Does your fake tan struggle to take or fade too fast? Mine started misbehaving in my 40s, and it turns out hormones could be to blame

Friendships change as we get older. It’s inevitable. But one thing I never expected was to be ghosted by my beauty BFF: self-tan. It’s been my ride or die ever since I accepted that sunbathing on tin foil with my pale flesh smothered in olive oil was never going to end well.

But in my 40s, there’s been a shift. Even my best self tan doesn't stick around like it used to. A typical self-tan used to last a good week, but now it’s four days if I’m lucky. It doesn’t streak or make a fuss; it just fades and exits. It’s as if my skin is devouring the stuff.

Other 40-something friends have complaints, too. “It hardly lasts,” one told me, while another raised the M word. “The colour doesn’t develop as deeply, and then I seem to sweat it off at night. Is it a menopause thing?” she asked. Could self-tan really be affected by the hormonal changes of our 40s and 50s, and if so, how and why? To find out, I asked tanning and skin experts for their thoughts.

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Do hormones impact how self tan interacts with the skin?

In a word, yes, according to celebrity self-tan guru James Harknett, “From my experience, hormonal changes definitely affect how self-tan interacts with the skin. I’ve worked with some clients for many years, and some do find that self tan doesn’t last as well now they are older, or the colour doesn’t develop in the same way that it did before.”

Jules Von Hep saw the full impact of hormonal fluctuations during his time as head tanner on Strictly Come Dancing. “I was doing the same bodies with the same solutions every week, and I noticed that some weeks the tan was taking them and some weeks it wasn't,” he recalls. “Hormones affect the amino acids in the skin, and that’s what the tan is working with. So I wouldn't be surprised if the perimenopause and the menopause had an effect too.”

To dig deeper into the science, I approached award-winning aesthetics expert Dr Sophie Shotter, who echoed Von Heps' observations: “Self-tanning products are dependent on amino acids within the skin to give you their effect, particularly arginine, lysine and histidine. These react with the ingredients in self-tan to form brown compounds called melanoidins. However, as we age, levels of all of these amino acids decrease, meaning your skin will not be able to form as abundant levels of melanoidins and therefore your glow may not be as intense.”

Curious, I underwent a comprehensive hormone profile blood test at Sophie’s clinic. The results showed I hadn't hit menopause, but my oestrogen and progesterone were on the slide. Bingo. Dr Shotter told me: ‘Your dropping levels of oestrogen and progesterone mean that almost certainly the levels of these crucial amino acids have declined compared with where they were 5–10 years ago. This could certainly mean you’re not tanning as deeply as you once did when using self-tan.” So I’m not imagining it; self-tan really can go off the boil when you hit mid-life.

How to achieve a better self tan on mid-life skin

“Sometimes changing the brand really does make all the difference,” Harknett says. “However, older skins aren’t all identical, and so there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to self-tanning.”

All of the experts I spoke to agreed that it’s worth spending a little more to get a better quality of DHA, the active ingredient in tans. “I wouldn’t go near the very cheap end of the scale where you’re more likely to get poor quality DHA that gives an orange result,” says Von Hep. “I always believe that expert-led brands deliver great results because somebody behind them has worked with these formulations forever. But I don't think they need to be overly expensive. Mid-range is good. If you're going to use something frequently, it shouldn't cost the earth.”

It’s worth rethinking your prep, too. I’ve always assumed the more scrubbing and frequent exfoliation, the better. However, Harknett warns it won’t give me a deep, long-lasting tan. “Everyone comes to me and says ‘I've been scrubbing all week,’ and I'm like, ‘Great, you're lovely and smooth. However, your tan might go as deep as you want it to.’ Fake tan binds with our skin cells, and they're constantly renewing. If you’ve taken off too much, there’s less for it to bind to.” So to fake tan like a pro, ease up on the exfoliation, and make light use of an exfoliating glove or rough, dry towel for a longer-lasting tan. Beware oily scrubs which can form a tan-blocking barrier, too.

Tanning with skincare benefits is another common theme for older skin. While fake tan isn't bad for your skin, everyone I spoke to stressed the importance of added ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and oils. These help to counter the drying effect of DHA, for a more even, long-lasting tan. “There are a host of wonderful tanning products for mature skin that can really help with concerns like dehydration, and give you a glow at the same time,” says Harknett.

Von Hep, who founded Isle of Paradise, is a big fan of tanning drops to mix with moisturiser or your best smelling body lotion. “It’s easy and just a good way to keep the glow topped up rather than waiting for it to fade,” he explains.

“If your tan really isn't taking as well or not lasting, I’d recommend using a gradual tan and adding tanning drops to that 2–3 times a week. You'll get a deeper, longer lasting colour that way," Von Hep explains. This is also a good solution if you're looking for the best self tan for your face, as you can mix the drops with your regular moisturiser. "Sometimes I’ll do a ‘gradual tan plus drops’ to lift up a mousse tan or the best fake tan for pale skin I did three days ago."