The following is an excerpt from the Glow Journal Podcast. You can listen to the full interview now on iTunes and Spotify.
Holder of the skincare secrets once reserved for the likes of Lady Gaga, Kate Moss and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, James Read is opening the vault and answering your questions.
Widely credited as the man responsible for turning false tanning into a trend, James Read was the world’s first tanning expert. Having opened the world’s first standalone tanning salon and working for brands including L’Oréal Paris and Saint Tropez, 2012 saw the tanning guru launch his namesake brand- James Read Tan.
With the celebrity tanning expert at our disposal, it would have been remiss of me not to ask some of your most pressing tanning questions. Here are James’ top tips for a flawless tan, every time.
Gemma Watts: How should you prepare for a spray tan?
James Read: Always wax and shave 24 hours before. Moisturise on the day of tanning, but the therapist will do that for you. The hands, feet, elbows and knees [are the most important areas to moisturise]. If you’re going to shave after you’ve tanned, use an electric razor as it won’t remove the tan, just the hair. Moisturise daily after you’ve tanned, and exfoliate after three to four days to help the tan fade evenly. If you’ve over-tanned, or if your tan has gone too dark, go to the gym and use the steam room- that will take down your tan. Sit in there for 15 minutes. If you sit in there for 30 or 40 minutes, and then come out and wipe your skin with a towel, it will remove the whole tan.
The trick to tanning is moisturising. If you moisturise the next day, it will make it last longer. The longer you leave the tan on, the longer the tan will last. Get your therapist to layer your tan, so they don’t miss any bits.
G: What’s the most common tanning mistake people make, either in salon or at home?
J: Over-tanning, and tanning over the top of an old tan. If you put tan over the top of an old tan, the old tan fades and it makes the new tan look patchy. It’s a tanning disaster! Whenever I tan a celebrity, I take some wet wipes with me- I love the Mecca ones. You just rub them over the areas where you think the tan will gather, and it removes the tan. You don’t always see the old tan until you’ve applied the new tan.
G: If we’re tanning at home, how do we choose the best formula for our skin?
J: If you’re a first-time tanner, a tan virgin, go for the Sleep Mask Face & Body because it’s super easy to use. You apply it with a tanning mitt for the body, and apply the face tan as you would a night moisturiser- it dries instantly. We’ve got a new one out at the moment, called the H2O Tan Drops, which are sold out in almost all stores. They’re water based, so they’ve got Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera Water and Rose Water, and you put them in your moisturiser, your day and night creams, your SPF, your foundation. You use two or three drops for a glow, three to four for a medium tan and five to six for a darker tan. If you use them every other day, you’ll prolong your tan. When you put them in a product, it doesn’t compromise that product- it won’t compromise your moisturiser, your foundation, your BB cream, your SPF. It works with it and allows you to customise your tan. You decide how dark you want to be.
G: Number one tip for at home tanning?
J: Always use a tanning mitt. If you’re using a spray, do it in front of the mirror and stand on a towel. Never over-apply. If you’re going to bed with it on, you don’t want it to feel sticky. You don’t want your boyfriend thinking “Oh my god, you’ve ruined the sheets!”
To listen to the full interview with James, subscribe to the Glow Journal podcast now on iTunes or Spotify.
Thanks for the tips James!