July 15, 2025, 2:13 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
The summer tan is for many the best souvenir from vacation, and it’s something to enjoy for as long as possible. To keep looking like you’ve just come from the beach, there are several tips to help your summer tan last longer.
Overview
Focus on Moisture
To maintain your summer tan as long as possible, you should keep your skin moisturized. The tanning of the skin is a protective mechanism. The sun stresses the skin, which tries to defend itself and peels—a renewal process that is slowed down with intensive care. This means: apply a lot of cream and re-oil, preferably with a light moisturizing lotion. Ingredients like urea, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and jojoba oil are particularly effective at moisturizing. Aloe vera and dexpanthenol also have a soothing effect. When showering, focus on re-oiling oils and mild, pH-neutral products.
Use After-Sun Products
Special after-sun products are ideal for caring for sun-tanned or sun-damaged skin in the case of sunburn. These products rehydrate the skin through re-oiling, counteracting peeling, and helping to maintain the summer tan longer. After-sun products should be used not only immediately after sunbathing but also for weeks afterward.
Shower Correctly
Showering too often, too long, or too hot also leads to dry skin, which in turn leads to pigment loss. This means: the summer tan is simply washed away. Avoid long, hot baths now, and instead, take short showers at moderate temperatures.
Sun Gently
Don’t lie in the blazing sun; instead, enjoy your beach day under a sunshade! It’s proven: you can tan just as well in the shade. It may be a bit slower, but it’s more sustainable and even. Double effect: in the shade, light rays are scattered, significantly reducing the amount of harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV rays). This means a lower risk of sunburn, but sunscreen still needs to be applied.
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Apply Sunscreen
Similar to sunbathing in the shade, sunscreen products with a high SPF guarantee a gentler tan that lasts longer because the skin doesn’t dry out as much. So, opt for SPF 30 or 50 instead of 12 if you want to keep your sun-kissed complexion for a long time.
Caution with Anti-Aging Products
Avoid anti-aging products with fruit acids or retinol for the face if possible. Their effect is based on removing dead skin cells faster and forming new fresh skin. This is counterproductive for the summer tan. Melanin, which colors the skin brown, is located in the outermost skin layer. These products would renew this layer faster, causing the tan to fade more quickly.
Avoid Peelings
Similar to fruit acid products, which act as a chemical peel, those with a sun tan should also avoid mechanical peelings. The small abrasive particles literally rub away the summer tan. Better: prepare the skin with regular peelings in the spring before tanning so that the pigments can work well in the summer.
Enhance Tan with Products
Use after-sun products, moisturizing lotions, and facial care creams with a self-tanner effect. This way, you can easily extend your bronze complexion by a few weeks. The good thing is: if you’re already slightly pre-tanned, small edges or spots from incorrect application of the self-tanner are not as noticeable.
Proper Nutrition
The skin should also be moisturized from the inside. This means: drink plenty, especially water or tea. Green tea, for example, contains antioxidants that protect the skin—and thus its darker complexion. A healthy diet rich in vitamins and fiber also helps improve skin quality, while sugar and too much fat are more harmful. The carotene in carrots stimulates melanin production, delaying the return to paleness.
Avoid Waxing
If you use waxing or sugaring for hair removal, consider switching to another method in the coming months to maintain your summer tan longer. Waxing removes fine hairs but also particles from the outer skin layer, causing the summer complexion to fade faster. Next time, opt for a razor or epilator to support a long-lasting tan.
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Wear the Right Colors
Gold, olive green, intense yellow, neon yellow, dark beige, and pink actually make the skin appear warmer and more tanned than it is. White or silver also enhance this effect.