Best After Tan Lotion for Post-Sunbathing Hydration

Whether you are soothing sunburn or trying to extend your tan, what to put on after tanning outside is extremely important when knowing what to do after tanning in the sun.

To make your life a little easier, I have pulled together some of the best products aimed at various after-sun skincare routines. To know the best after tan lotion, you need to know what you are using the lotion for. so whether that be healing burnt skin or prolonging your tan, I have the answers for you!

Table of Contents

• Best After Tan Lotion
  • What Is the Best After Tan Moisturizer?
  • What Is the Best Tan Extender Lotion?
  • What Is the Best Moisturizer for Tanned Skin?
  • What Is the Best After Tan Lotion?
  • What Is the Best Natural Product for After Tanning?
• Final Thoughts
• FAQs

Protecting your skin is one of the most important things to do when spending time in any sort of sun or UV exposure. There are a number of ways to tan well, even with pale skin, and still keep your skin healthy and safe. Too much UV exposure without enough protection can have many detrimental results.

Not only does it cause aging in your skin, but can lead to more serious outcomes such as skin cancer. In a much more likely event, your skin will burn. Spending time in the sun’s rays and not using a suitable sunscreen, can cause burning to the skin, which will then develop into skin shedding.

Whilst people with darker sin are less prone to burning in the sun, anyone is vulnerable to sunburn. It is actually very easy to burn in the sun, and sometimes we can burn even if we think we are being safe. In fact, even when you are simply tanning and haven’t burnt, it is important to look after your skin.

So, what to do after tanning in the sun is crucial to continuing healthy skincare. Many people believe having a cold shower after tanning can help soothe the skin,  and whilst this is correct to an extent, it is not going to hydrate your skin and keep it moisturized in the way that your skin will need.

Best After Tan Lotion

What Is the Best After Tan Moisturizer?

After tanning, it is extremely important to keep your skin hydrated. The sun dries out your skin which will eventually lead to peeling if skin isn’t moisturized enough. This is the case whether you burn or tan, so it is important for everyone to find a moisturizer suitable for you.

Coming in at the top for the best after tan moisturizer we have Hempz Pomegranate Herbal After Tan Lotion. As the name suggests, this is a pomegranate infused Moisturizer and it smells absolutely divine.

The lotion is enriched with 100% pure organic hemp seed oil which provides nourishment to help improve the health of your skin. Not only does the hemp seed oil hydrate the skin, but the formula also contains shea butter and ginseng – both excellent natural skin hydrators and soothers.

Hempz lotion is also packed full of Vitamins A, C and E which help increase skin health and recovery whilst also being great for your immune system.

Overall this product provides an extremely delicious smell, alongside many skin health benefits. It is extremely affordable and can be bought in a double pack to save you even more money!

If you have noticeably dry skin, mature skin, or sensitive skin, you can opt for Hempz Natural Triple Moisture.

This product has less of a scent, but provides an even deeper moisturizing experience, helping to promote skin health and hydration for those that need it most.

With no added fragrance, this product is also excellent for those with more sensitive skin or anyone who likes to stick to the most natural versions they can find. This product is actually 100% vegan, gluten and THC free making it one of the most raw products available.

In fact, Hempz Lotions come in a range of different smells and scents, making it perfect for just about everyone. You can find a lotion that suits you and your smell, whilst also knowing that it is a good, reliable brand that is going to provide the moisture and health that your skin needs.

Pros and Cons

• Range of smells
• Hydrating and nourishing
• Affordable
• 100% vegan
• Certain products contain added fragrance and coloring

What Is the Best Tan Extender Lotion?

If you have spent some time over the summer working on your tan, the last thing you want is for it to fade within weeks. A good tan takes a lot of time and patience, and so finding a way to secure the tan for as long as possible is really what most of us want.

Whilst staying hydrated and moisturized during tanning is important and helps prolong your tan, you can also purchase lotions that aim to extend your tan.

Australian Gold Lock Tan Extender is an incredible lotion designed to help your tan stick around for as long as possible.

This lotion works by conditioning the skin to help lock in the color. It not only extends the life of your tan, but it seals in moisture to give you a much smoother complexion and leaves your tan glowing.

Keeping your skin hydrated after tanning is important because it stops the top layers of skin from drying out and shedding off. The drier the skin, the more it will begin to shed away, slowly removing the layers of skin that obtain the tan.

Not only does this lotion lock in your tan and keep you moisturized, it also contains vitamin E and aloe vera, both of which are excellent for soothing and cooling skin that has been exposed to or damaged by the sun.

This makes the product fantastic for both prolonging your tan, but also helps to treat any sun damage or sunburn caused by too much UV exposure.

Finally, the product contains Australian Gold’s signature smell. A delicious, beachy smell giving hints of cocoa butter and coconut to leave you feeling hydrated, smooth, tanned and smelling like vacation!

