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Tanning drops don’t just give you a winter glow – they conceal problem skin, too | Sali Hughes on beauty

From dull skin and rosacea to melasma, fake tan can help manage the appearance of skin conditions – and boost your confidence

During a recent meeting with the brilliant consultant dermatologist Emma Craythorne, I showed her some old photographs of my once-extreme melasma (large brown patches often triggered by hormonal changes), before and after I’d applied self-tan on the surrounding areas only (covering the dark patches with lighter concealer just turns them grey; levelling up the paler areas works miles better). I gave a girlfriend some to apply over her rosacea and their effects have boosted her confidence Shortly afterwards, I had a similar conversation with the esteemed beauty editor Eve Cameron, who told me she’d managed the appearance of the once-problematic acne she’d suffered in her youth by bronzing her face artificially, thus neutralising the angry-looking redness and evening out her overall skin tone. I then gave a girlfriend some St Tropez Luxe Tan Tonic Glow Drops(£24) to apply over her menopause-triggered rosacea while her doctor-prescribed skincare got to work, and their effects have helped lift the dip in her confidence.

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