Last weeks post proved so popular that we decided to troubleshoot another one of your top pregnancy beauty questions.
Regular readers will be aware that US + FAKE TAN = LONG AND HAPPY RELATIONSHIP (I mean, you can read all about our fake tan obsession here, here and most importantly, here)
I discovered that I was pregnant in September 2014, one day before my best friends wedding, 48 hours before I flew to NYC for Fashion Week and five days before my 30th birthday. Due to the triple pronged celebratory events I had coming up, I was booked in for a spray tan the next morning. After initially panicking about how I was going to fake drinking for the new few months ( gin and tonic with a slice of lime, hold the tonic) I suddenly remembered my tanning appointment and started panicking. I was sure I’d read something somewhere that said spray tans weren’t advised in pregnancy. Could I? Should I? Was it too late to cancel? I turned to Google (obv) but I couldn’t find any up to date, relevant info on pregnancy and spray tans. So I sucked it up, decided to do what my day job entails, and go straight to the experts to find out the real deal.
I’m going to tell you now what James Harknett (the best spray-tanner in London and the only man to see me naked in eight years except my husbands) told me:
"It’s a well known fact that DHA (the tanning agent that reacts with the amino acids on your skin, turning it a golden brown shade) does not enter the bloodstream. It temporarily dyes the dead skin cells on the surface layer of your body. This makes it perfectly safe for all trimesters of pregnancy."
See? Turns out that had Gina Ford done the same, she would have realised that a faux glow is a bloody excellent way to disguise a pale, clammy, secretly pregnant complexion.
And when it comes to inhalation? "There have been no reports of anyone having problems due to breathing in spray tan particles but when you make your booking do check that your spray tan is being carried in a well-ventilated room, in an extraction booth. There is always the opportunity to wear a mask to avoid inhaling any spray."
HURRAH! The answer that we all wanted then, spray tanning in pregnancy is perfectly safe. Thank god for that then as it’s nearing bare leg weather and I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t have wanted my pasty preggo legs on display without a faux glow.
In case you don’t have time to get to an appointment though, here are our current fave foolproof tans that you can do from the comfort of your bathroom:
Gemma swears by this L’Oreal Paris tanner, so much so that she refuses to even try another one. It’s so simple, she applies it before bed and wakes up looking like she’s been on a weeks holiday, brunette or blonde it works on all. Sam keeps this James Read Tan Mist on her desk and her spritzs it when she’s feeling particularly pasty, by the time she’s picked Leo up from nursery it’s done it’s already done it’s job. And we had to tell you about this Sisley Self-Tanning Hydrating Face Mask, it’s pricy but O.M.G its just A-MAZING. I kid you not, it’s the best face tanner I have ever used. It doesn’t just leave skin looking tanned but it makes it look flawless, healthy, young! You just need a tiny bit of the gel-cream to do your whole face, so it will last your aaaages.
And finally, spray tanning is the safest way to tan. Please never use a sunbed, especially while pregnant.
