April 2022 - The Tan Brush

DITCH THE MITT, BRCA GENES AND BREAST CANCER

Ditch The Mitt Campaign. Raising awareness about BRCA genes and Breast Cancer

We wish to make a difference in women’s lives with our Ditch The Mitt campaign! If you are a guy reading this, I apologise, but please bear with me and read on as it’s a particular group of women we have in mind, and it may impact you at some point in your life. During the planning stage of the ‘Ditch The Mitt’ campaign, We set out to find a way of helping women who have experienced BRCA related or Breast Cancer surgery. The Tan Brush’s strapline is ‘FeelGoodNaked’, and if there was one time in my life when I didn’t FeelGoodNaked, it was after I had breast surgery.

Soon after my operation, when the healing process began, I was given a THEYA Healthcare post-surgery bra. I can’t tell you how much that bra meant to me, not just physically but psychologically. I felt protected and secure; it was like a hug! The bra was made from bamboo, so it had natural healing qualities, and I firmly believe it made my recovery quicker and more comfortable.

THEYA healthcare

Ciara Donlon founded THEYA Healthcare. After several years at the helm of a successful lingerie retail business, the idea for THEYA Healthcare came about. Breast cancer survivors regularly came to the shop looking for post-surgery bras, and she was unable to find a sustainable product that met their needs. This led her to form Theya Healthcare, which designs and manufacturers patented post-operative bamboo garments clinically proven to heal and aid recovery.

I greatly admire what Ciara and her team have created and how they have listened to and responded to women at vulnerable and sensitive times in their lives. I have stood in the changing rooms of a well known high street store and sobbed because I was so overwhelmed. No woman should ever feel that. I feel emotional discussing it and I’m sure you will understand if you have been there.

BRCA genes

I have inherited a genetic mutation, BRCA2. What is that? Well, BRCA stands for BReast CAncer gene. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are two genes we all have; they act as tumour suppressors and help us fight cancer, mainly breast and ovarian, but there are other cancers a BRCA2 carrier should be aware of, including melanoma, prostate and pancreatic. Sometimes a change or mutation occurs in the BRCA genes that prevent them from working correctly, increasing the risk of developing cancer in both men and women.

It’s amazing how complex our bodies are! However, it’s even more incredible that scientists have pinpointed these mutations and can accurately calculate risk. This, we must be grateful for! A gene mutation was very simply described to me as – an upside-down letter within a word on a page within a book on the shelf of a vast library. Mind-blowing eh?

I chose to have two major surgeries to reduce my breast and ovarian cancer risk; cancer was prevalent within our family. A tough decision considering I wasn’t sick. But I am so grateful every day for the knowledge and for the ability to sidestep cancer; to cushion my sons and my family from worry.

So, that is the reason behind our ‘Ditch The Mitt’ campaign, and this is what we will do. We promise to donate 50p per mitt that you ditch. THEYA Healthcare supports us in the Ditch The Mitt campaign with a discount for post-surgery bras. When we reach our targets, Ciara McGoldrick and her team of breast surgeons will gift a bra and a Luxury Tan Brush Gift Box to women who have recently experienced major breast surgery.

I fully understand what this feels like. It takes a while to recover both physically and mentally. It takes time before you want to look in a mirror; never mind, feel good about what you see. So this small gesture is our way of saying It’ll be all right; we understand, you will recover and FeelGoodNaked again.

‘DitchTheMitt’ Campaign commences on Thursday 12th May 2022 at 12 noon and concludes on Thursday 18th August 2022 at 11am.

In return for ditching your mitt, you – the ditcher, will have your name printed on the gift card for contributing and helping another woman feel good. You will also receive a chance to win A LUXURY WEEKEND HOLIDAY FOR 2 PEOPLE IN SANTORINI, GREECE in conjunction with OASIS TRAVEL You may also win a Tan Brush, or The Tan Brush Cleanser, or The Tan Brush Travel Bag. Follow on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook to learn how and where you can DITCH the unwanted MITTS and where we will be popping up with more brushes to give away! Exciting times ahead!

We’d love to hear from you if you have a similar story or anything you’d like to share on BRCA or breast cancer. Unfortunately, so many of us are touched by this disease, but we can express ourselves positively, empower each other and show love and support.

As women, we spend so much of our time analysing our bodies and trying to fix the things that aren’t quite right and more than often, it is the things we have no control over, like inherited genes. Yes, I inherited an upside-down gene from my dad, but I also inherited his eyes and ability to see good and my mother’s mannerisms and kindness. We should all spend more time appreciating the beautiful parts of ourselves. And to you, the girl (or boy) reading this now – you are more gorgeous than you think!

Thank you to Pamela and Lina for supporting this campaign and making it happen; it means so much and will help other women feel that they aren’t alone.

Love Karyn

April 29, 2022/0 Comments

The Secret To Keeping Your Tanning Brush Clean

Uncategorized

The secret to keeping your tanning brush clean

What is the secret to a hygienic Tan Brush and why do I need a Tan Brush Cleanser, you ask? Well, it’s very straightforward. Read on if you wish your brush to last and give you the best results in self-tanning every time you use it. The Tan Brush Cleanser is so easy to use. Simply hold the the Tan Brush in one hand and spritz the cleanser 5 times onto the surface of the brush, rub vigorously onto the microfibre cloth provided. Repeat if necessary and leave the brush to dry; then it’s ready to use again.

