EXTENDER
The key to prolonging a tan is a good after sun: to maintain a glow, skin needs oil AND moisture (as well as cooling, if you’ve slightly overdone things – and it’s easy to do).
One of our winners below also incorporates a tan accelerator, for prolonging the glow – but our verdict is that they’re all worth making suitcase space for. One last snippet of advice? Once your home, we always suggest using a good scrub every other day – read about the best, following our testers’ trials, here…
GOLD AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Air Soft
We’ve also given this Gold winner our ‘Beauty Steal’ Award; our former strict price ceiling of a tenner, to qualify for that accolade, has been busted by beauty inflation – and tried-and-trusted Hawaiian Tropic is most definitely a ‘mass’ brand. HT are big on ‘ribbon’ formulations, which swirl together two different elements of the product: this blends cooling aloe gel with moisturising lotion, for non-greasy, non-sticky, 24-hour moisturisation. The scent – which testers really, really liked – is based around coconut and papaya. (It’s PETA-certified, too.)
£7.40 for 180ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘A game-changing product for me, creamier than my usual aftersun, but soaks into my skin just as fast, leaving my skin feeling hydrated for the entire night and my skin is ready for more sun the next morning’ • ‘I did not get any dry skin at all while using the product and my tan has lasted well; I think it also prevented peeling. The best thing about it is the smell’ • ‘Light, refreshing product with a gorgeous summery scent – so good without being overpowering’ • ‘Comes out of the bottle easily and it is easy to dispense the right amount. I loved the light consistency and it applied smoothly, leaving skin feeling soft and not sticky’ • ‘ I have very fair Scottish skin, so my tan doesn’t usually last long due to the fact we don’t have the sun for that long! But I did burn one day; next morning the redness was definitely less noticeable, and I didn’t peel. I continued to use it for the next couple of days afterwards to prevent peeling and would definitely buy this again to take away on holiday’ • ‘‘I got a slight red patch on my shoulders - this lotion calmed them down immediately. There was no tightness and by morning the redness had gone, and I had turned a lovely golden brown colour. It did extend the life of my tan and I only needed to apply very three days or so’ • ‘It’s one of those scents that would instantly whisk you right back to your holiday in Spain next to the pool! unfortunately my memories were more lying outside the back door fighting off wasps, being asked to make toasties by a couple of teenagers – but memories are memories, hey!!’
£7.40 for 180ml - click to buy
SILVER AWARD Gatineau Tan Accelerating Lotion
So… here is an AFTER-sun lotion which, um, you start to use BEFORE you even head for the sun, to prep and boost tanning, as well as prolonging that golden glow. Its secret is a ‘melanin-activating complex’ to kickstart the tanning process long before you hit that sun lounger, as well as Mélatogénine, ‘to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles’. The hydrating formula – which this trusted French brand tells us is a bestseller – features grapeseed oil, narcissus bulb extract (to improve skin elasticity), sweet orange to help combat premature photoaging, antioxidant vanilla and soothing allantoin. NB We were slightly taken aback by the decidedly luxe price of this product! And please be aware: while it may ‘prep’ your skin for the sun, there’s SPF – so you’ll still need a dedicated product for protection.
£58 for 400ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
I found this to be better than my usual product as it easily absorbs into skin and keeps my skin hydrated for 24 hours. The lotion smells great and extended my tan by an astonishing five weeks!’ • ‘Goes on smoothly, nice texture and it is not sticky or have a horrible smell; a little goes a long way’ • ‘Quickly absorbs into the skin to leave a light and non - greasy finish; results in my skin’s condition and the depth of tan are terrific. My tan sticks around for much longer and no peeling’ • ‘It left my skin glowing and looking healthy. It is very smooth and sinks in quickly, with a nice smell’ • ‘A body moisturiser that supports tanning, will help give you a nice tone to your colour and make it last longer. I applied this every day for a week before a holiday, every day during the holiday for a week and for a week after and I would say it helped my tan develop a nice colour – I wouldn’t say it made my tan darker, or stronger, but supported it with a nice golden tone. I would also say that it helped extend my tan, I felt like it lasted a few more days longer than it would usually’ • ‘I would buy this and would recommend to my friends and it’s a must for anyone who likes to be tanned.’
£58 for 400ml - click to buy
BRONZE AWARD and BEST NATURAL Dr. Hauschka After Sun
An all-natural cool-down, from a pioneering brand which was one of the very first names in natural skincare and has kept pace with the times. (We’ve been featuring winners from Dr. Hauschka in these Awards for 27 years, but they actually go back to 1967!) This light lotion is botanically boosted by marigold and anthyllis extracts, along with almond oil, shea butter and rose wax ‘to provide intensive moisturising care and prevent your skin from drying out.’ Carrot oil, rosehip and extracts of ice plant and quince seeds are incorporated, to leave skin satiny-smooth.
£26 for 150ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I have very sensitive skin on my chest and neck and always get heat rash. This aftersun was an amazing find for me; it not only soothed my skin after being in the sun, but it also calmed any irritation from the heat rash taking away the prickling sensation and also the redness. I will never go away without this product now’ • ‘The texture was perfect... It wasn't runny or too thick and went onto the skin very easily; it stayed on the skin just enough to feel it was really working but was absorbed enough that you could get dressed immediately’ • ‘A woody scent, almost the smell you get when you walk into a sauna; I am much more of a fresh fragrance person for preference, but when used on holiday it was almost a welcome relief from the “suntan cream” smells’ • ‘A great natural aftersun that is incredibly hydrating, cooling and smells wonderful. I have used an aloe-based after sun for years, but moving forward, I would be more inclined to purchase this after sun; along with its wonderful cooling ability and soothing scent, it just applied so well to my skin, giving instant relief and hydration with no tackiness’ • ‘I would purchase this just to soothe hot tired legs and feet, never mind as an aftersun’ • ‘I like everything about it. Gives my skin a radiate glow, absorbs really quickly and isn’t sticky or greasy to touch. I usually use a nivea aftersun and much prefer this product to my previous one, it’s just much more pleasant to use and for me skincare is very much about results and the feel-good factor.’
£26 for 150ml - click to buy