How to get a tan in Animal Crossing?

Summer is a great season when you can relax and have fun. In July in Animal Crossing you will see that a new activity unlocks. You will spend time at the beach enjoying the day and getting a tan. We will tell you how it works below.

The rule is very simple – you need to stay in the sun long enough during the day exposing some parts of your body to get a tan. The tan has levels the higher the level the darker your skin. In different series of Animal Crossing, there are different numbers of such levels. For example, in the early parts of Animal Crossing that were released before New Leaf and New Horizons, there are 5 levels of tan. But as for New Leaf and New Horizons there 8 levels of the tan.

The process of tanning is a bit different too. For example, in New Leaf, you will see a new tone of the skin right away but will be able to achieve only one level per day. As for the other parts such as City Folk and Wild World you will be able to get up to 3 tan levels per day.

But in New Horizons, this feature was removed, and instead, players can choose specific skin tones at any time of day on any occasion they want to. The mechanic was likely removed in order to make skin tones equally accessible for players with darker skin.

How to get a tan in Animal Crossing?

If you want to get a tan you need to stay in the sun for around 15 minutes without an umbrella. This should be done during the day at any sunny place (we’d prefer the beach). But this feature unlocks at a specific period of time. You can get a tan in Animal Crossing from July 16 to September 15, or on any date while visiting Animal Island or Tortimer Island.

As we have mentioned you will get one level of tan at a time from one to three levels per day depending on your game series. To maintain tanned you need to spend enough time in the sun every day or it will disappear level by level.

In New Leaf, wearing clothing that exposes some skin on the arms and legs helps achieve a tan. Additionally, wearing a hat, facial adornment, long-sleeved top or dress can prevent the tan or make it take longer to appear. An alternative method is to wade in the ocean with a wet suit on for about 15 minutes.

The second option for the player to get a tan is to use a Mii Mask. If the player uses a Mii Mask the player’s face skin colour (depending on what skin colour the Mii Mask is) will change but not the player’s arms or legs. (In the new update, Welcome amiibo, the Mii Mask will also change the arms and legs to match.) The player can obtain one by paying 3,000 Bells for a makeover at Shampoodle. In City Folk, the player can get a free Mii Mask from Shampoodle if they don’t already have one. Every time the player changes the Mii from the Mii Channel/Mii Maker, the Mii’s face changes so it isn’t necessary to use 3,000 bells on purchasing a new one.

Tips and Warnings

To prevent a tan, the player should go out with an umbrella, or stay inside. Drastic measures include time travelling or staying off the game for long periods of time. Hats won’t stop tans from appearing in WW and CF, but in NL it has been proven that wide-brimmed hats, such as straw hats, will prevent tanning.

Removing the Tan

• Take precautions. When going outside on sunny days, the player should use an umbrella or anything that will block out the sun completely.
• Wait. Tans will fade after a while, and with some extra help, they should be gone in no time.
• Stay in a building for long periods of time. Leaving the 3DS/Wii/DS on while the player is inside a building will help remove the tan.
• Time-travelling fifteen days will totally remove a level 5 tan and make the player a level zero tan.
• Time-travelling ten days will remove a level 4 tan and make the player a level zero tan.

Keeping the Tan

• In the afternoon, 10 am – 4 pm is the best time for tanning.
• If the player decides to leave their character outside, unattended for a tan, make sure to leave the gaming console on otherwise there will be no effect.
• To get a tan in the town, it has to be between the 16th of July and the 15th of September.
• The player should go outside as much as they can without an umbrella.

We hope that this guide clarified for you how to get a tan in Animal Crossing.