As someone who has experienced acne for more than half their life, anything that goes near my face has to be seriously vetted in advance. It’s taken years for me to get my breakout-prone skin under control, and I’ve finally figured out which cleansers will get rid of my spots, which moisturisers won’t clog my pores, and which serums I can rely on to prevent more breakouts from occurring. For this reason, my skincare routine is fairly simple and is made up of tried and tested favourites and ingredients that help to keep my skin clear. If I have to try out a new product then I only introduce one at a time – that way I know the culprit if I experience an acne flare-up…
When it comes to applying fake tan to my face, I’ve always been super wary – face tans are notorious for clogging and making pores look more obvious, and in the past I’ve experienced some bad breakouts after trying new ones. After all, most face tans are formulated to add warmth and glow to your skin, not to deliver skincare benefits. In recent years however, things have changed and these days there are some really impressive face tan formulas on the market that also help to hydrate and nourish skin while tanning – and don’t clog pores in the process. My all-time favourite is St. Tropez’s Self Tan Purifty Face Mist – I go back to it time and time again because it never triggers breakouts or makes my pores look obvious, and it also delivers a really natural, radiant glow in just one use. I find that face tan serums often build up near my hair line after a few consecutive days of application, whereas this mist is so fine that it delivers the tan really evenly across skin – no patchiness, no streaks, and no buildup.
I apply it as the very final step in my evening skincare routine, gently misting over my face, neck, and ears, and even on top of my layers of serum and moisturiser, it has an impact. So much so, in fact, that I don’t need to apply it every day – I tend to use it every other day to keep on top of my glow. On the few occasions when I’ve forgotten to apply it in the evening, I’ll spritz it on after my morning skincare routine instead and I’ll see a glow before lunchtime.
The mist goes on clear, feeling just like a regular hydrating face mist (it contains moisturising ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and saccharides), but leaving my skin with a subtly sunkissed glow by morning. The tanning effect is really natural looking because the final colour isn’t too warm toned and doesn’t lean orange. Basically, if you want a face tan that’s suitable for breakout-prone or sensitive skin, and that looks really natural, look no further.