In the conception stage of development, The Tan Brush appeared very differently, mainly in its size, bristle colour and handle shape.
As the brush evolved, we tested it with a wide variety of self-tanning products – oil, mousse, cream and lotions. After all, the ability to use any self-tanning product in conjunction with The Tan Brush is our unique selling point.

During these trials, one of our chosen products left a dark green residue on the bristles. That was a shock as it took me straight back to the ‘green mitt and bathroom cabinet’ scenario See here.
We knew that a tweak to the design, altering the bristle colour, could quickly rectify this; however, that wouldn’t solve the underlying problem, and after we had seen the green strands, we couldn’t unsee them! It was straightforward; the brush needed to be thoroughly cleaned after every use. Not only for hygienic purposes but also to keep the brush in its best condition. We found ourselves pondering a cleanser. It had to be exceptional, strong enough to remove the complex ingredients whipped up to create a wide range of self-tanning products. This would be no mean feat!

As a food technologist, I knew alcohol would help, so I reached into my drinks cabinet for a bottle of gin, sprinkled a little on top of the brush and rubbed it with a cloth. Voila, no more dirty green bristles; however, I knew this wasn’t the answer as the alcohol would damage the brush fibres over time. So we set about finding a clever chemist, someone who would listen and work with us to create a product that could solve the problems presented throughout our trials. We finally found a group of people in the United States; they helped us develop the world’s first natural, alcohol-free Tan Brush Cleanser. Of this, we are very proud.

The Tan Brush Cleanser, the secret to keeping your tanning brush clean

So now we had our second product, an afterthought, a solution to a problem we hadn’t even considered. We didn’t factor a cleanser into our business plan as we weren’t aware we needed one at that time. Without it, though, we would struggle to keep the brush in optimum condition.
Our products have all been conceived through conversation, each leading to another twist or turn in The Tan Brush journey. It blows my mind every time I think about it. The brush was born courtesy of Lady Gaga, then the Cleanser through a wrong choice in our design.

Another huge bonus of using the cleanser is the ability to use different self-tanning products simultaneously. We, in the office, prefer to apply a darker self-tan to our legs and a lighter product to the face. If we cleanse the brush between applications, we can achieve the look we want. We can even apply a bronzing powder for extra shimmer on a special occasion. One tool, following a simple process, gives a fabulous result!

The cleanser is of the highest quality; it’s cruelty-free, vegan-friendly, and perfume and fragrance-free, a must for our customers and claims we proudly and loudly make. We dispensed the cleanser into a 100ml atomiser bottle so you can take it with you when you travel. Which then presented another quandary. Something pretty to carry both the brush and cleanser in when you travel. Cut to our third product- The Tan Brush Travel Bag! These conversations have to stop! lol

Love Karyn x

April 13, 2022/0 Comments

Is a tanning brush better than a tanning mitt?

Uncategorized

Is a tanning brush better than a tanning mitt?

I hear you ask which is better, a tanning mitt or The Tan Brush. There are 53 self-tanning mitts on the market, which increase annually—ranging in shape, size, and various materials. Some pretty basic, some very fancy and not all result in the best self-tan.

If you are happy to continue using a tanning mitt, this blog may not be for you. However, are you interested in learning a secret? What if I tell you that you can apply your favourite self-tanning product flawlessly with a tanning brush. Would you like to discover how?

I said your favourite tanning product because The Tan Brush will work with any self-tanning cream, lotion, mousse, oil or liquid on the market.

We are not about self-tanning products; We are all about the application.

It doesn’t matter if you are applying a product from the £1 store or a top of the range Sisley. You will get a fantastic result using our brush. And if you use The Tan Brush Cleanser that we created, you can use all of the products mentioned above at one time. Plus, a shimmer if you feel the need.

Cleanse the brush in-between uses, and you can apply different effects to various parts of your body and face all at once.

The Tan Brush will give you a better finish than a mitt, and I say that with my hand on my heart; of course, you’ll have to allow someone to brush your back – just like using a mitt. Although, funnily, both my sons are happy to brush my back… touch me with a mitt or glove – no chance!

We make this claim simply because of the difference The Tan Brush will make to your application. Instead of the product sitting on the skin’s surface due to being swept on with a mitt, the brush buffs the product into the skin as you apply it. You will be delighted with the results, a silky, smooth, gorgeous glow without streaks, patches or messy hands.

Don’t worry if you get distracted while applying and end up with a patch; you can buff a little product into that isolated area and blend, promoting glowing, healthy, natural-looking and longer-lasting tanned skin. Leaving you feeling fantastic, what more does one want?

You will need less product as you brush and buff into the skin, with minimal remains on the brush. In other words, your tanning product will also last longer, another fantastic benefit compared to product loaded mitts.

Self-tanning products dry much quicker as you brush and buff them into your skin a little at a time until almost completely dry. This process takes much longer with a mitt application, as the product will sit on the surface of your skin until you do the ‘Tan Dance’, and it eventually dries. We have noticed that when we apply self-tan or fake-tan as some people refer to it, in the evenings, no residual product transfers to the bedsheets, as there is very little product left on the skin’s surface. This, I feel, is a big bonus. When I used a mitt in my ‘life before Tan Brush’, I would have been quite reluctant to apply a fake tan before going to bed. Now I don’t give it a second thought.

April 4, 2022/0 Comments

DITCH THE MITT, BRCA GENES AND BREAST CANCER

The Secret To Keeping Your Tanning Brush Clean

Is a tanning brush better than a tanning mitt?

Get FeelGoodNaked Access!

Reviews

Useful Information

Address

Social