tan

10 TANNING TIPS FOR THE MOST NATURAL LOOKING SELF TAN

March 15, 2021 by Cheryl Clay

In need of a tan but want to avoid looking fake? Follow these fail-safe tips and tricks from Vita Liberata tanning experts to ensure you get a streak-free, natural looking tan, every time.

There’s a reason why self tan is often called a holiday in a bottle. After all, a good self tanner can have the effect of a week spent relaxing in the sun. In just a matter of hours your skin will be bronzed and glowing, leaving you looking instantly healthy and rested. What’s even better, is that by opting for a self tan over baking in the sun you’ll protect your skin from potential sun damage, helping to maintain plumper, more youthful looking skin. Win, win!

Why then do so many of us still worry about looking unnatural, streaky or blotchy when applying self tanner? Thankfully, gone are the days of self tan formulas that turn you orange. Vita Liberata tanning collection has been designed using Advoganic Technology to give you the most natural looking results. The organic formulas come in a variety of formats to make it as easy as possible to apply and to achieve the most flawless tan. There are, however, some steps you can follow to ensure you get the very best results from your tan. Follow these 10 fail safe tanning tips and get ready to glow, naturally!

1. PREPARATION

The no.1 most important step in your tanning routine is preparation. Imagine your skin as an artist’s canvas, it’s important to prepare properly to give the most flawless results. Start by exfoliating your skin with an oil free body scrub, paying particular attention to dry areas such as elbows and knees. Why oil free? Residue from oily products create a barrier on the surface of the skin preventing the most flawless results. Once you’re exfoliated, remove any unwanted hair and keep skin clean and free from any moisturiser, lotion or perfume before you tan.

2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT FORMULA

Vita Liberata designed the collection to include a variety of formulas and shades to help you choose the perfect option for your skin type. If you have drier skin, one of the hydrating tanning lotions will ensure your skin is extra moisturized and help create an even finish. If you’re after a super fast drying tan, you’ll love our range of self tanning mousses that dry in an instant and are super easy to apply. Want to avoid any transfer to clothing? Invisi Foaming Tan Water is a clear, colourless mousse which is perfect for keeping sheets clean. As there’s no guide colour to see where you’re applying we recommended moving on to this once you’ve had some practice applying one of our tinted mousses first.

3. USE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PRODUCT

One of the best tanning tips we can give you for achieving a natural looking tan is not to apply too much product. This can make for an uneven application leaving you with an unnatural looking result. A little goes a long way, and remember, if you want to go deeper you can always add more. Aim for 1-2 pumps of mousse for each arm, lower and upper leg, torso and chest.

4. USE A TANNING MITT

If you’ve ever wondered whether the tanning mitt is really necessary, then let us help you – it’s essential! The soft flock surface of the mitt allows you to evenly distribute and blend the self tan onto your skin. It also helps to protect the palms of your hand from the tan, making sure you don’t end up with unnaturally tanned hands.

5. A NATURAL HAND TAN

One of the biggest giveaways of a faux glow is over-tanned hands, wrists and palms. Notice that your skin is naturally lighter towards your wrist, and the palms of our hands don’t tan at all. When you’re tanning the inside of your arm gently blend towards your wrist, making sure not to leave a line at the base of your hand. Once you’ve finished tanning your arms use the product that’s left on the mitt to gently sweep over the top of your hand towards your fingers for a natural coverage. Finally, take a damp cloth or makeup wipe and sweep in between fingers and over the top of knuckles to remove any excess product.

6. NATURAL FEET TAN

After hands, feet are the next biggest giveaway of a sunless tan. Be careful applying too much to ankles and notice where the skin would be naturally tanned. Similar to hands, there’s no need to apply extra product to the mitt when tanning the top of your feet. Simply sweep the mitt gently over the surface and blend for a natural finish. Finally, take your damp cloth or wipe and touch up the sides of the feet and in between toes for a tan that looks like you just stepped off the beach.

7. LET THE TAN DEVELOP

If you’re using one of our lasting tans such as pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Mousse or Lotion, Fabulous Mousse or Lotion then you’ll need to let the tan develop over 4-6 hours to ensure you get the best results. During this time, you should avoid contact with water and make sure you don’t sweat as both of these can affect the development of the tan and leave you with uneven results. Some people choose to apply their tan before bed and rinse off the next morning. Top tip, wear clothing that covers your arms and legs to avoid skin sweating during the night to ensure you wake up with an even tan.

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8. DON’T FORGET ABOUT A FACE TAN

For a foolproof faux glow, make sure that you give your complexion a healthy glow too. All of the Vita Liberata tans can be used on the face and body, either on their own or mixed with your moisturiser for a more subtle glow. For a customized face tan, try our Self Tanning Anti Age Serum, simply add a couple of drops to your usual skin care before bed and wake up with a natural face glow. Looking for an instant result? Apply the instant skin perfecting and bronzing Beauty Blur as a primer under makeup, or use on its own for a glowy no-makeup look.

