When I go on vacation, I always prepare myself very well. The necessary eel graters come out, there is a lot of scrubbing and moisturizing (because a good tan really needs some preparation) and of course, the nails are painted. I always take care of the aftercare very meticulously. Once I finally have some color on my face, I naturally want to keep it. It's sad to see the brown color just wash down the drain. So, moisturizing is a must. The aftersun is now a standard in my bathroom.

What does it promise?

It's a mouthful, but the Moisturizing Restoring Aftersun Body Balm In The Shower (in short; an aftersun balm for in the shower) from Collistar promises to quickly and practically restore the skin. When you come out of the sun, your skin is often red, overheated, and not very fresh. This balm hydrates, provides cooling, and especially ensures a very fresh scent. That hydration ensures that you can enjoy the sun again the next day without your skin feeling very dry.

This does it:

Josselin: “Of course, this balm was in my suitcase during the vacation last week. It was a bit of a gamble because I hadn't tested it at home yet, and normally I don't just take ‘new‘ friends on vacation. There has to be a connection first. But anyway, I still had a tube of body lotion from my boyfriend that had to come to the rescue. Good. The first days of the vacation, I was not brown yet but red. The sun was burning fiercely and my skin was lobster-like. Red, but also not very soft and shiny. The balm is quite thick. You have to step out from under the shower to generously apply it and then rinse it off. A lovely thick layer remains, giving you the feeling that your skin is being nourished again immediately. The burning sensation of your skin disappears right away and the redness fades after a few minutes. It makes way for a very soft feeling. There is no aloe vera in the product, but that is really not necessary. Extremely nice. One small point; on vacation, the scent was divine. Tropical, warm, and fitting with the feeling of that moment. At home, I dutifully continued to apply and shower with this lovely product, but the scent might be a bit overpowering. I was no longer showering between the palm trees with crickets in the distance, but just in a shower cabin at home with mainly a lot of wind and rain in the background. All in all, a lovely thick balm that hopefully keeps my tan for a long time. I will remain loyal to it.’

Aftersun balm, €19.95, Collistar