How to stop Fake Tan Coming off in Pool? Tips & Tricks

Sunless tanning is the most famous way of achieving the bronze-tanned look quicker, but when summer is around the corner, you must go to the swimming pools or on the beaches for vacation. It could be a worry for your fake Tan. When you have the self-tanner applied to your body and planning to go for a holiday or swim in the pool, you must wonder how to stop fake Tan coming off in the pool or beach. Let’s dive deep into this topic and discuss if you can swim with the fake Tan and the effect of chlorine and salt water on your self-tanner.

How to stop Fake Tan coming off in Pool?

Fake tans aka gradual tans are the best alternative to traditional sun tanning and are much safer. Still, as it is a temporary tanning method, you must take care of this before and after going to the swimming pool and the beaches, as interaction with water may wash it off.

Avoid Pool or Beach

Now there are some precautions that you can take to stop fake Tan from coming off in the pool. First, you must avoid going to the pool or beach for at least 6 to 8 hours after freshly applying the Fake Tan, as the product takes time to dry and fully absorb the skin. You must avoid swimming or any water activity for the recommended time once the product is freshly applied to minimize the chances of washing off.

Water Proof Fake Tan

Some water-resistant self-tanning products are available in the market; water-resistant fake tanning products contain ingredients like Ethoxydiglycol and Dimethicone. These ingredients create a barrier on the skin, which resists the water and enhances the penetration of DHA (Dihydroxyacetone) into the skin. But these water-resistant products only work when the self-tanner is entirely absorbed into the skin, so you must wait 6 to 8 hours before it gets dried to the pool or beach.

Water Resistant Sunscreen

Waterproof sunscreen is the other product that helps stop the fake Tan from coming off in the pool. Water-repellent sunscreens contain the ingredients like Dimethicone and Polyethylene. These ingredients create a film, a physical layer that repels the water from washing off the sunscreen, eventually protecting the fake Tan from washing off. Ensure you purchase the sunscreen labelled as “Water Resistant” or “Waterproof” because every sun screening product doesn’t contain the waterproofing ability. You can only apply the sunscreen on your fake Tan once it’s completely dried and absorbed into your skin; otherwise, it will make your tan blotchy and uneven.

Avoid Rubbing With a Towel

After applying fake tan on your skin, you should never rub off your skin with a towel or any drying cloth after swimming, whether on the beach or the swimming pool.

Self-tanners stay only in the top layer of your skin, and when you rub your skin with any towel or drying cloth, it starts rubbing your fake Tan off from the epidermis and eventually removes it from the skin. So, you should only pat the skin to dry it instead of Rubbing it off.

Using Moisturizer

Using a moisturizer before swimming helps to stop fake Tan coming off in the pool or beaches while swimming. Moisturizers contain the ingredients like Natural oils, shea butter, and dimethicone to create a thin layer on the skin which protects the fake Tan from washing off. But you need to check the moisturizer before purchasing because not every moisturizer can protect from water. Look for a moisturizer that contains natural oils, such as coconut or almond oil, as these can help create a barrier on your skin that can help to protect your fake Tan.

Can You Swim with A Spray Tan? Is it safe?

Many people who wear fake tans are very concerned about the safety of their skin because many myths are famous related to the unsafety of self-tanners. People who go swimming while wearing a fake tan always wonder if it’s safe for their skin or if they can even swim with it. 

Swimming while wearing a self-tanning product does not harm your skin, so logically, it’s safe for your skin, and you can swim with it. Still, you must ensure that your self-tanner is wholly absorbed in the skin and that you have waited for the recommended time before hitting the water; otherwise, the fake tan does start to come off in the pool or beach you swimming.

Do Spray Tans come off in Salt Water?

Every person who likes to go to the beaches to enjoy the summer swimming or having fun with the surfing rides must wonder if their spray tan will come off in the saltwater or how the salt water will react with the gradual fake Tan.

Saltwater can easily dissolve the top layer of your skin where fake tan solutions are staying, so it is essential for you not to go to the beaches with freshly applied Tan. Instead, you should wait for at least 6 to 8 hours until the solution gets dried, or even if the spray is settled into the skin thoroughly, the sea’s salt water tends to make your skin dry. Your settled spray tan can start fading and streaking after dryness, so take all the precautions before hitting the ocean.

If you are moisturizing properly it will keep fake tan on when swimming on the holiday while visiting the beaches more frequently. It is also vital not to rub your skin with a towel or any other cloth after you return from swimming because it can also rub your Tan off.

Does Fake Tan go Green in Chlorine?

Not every fake Tan goes green in the chlorine, but there is always a risk of turning your fake Tan into greenish colour after reacting with chlorine. So, when DHA (Dihydroxyacetone), the highly active self-tanning ingredient, reacts with the chlorine commonly found in swimming pools, it turns the colour of fake Tan into greenish. This chemical reaction occurs primarily due to two reasons 1) The levels of chlorine are higher than average in the swimming pool water, or 2) The fake tanning solution is not entirely settled on the skin. Also the chlorine can remove the fake tan so you make sure to take proper precautions.

It would help if you always check the chlorine level in the swimming pools where you will swim when you have the self-tanner applied, and when your tanning solution is not entirely absorbed into the skin, you must avoid immersing in it the water.

Even when the pool’s chlorine level is satisfactory, and your fake Tan is thoroughly dried, you should always rinse with clean water after you come out of the swimming pool so the chlorine doesn’t stay on the skin for as long as it can start to make your Tan blotchy.

Fake Tan on Holiday

Wearing fake Tan on holiday can be a comfort, especially when you are fond of the bronzed glowing looks. Suppose you are considering getting a spray tan before a vacation. In that case, you should know that it can save you from the traditional tanning in which you have to compromise the safety of your skin with the UV rays, but it can also go sideways due to some factors like sun rays, sweating, salt water, and maybe chlorine. These factors can make your fake Tan patchy and ugly.

Avoid excessive sweating and use oils and lotions to make your fake Tan last more. Also, rinse off quickly after getting out from the salt water or pool. Applying any self-tanning product in advance, at least 8 to 12 hours before you go to the beach or any other holiday spot where you swim, is recommended. These tips can keep your Tan on holiday for a more extended period.

Conclusion

To stop the fake Tan from coming off in the pool, you must wait for your solution to dry entirely before entering the water. You can also use waterproof fake tans and sunscreens, which help to create a layer between water and your skin to protect the fake Tan. Wearing fake Tan before the holiday can make you feel comfortable and confident if you promote the bronzed Tan look, but you have to take care and follow the tips to make your fake Tan last on holidays; otherwise, it will start fading from the skin.