Does the color of your bathing suit affect your tan?

Everyone loves the warmer summer air and getting out into the water whether it's a pool, lake, ocean, water park, or even just a small kiddie pool in your backyard to keep you cool while working on your tan. However, what we all don't love is dealing with our adorable swimsuits that start out perfectly colored, but over time, start to get a yellow tinge to them, especially if they are white or have white in the pattern. It makes it look older, even if the swimsuit is still new and in great condition. So you may wonder, why do swimsuits turn yellow? There could be a few reasons for a suit to become yellow and in no way is relative to the quality of the suit.

Why Swimsuits Turn Yellow

1. The sun. Unfortunately, even materials that are UV-resistant, like the ones we use in our swimwear, don't prevent all potential sun damage, though it's better than materials that were not made for the sun. However, with the sun shining on you and your suit, you may find that after a few summers, depending how often you go out, that your suit begins to take on a more faded, even yellow look. This is most commonly seen in white swimsuits as the sun fades away the color. Sadly, this is an unavoidable part of owning a swimsuit, as it happens to a variety of things. From our clothes to even our houses, you may find that sun coming through windows can affect the color of things over time. The sun is a powerful source of light and can definitely make a difference in the coloring over time and exposure.
2. Oil and sweat. That's right, your own body can be the reason your suit is starting to get a yellow tinge to it. When you sweat, and even when you don't, your body is producing oils. These oils, especially when you get sweaty, can run down into your suit and could cause a yellowing. Unfortunately, we sometimes see the same issue with a white t-shirt or tank top in the area near the armpits. Even with wearing deodorant, there's still a chance of sweating that can cause some discoloration, and the same goes for those wearing swimsuits out in hot weather.
3. Sunscreen. Yes, the thing you need on your skin to protect your beautiful self from the rays can ultimately do your swimsuit damage. Unfortunately, when we go swimming, or just laying out, we either sweat the sunscreen off or it washes off in the water and ultimately can wind up on our swimsuits. Over time, with build-up, it can cause some discoloration of your suit, including the dreaded yellowing.
4. Pool chemicals. Just like they can mess with your hair, they can mess with a suit if not properly washed off. Over time, the exposure to the different chemicals could cause some discoloration or fading of the suit.

So now, you know why swimsuits turn yellow and you may be wondering if there's a way to prevent this from happening to your suits or ways to keep them clean. Luckily, the answer is yes! We have our care instructions, which are to handwash your suit in cold water with a mild detergent, immediately after use and then line dry. However, there's even more that you can do to help.

First things first, always rinse off your suit after getting out of the water. That's right, just find some cool water, a pool shower works or at the beach if they have one, rinse your suit and yourself off to remove any potential chemicals or sunscreen that ran onto the suit. If you can't get to a shower right away or plan on changing, take your suit off and rinse it in a kitchen or bathroom sink until it can be taken home to be handwashed properly. This is still better than nothing and can help remove some of the chemicals or oils that may be building up on the material.

If you still find that you're dealing with some yellowing, washing it in a gentle dish soap can really make a difference. This is how we recommend you take care of your Lime Ricki suits to begin with, but if you've been slacking or let your suits sit for a while, definitely take the time to mix up some water and dish soap to remove the grease stain. You may need to wash it once or twice to really get the stain, but this should help remove any yellowing.

June 28, 2021 Posted by MICHAEL KORS

It can be hard enough picking out the right swimsuit silhouette to highlight your natural shape. But the colour? It's more to think about. Of course, when it comes to fashion, there are no hard and fast rules. It’s all about experimenting and having fun. That said, there are some colours that look better on your skin, wherever you may fall on the spectrum.

To save you the decision fatigue, we’re compiled a list of questions to ask yourself the next time you go swimwear shopping.

Very Light Skin with Light Blond or Red Hair

Soft colors tend to work best. If you go with something really bold, you’ll make a statement for sure, but you may end up showing off your pale side. Try soft pinks, blues and beiges. Greens and blacks are hit or miss, depending on the shade and whether your skin is on the warm side or cooler. Redheads tend to look amazing in white (yes, white!) and cobalt blue. 

The colors you should avoid are orange and yellow.

The best swimwear colors for fair skin

Your skin is fair and probably your natural hair is blonde or light brown. Sun makes your skin a little pink at the beginning and your tan is light. You cannot be exposed long to sunlight, as you may get sunburnt. You must be very careful with the sun, however at the end of your summer holidays you are visibly tanned.

Choose dark swimwear colors, no matter if it is a bikini or a one-piece. You can chose marine blue, red, emerald green, brown and dark purple. Cold colors will look great while your skin is still very white. Some pastels might be added later, when you get some suntan. For example try pink, coral or blue! Don’t forget about high SPF!

In general, avoid all nude colors. Also white, yellow and orange will make your skin look simply pale. And this is not the effect you want. Avoid flashy and fluorescent colors as they will make your skin look a little pink or even red.

If you have a warm undertones and dark skin

Your skin is the perfect canvas for light colours like baby pink, cream and peach. They bring out your warm glow, and provide the right amount of contrast that pops against your skin.

Pastels will look marvelous on you! Baby blues, minty greens, soft pinks and pale yellows as well as light grey will be your best choices when it comes to choosing swimwear. As for orange, white and brown, unless the suit is the most perfect fitting piece of lycra you’ve ever put on your body, leave it behind in search of most sorbet-oriented colors.

Nothing, you can wear absolutely what you want!

You can wear whatever color you want since the beginning of the holidays! Your skin is dark and gets tanned very easily, so make it your advantage! Choose white, yellow and gold bikini! Bright and eye-catching patterns are made for you!

If your skin is dark or very dark you are very lucky! Why? Because you can wear whatever you want since the beginning of the holidays. Your dark skin likes sun and tans very quickly. However, never forget about a proper SPF sunscreen! You can use both plain colors and crazy patterns. You will look great in white and yellow swimsuits, golden bikini will compliment your tanned skin even more. You can even use neon (fluo) colors and you will look amazing. Your skin is created for the biggest color craziness, actually anything will look great. If you want, you can also go for dark colors, they will match you as well. Try colorful bikinis, patterned monokinis, printed one-piece swimsuits and much more. Check what we have in our wide collection. You are most privileged – you can choose among all colors you can imagine!

What color swimsuit is best for tan?

What colors to wear while tanning?