Pros and Cons

• Moisturizes the skin
• Contains healing agents for sunburn
• Appealing smell
• Prolongs your tan
• Lotion is white so needs to be rubbed in properly

What Is the Best Moisturizer for Tanned Skin?

Similarly to using a tan extending lotion, many people opt for an intense moisturizer after tanning. This works in a similar way, however instead of focusing on extending the tan, it focuses on keeping the skin hydrated and healthy – both methods will help prolong your tan and give pretty similar results.

Gold Bond Ultimate Overnight Moisturizer is by far the best moisturizer for tanned skin. Not only is it extremely affordable, but by using it at night you are allowing your skin to absorb all of the goodness from the lotion.

It is a thick cream containing hyaluronic acid and antioxidants, such as melatonin, to revitalize your skin and lock in the moisture whilst you sleep. The formula is aimed at providing an extremely deep and rich hydrating experience for your skin.

The brand claims that the lotion penetrates through 10 surface layers of skin for intense hydration. This makes it perfect for those who have spent time in the sun, as your skin is likely to be dehydrated and, as mentioned, keeping the surface layers of the skin hydrated is crucial when maintaining a tan as it prevents them from becoming dry and shedding.

Alongside these benefits, the cream has a calming scent which helps to soothe your skin and relax you, providing you with a wonderful night’s sleep. So, not only is it the best moisturizer for tanned skin, but it is one of the best overnight moisturizers on the market.

Pros and Cons

• Affordable
• Calm and relaxing to help promote good sleep
• Hydrates up to 10 layers of surface skin
• Locks in moisture
• Hydrating formula
• Should be used at night to allow the full effects

What Is the Best After Tan Lotion?

Now that we have covered various forms of moisturizer that helps those with tanned, or burnt, skin, there is one final lotion which, having relied on for many vacations in the sun, definitely deserves the spot of best after tan lotion.

Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion with 100% Pure Aloe Extract is a fantastic lotion for those who have spent a lot of time exposed to the sun.

Aloe vera is one of the best, natural, cooling agents for sun damaged skin and whilst Vaseline is an extremely trusted brand with many moisturizers on the market, this one is particularly fantastic for soothing burnt and tanned skin.

It is clinically proven to keep dry skin healed for 3 weeks after being trialed in the ‘Moisturization Efficacy Study’. This lotion contains microdroplets of Vaseline petroleum jelly to lock in moisture and absorbs quickly into skin without leaving a greasy feeling.

It is extremely fast absorbing, making it the perfect product to use at any point during the day without being left sticking before wearing clothes. The lotion has been proven to moisturize deeply within the first application for skin that looks visibly healthier.

It has no overpowering scent, and having also applied it many times to my face it is excellent for face, hand, and full body usage without any impact on sensitive skin.

Pros and Cons

• Reliable brand
• Deep hydration
• Soothing formula
• Quick absorption
• No recorded cons

What Is the Best Natural Product for After Tanning?

As mentioned, aloe vera is an extremely effective soothing agent for skin that has been exposed to the sun. Aloe vera is the best after tan product you can use.

If possible, extracting aloe vera gel directly from an aloe vera plant is the most natural way to use aloe vera on burnt skin, and the effects are wonderful.

Aloe vera is quick absorbing, particularly for skin that has been very dried out, and so it is easy to use and the natural qualities of the product mean that it is perfect for all skin types without having any harsh side-effects.

Not only is this the best organic remedy for burnt skin, but it is the most affordable product for after tanning as it is completely free!

However, if you are unable to extract your own, you can purchase 100% organic aloe vera gel in many forms and this will do the exact same thing for your skin.

Whilst aloe vera is naturally hydrating, it does not contain the creamy, moisturizing effect that many lotions have, however using pure aloe vera gel before applying a moisturizer can be a wonderful way of healing your skin from being in the sun, and then following this up with a long-lasting moisturizer to really lock in not only the tan, but your skin’s health.

Pros and Cons

• Natural
• Free if from a plant
• Suitable for all skin types
• Absorbent
• May need to be applied with a moisturizer for longer, creamier skin hydration

Final Thoughts

Keeping your skin hydrated after tanning is one of the most important parts of spending time in the sun. Whilst protecting your skin when in the sun is crucial, it is equally important to maintain your skin’s health afterwards as well.

There are many products on the market for this job, so choosing the one that’s right for you and your skin type is crucial.

If your skin has faced some sun damage, it is definitely a good idea to use a product with a formula focussed on helping this, containing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid or aloe vera.

Aloe vera works perfectly as one of the world’s most natural yet effective cooling agents for skin, making it perfect for aftersun care, but also for those with sensitive skin.

Whatever you choose to use, make sure you start looking after your skin as soon as you come out of the sun and try to incorporate skin hydration into your everyday routine.

Not only is this excellent for skin health and anti-aging, but it will help to prolong your golden tan and make all of those hours spent lying in the sun worth it for even longer!

FAQs