9. FINISHING TOUCHES

Once your tan is applied and developed, there are a few finishing touches you can add to ensure your skin is looking flawless all over. If you have an event or party to go to, our Body Blur HD Skin Finish is the perfect addition to your tan. The instant bronzing lotion will blur imperfections and add a flawless, camera ready glow – it’s like an instagram filter in a bottle!

Vita Liberata Tanning Tips body Blur application

10. MAINTAINING YOUR TAN

Not all tanning tips are about the application. How you maintain your tan is going to be key to having a glow that lasts and looks good. Thankfully, Vita Liberata products are made with deeply hydrating ingredients such as Aloe Vera, Raspberry and Melon so you can be sure your tan will fade evenly, just like a natural sun tan. To help keep your skin glowing from within remember to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and eating green leafy vegetables like Kale that are rich in L-Lysine. Want to further extend your tan? Apply our Fabulous Gradual Tan Lotion every day for extra hydration and a boost of self tan.

Now you have the tanning tips to help you create the most natural looking self tan.

THE HOTTEST LOOK OF 2020? LUMINOUS SKIN

July 22, 2020 by Sarah Dandy

After what felt like a pretty WILD ride to the start of the year, summer has officially arrived! When it comes to summer beauty, queen of the crop is glowing luminous skin. Achieving that sun-drenched, summer face & body glow is the highest beauty accolade, whether it’s going to the shops or to a garden BBQ! When done right, using the best products and applying in the right way, you can achieve a luminous, radiant skin finish that screams: “I’ve had 3 litres of water and 8 hours sleep”.

Beauty Fresh would like to introduce the New Vita Liberata Blur Luminosity. Blur Luminosity comes in two stunning shades: GOLD and ROSE. Both will have you looking like an A-List faster than you can say “I NEED that”. Below you will find everything you need to know about this favourite newcomer as well as expert hints and tips for the perfect application.

WHY IT’S MY FAVE? Says Cheryl at Beauty Fresh

Get ready for your moment to shine bright like a diamond but with zero glitter. Our record-breaking Beauty Blur and Body Blur products get the perfect summer boost with the addition of the new cream highlighter to our Blur collection. This illuminating face and body highlighter adds a romantic, rosy shimmer (ROSE) or a warm, golden sheen (GOLD) to the skin, so beautiful that it seems to glow from within.

Formulated with pearlescent pigments that reflect the light, your skin instantly is given a flawless glow on application to brighten and highlight whatever it touches. Packed full of skin loving ingredients the Blur Luminosity hydrates and conditions the skin. Added Aloe Vera provides a massive hit of hydration for your skin, which nourishes with natural enzymes and amino acids. This wonder plant also fights the signs of aging by improving the skin’s natural firmness with the help of a plethora of antioxidants including beta-carotene and vitamin C and E to hydrate, condition and soothe the skin. Skin superfood Shea Butter is naturally rich in vitamins A, E and F and provides the skin with essential fatty acids, making it incredibly nourishing. Not only that, it actually improves skin moisture retention and elasticity over time, aiding in cell regeneration AND collagen production! What’s not to love?

HOW DO I USE IT:

You can either choose to apply in tiny dots over your chosen area and blend with your fingertips, brush or beauty sponge. Add definition to your cheek and brow bone or sweep across the shoulders and décolletage for a super summer glow. Top tip: apply alone down the centre of your legs to elongate or mix in with your Body Blur for the ultimate flawless finish to add all-over radiance to your look.

Don’t stop there! Blend Blur Luminosity ROSE across your eyelids and apples of your cheeks for a dewy, blush-pink sheen or apply Blur Luminosity GOLD for the ultimate wet, molten metal look.

See you at happy hour!

Combat Sun Damaged Skin with Vitamin A

July 25, 2019 by Dave Jackson

Reverse and Rewind… How to combat sun damaged skin with Vitamin A

As with most things in life, prevention is better than cure. Sun damage is no exception, but what should you do when it’s too late? Have you spent numerous summers happily soaking up the rays with scant regard for UV protection, but what was once a golden tan has now morphed into leathery, pigmented and prematurely aged skin?

Reversing the damage can be a challenge, but you have a powerful weapon in your arsenal: Vitamin A.

‘I believe that sun damage is a disease that can be treated’, says Dr Des Fernandes, Environ founder. ‘It’s caused by a deficiency in vitamin A’. Given its extraordinary skin benefits, it’s no surprise that this vital nutrient has powerful, proven anti-ageing properties.

Vitamin A ‘normalises skin’. Admittedly, this doesn’t sound particularly exciting, but what does Beauty Fresh mean by ‘normal’ skin. It’s smooth. It’s even-toned. It’s hydrated and luminous. It shows no sign of premature ageing. Doesn’t sound quite so boring now, does it?

Vitamin A’s normalising abilities are particularly important when it comes to sun damage because there is often a lot to reverse.

