Geordie Shore stars fuel rise in fake tans among men under 25

British men have fallen for fake tan in a big way - and TV reality shows like Geordie Shore are partly to blame.
Reality shows like Geordie Shore have fuelled the growth of fake tanning among young men.Reality shows like Geordie Shore have fuelled the growth of fake tanning among young men.
Reality shows like Geordie Shore have fuelled the growth of fake tanning among young men.

One in seven British men say they used fake tan in the last 12 months - rising to more than one in four among under 25s.

And reality TV stars on shows like Geordie Shore and The Only Way Is Essex have been credited with fuelling the fake tan trend.

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Use of self-tan among Britain's men rose from less than one in 10 (nine per cent) in 2015 to 14 per cent last year, says a report by consumer analysts Mintel.

And it is young men who are the biggest fans of self-tan, with 27 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds using it last year - up from just 16 per cent in 2015.

Tanning salons are also proving popular among younger men, with 25 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds visiting one last year, compared with 21 per cent of women in the same age group.

But it is not just self-tan which is proving popular, as use of pre-tan accelerator almost doubled in just 12 months among men, from seven per cent of in 2015 to 13 per cent last year.

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Gradual tanner use by men also jumped from seven per cent to 12 per cent, while usage of oral tanning supplements rose from just six per cent to 11 per cent in the same period.

Ten per cent of men visited a salon for a spray tan last year, compared to seven per cent in 2015, according to the report.

Roshida Khanom, Mintel's senior beauty and personal care analyst, said: "The increase in usage of self-tan is growing rapidly amongst the nation's men, driven by the popularity of self-tan among high-profile celebrities.

"Today's men are reflecting on their image and responsibilities and how to express their masculinity.

"With younger men focusing on their appearance more, the self-tanning sector could see a boost."