Maintaining Your Tan

If there's one thing you need to do, it is this. No amount of moisturizing is too much and no frequency of reapplication too excessive - just make sure your skin never even gets the opportunity to become dry because once the peeling starts, it will never stop.

Long hot baths and showers can dehydrate your skin, so stick to cool water and use a hydrating shower cream or oil instead of a more drying gel or foam.

Yes, you still need to exfoliate - dead skill cells can actually make the skin look duller and less glowy - but do so very carefully to avoid scrubbing away your tan. Ideally you will have exfoliated before you left for your holiday, so now all you need is a gentle top-up. Try using a dry body brush or an exfoliating shower sponge like those from the Konjac Sponge Company. Exfoliators with glycolic acid and salicylic acid will cause your tan to fade, as will hair removal lotions and waxing - basically they remove the top layer of skin, the tanned bit - so steer clear for now.

Staying hydrated is essential for good skin health, cell turnover and everything else associated with keeping a radiant, golden glow. The same goes for a healthy diet, especially foods rich in beta-carotene - think papaya, carrot, sweet potato and mango.