Do you suffer with pigmentation marks, excessive wrinkling and a course, thickened skin?

These symptoms can manifest themselves decades after UV ray exposure, so even if you have shunned the sun and religiously slathered yourselves in sunscreen for the past ten years, your skin may tell a different story if you were less careful in your youth.

Thickened Skin
Course, leathery skin is the hallmark of sun damage. Think Donatella Versace. Photo damaged skin has a thickened stratum corneum (often referred to as the horny layer) and thinner epidermis, healthy skin has the opposite. When we’re constantly exposed to UV rays the skin tried to protect itself by thickening the horny later, resulting in a rough texture that absorbs light rather than reflecting it, making it look dull – the polar opposite of a dewy, radiant complexion that so many clients aspire to.

If you look at sun damaged skin under a microscope, the cells on the epidermis are loose, there are gaps where the collagen has been broken down, compromising its elasticity and ability to retain moisture.

Healthy skin has a thinner horny layer with ‘compacted’ cells, which means they are tightly packed together. Vitamin A has been shown to play a significant role in influencing the genes that cause epidermal stem cells to grow into fully functioning keratinocytes and mature into healthy layers of the epidermis. It increases the growth of the basal layer which is why the epidermis becomes thicker and therefore more tolerant to damaging environmental effects. Its has also been shown to compact the cells on the horny layer, helping to reverse UV damage.

Collagen Breakdown
In addition to thickening the epidermis and thinning an excessively thickened horny layer, Vitamin A also promotes collagen formation by supporting the fibroblast cells which make this essential protein. Our collagen production slows down significantly as we age, so compounding the problem with UV exposure spells disaster – goodbye plump, youthful skin, hello premature sagging and wrinkles. Applying vitamin A topically and taking it orally gives your body the building blocks it needs to make new collagen, resulting in a firmer, younger looking complexion and fewer lines. Vitamin C is also important for collagen formation, lightening and brightening the complexion.

Pigmentation Problems
Solar lentigines more commonly known as sun spots or liver spots, are another tell tale sign of too much sun and not enough protection. They occur because UV radiation damages the keratinocyte cells. These make up 90% of the epidermis and have several functions during their life cycle, one of which is communicating with melanocytes which are responsible for melanin production. When they are damaged, this communication is disrupted, resulting in either too much melanin being produced (hyperpigmentation) or too little (hypopigmentation). Vitamin A normalises this process by protecting skin from UV damage repairing rh DNA of the keratinocytes which stops it ‘telling’ the melanocytes to make more melanin and reducing the activity of tyrosinase which is ultimately turned into melanin.

Some people wonder why pigmentation marks can’t be removed with exfoliation. The reasons for this are complex, but in essence melanocytes transfer melanin to the keratinocytes in the lower layers, which then carry it up to the surface of the skin. However, if the melanocyte’s DNA is damaged by UV exposure it will keep ‘giving’ the keratinocytes too much melanin. This cycle will continue until it’s been normalised with vitamin A.

Vitamin A is fundamentally the most important molecule in addressing sun damage and anti-ageing. There is simply nothing else like it!

Visit Beauty Fresh for your Advanced Nutrition Programme Vitamin A >>>

In Review; Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Moisture Lock

Posted: November 12, 2019

Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Moisture Lock A glowing, hydrated complexion provides the perfect canvas for party season make-up, but seasonal changes can leave skin feeling the polar opposite. Skin’s Natural Moisturising Factors and ceramide levels decrease, partly due to the effects of all that cosy central heating. As if this wasn’t bad enough, we have […]

Happy Gut = Healthy Skin

Posted: October 22, 2019

Do you want beautiful, healthy skin and to support a normal, healthy gut? What we put on our skin on the outside is massively important as the wrong creams and lotions can wreak havoc and leave the skin feeling and looking very compromised. However, rebalancing the skin from the inside is going to reach cells […]

Hyaluronic Acid… Why is it an Anti-Ageing Hero?

Posted: October 15, 2019

Which looks younger – dry, dull skin or a hydrated, dewy complexion? The answer, of course, is the latter. We all know how important vitamin A is in reversing the signs of ageing, but it has a companion which takes the effects to a new level: hyaluronic acid. The chances are your clients will have […]

Daily Defence – A Routine for Autumn & Winter Skin

Posted: October 11, 2019

The hot summer days will soon make way for golden leaves and chilly Autumn breezes. Changes in weather can have a dramatic impact on skin, so now is the time to prepare before winter makes its icy appearance. Daily Defence & Damage Limitation – A Guide to Perfect Skin Sometimes you just can’t win. When […]

Moisture: A Must for Mature Skin

Posted: October 9, 2019

As we age our cell metabolism begins to slow and the skin’s barrier function weakens. You may notice loss of elasticity and moisture, leading to age-induced dryness and more pronounced wrinkles. Skin Moisture Lock combines hyaluronic acid with gluten-free wheat ceramides to help hydrate dull, lacklustre skin and reduce wrinkle depth while plumping for a […]