It’s always right around now when everyone has had just about enough of the winter and the lack of daylight that comes with it. If you’ve been lucky enough to escape the deep freeze and enjoy a few stolen moments of sunshine, you definitely want to be able to hold onto that glow for longer than you can say margarita.

Now, we’re the first to extol the virtues of sun protection and avoiding harmful rays to prevent sun damage and aging, but it’s pretty hard to deny how damn good everyone looks with sunkissed skin.

So for those of you who are fresh off the March Break Vacay train, here are the keys to maintaining that bronzed skin for as long as you can:

#1 JUST CHILL

Taking cold showers in March may be out of the question, but indulging in one hour long steamy ones is a sure-fire way to kill your tan. Although high heat water feels good on your body, it does a number on your skin, stripping it of its natural oils and protective barriers. Go easy on the temperature dial and save your skin.

#2 HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE

This doesn’t just mean moisturizing your skin; we mean DRINK UP! They key to hydrating your skin is to drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day. We’ve heard this a million times but it’s super important when your skin is already drier because of sun exposure and then being exposed to drying effects of indoor heating and cold temperatures. Because skin becomes dried out from the sun, it’s also imperative to slather skin with moisturizer head to toe. Even if you have acneic skin it’s a good idea to moisturize heavily because oil glands will kick into high gear if the skin thinks it’s going to be deprived of moisture which will then lead to breakouts.  

OUR FAVES ARE: Saatva Pure Body Butter in Rosemary Mint, and Super Rich Repair from Dermalogica

 

#3 EXFOLIATION NATION

Maintaining a gentle but consistent exfoliation regimen for face and body will help slough off dead cells and prevent scaly looking dry skin. Using a scrub with an oil base leaves skin gleaming and baby soft.

OUR FAVES ARE: Saatva Pure Orange Blossom Scrub and Dermalogica’s New Superfoliant

 

#4 GO FAUX THE GLOW

The average length of time it takes for your tan to fade is about 2 weeks. Unless you live the jet set life and are expecting more sun soon, self-tanners are the way to extend the life of your glow safely and easily. I’m a huge lover of UV-free tanning and whether you do it yourself at home or go for a spray tan, here a few tricks to ensure a natural looking even application:

  1. Exfoliate really well before applying.  
  2. Moisturize before applying or getting sprayed.
  3. Use Vaseline on your elbows, heels, kneecaps and palms as those areas are drier and tend to hold onto the self tanner the most.

OUR FAV IS: Vita Liberata Rapid Self-Tanning Tinted Mousse

vita-liberata-rapid-tinted-tan-mousse

Following these steps will carry your bronzed skin right through to when we actually start getting some sunshine again! Did we mention we’re excited for spring??

***

All products are available for purchase at RITUAL TORONTO
Keep up with Maria Cristina and the Ritual gang on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Featured Image: Eva Czarnocka

***

If you like what we’re doing, you can support us further by following us on 

Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and by shopping The Rebel Mama.