There was a time when self-tanning either involved skin cancer caused by either sun-beds, or funky sunless tanning products and treatments that left you looking more orange than bronze. According to Dr. Lamees Hamdan of SHIFFA Beauty, a clean line of beauty products inspired by ancient Arab rituals, this was the reason why women from this region have stayed away from self-tanners. “Most Arab women are looking for a healthy, reddish tan, and most self-tanning products and treatments give a more brownish tan, without the peachy undertones, because they were made for type 1 skin (pale white skin) which naturally have reddish undertones,” she says. In the past few years, things have changed; there are now sunless tanning options that actually contour your body with a beautiful faux glow instead of leaving you with streaks.
Leading the way was London-based new-age beauty expert Amanda Harrington who has come up with a method of tanning that is called “Bespoke Body Contouring.” A former professional spray tanner, Harrington says: “In 2002, I had an asthma attack whilst with a client, and I thought that there must be a better, safer sunless option to tanning. So I committed to finding formulas that I could use and ultimately create myself.”
Her concierge service, InParlour, will match colors to your body type and the best part is that all her products are made without alcohol, containing instead ingredients such as vitamin A, hyaluronic acid and coenzyme Q10, which are found in skincare products. Of course, as traveling to London might not be an option right now, you can use her at-home products (which come in three shades and are available on Net-A-Porter). Her products give you the glow, minus the side effects.
“Most Arab women are looking for a healthy, reddish tan, and most self-tanning products and treatments give a more brownish tan, without the peachy undertones,”
Harrington says: “One of my first regular customers with whom I’ve been working with for 18 years is a beautiful Arab woman; she was the real inspiration behind the creation of my Natural Olive shade. My experience with her and with many other Arab women got me to use a slightly different technique; a lighter base color, followed by tinted layers of very clever muscle-based contouring techniques to hone and define the silhouette.”
Done in Moderation
New York-based Lebanese-Syrian beauty influencer Wafaa Debs (aka Beauty Gypsy), who has been using self-tanners for many years, says: “I do feel that Arab women are recently starting to use it more in order to avoid sun damage and keep their skin youthful and glowing. In addition, there are now more options of self-tanning creams for olive-toned skin. In the past, these products were solely made for women that were fair skinned.”
She suggests that you use products that have a green base, such as products by St. Tropez and Sisley, which work well on Arab skins.
Though she has not tried using tanners as a body contour, she recognizes that the idea might be appealing, saying: “I can definitely see Arab women using this technique, especially since they love face contouring, so this would not be too far off. In addition, Arab women have been very on-trend (if not being trendsetters themselves) in the beauty world recently. A prime example of this is Huda Beauty where contouring has become both the trend and the norm.”
“I do feel that Arab women are recently starting to use it more in order to avoid sun damage and keep their skin youthful and glowing.”
And the good news is that even doctors approve of this technique. According to Dubai-based dermatologist and anti-aging specialist Dr. Radmila Lukian of Lucia Clinic – Huda Kattan is on her client list. “In this region, we are all well aware of the importance of wearing sunscreen and minimizing exposure to UV rays, but this doesn’t stop us from wanting the glow that comes from a weekend frolicking in crystal blue waters. Sunless tanning is a practical alternative to sunbathing. And like everything else in life, it should be done in moderation.”
Although homegrown beauty brands have not really explored this sunless technique, Dr. Hamdan admits that she had also never really thought of including this category in SHIFFA’s line. International brands are keeping a close eye on this region.
According to Harrington, “I would love to open a clinic in the region. I can’t say more than that. Watch this space!” Until such treatments are available in the Middle East, sunless tanning products (local e-commerce stores like Sephora and Ounass which have in stock a range of international brands), are your best option. So, this summer, do “fake (tan) it till you make it!” Just be sure to check the ingredients first.
