Using Self Tanner : How to Apply Sunless Tanning Products
for Best Results
I am pretty much a veteran of self tanning. I started using sunless tanning lotions waaaay before they were popular, as in over fifteen years ago when I was still in high school. I remember my first experience with self tanner like it was yesterday. Remember the brand Georgio of Beverly Hills? Well, I had purchased a bottle of something that said it would enhance my natural tan and extend it.
I thought that just meant it was a great moisturizer, as we all know that very moisturized skin holds a tan much longer than dry skin. Well, it ended up being my first experience with using a self tanner. I rubbed it allover my body generously, and although it did smell a bit funny, the terms DHA and sunless tanning meant nothing to me. I went to bed shortly after applying it. I woke up in the morning, smelling funny -very coppery as I recall.
Then I looked in the mirror, and to my horror, not only did I have an awful streaky orange color, but my palms were a bright orange, unmistakable color. I scrubbed and scrubbed, but it wouldn’t come off. That is when I learned this was something called a self tanning agent, and that it chemically reacted with my skin, causing a deepened color to occur – though not a very good one at that time!
Well, self tanners have come quite a long way, and we are here today to help you reap the benefits of getting an awesome tan without the sun. You have to start with one of the best self tanners (you can see that link for my most recommended ones, but for now, read on for the tips you need to get the most natural, long lasting tan). Now onto the nitty gritty. Let’s talk about using that self tanning product for the hottest looking Bohemian tan ever.
HOW TO GET DARK AND DANGEROUS : THE 6 RULES OF EFFECTIVE SELF TANNING
1.) First, start with a clean body. You should exfoliate if you have a lot of dry skin buildup, but if not, I usually skip this step and just wash my body before I use the tanning agent. Once out of the shower, moisturize with a light moisturizer allover, concentrating especially on the elbows, and the ankle and heel area of the feet. This is because they are the drier parts of the body, and they will soak up a self tanner like a sponge, making you appear darker in those areas.
2.) Now, if you are fair skinned, you can use two parts self tanner and one part moisturizer, for a more natural, even look. If you are medium to darkly complected naturally, just use the self tanner in full strength. Apply the self tanner to the body first, saving the face and the hands for last. You can try gloves of some sort, but just to let you know, I tried gloves for self tanner application before and I just could not do it. I felt that it hampered my ability to feel where the tanner was going, and whether it was adequately absorbed into my skin.
3.) Go sparingly around the feet, only a very little bit, in fact, if you are using full strength tanner, you may want to do the two parts moisturizer here for the feet to make sure you do not make them look brown in comparison with the rest of the body. I like to go a little heavier on the neck area, since this is very smooth moist skin, it tends to take a bit more product to make it dark. If you have a drier neck, ignore this advice and use a normal amount. Just make sure you are rubbing the tanner in completely everywhere you apply.
4.) Now when you are done with applying the self tanner to the body, wash you hands being careful not to splash water up onto your arms (water will make the self tanner dilute there and you will notice white spots the next day), take a makeup application pad, like you would use for foundation application, and use this to apply a dab about the size of a dime, perhaps a bit smaller, to your face.
I like to use self tanners made especially for the face here, but honestly a general tanner with some lotion added will work as well. Apply the product allover the face with the pad, making sure you get it EVERYWHERE, including in the hollows under the eyes, and all the way right up into the hairline. If you don’t, the face is obviously the most noticeable part of the body so it may be noticeable if you don’t blend it adequately here. You can go over it as many times as you want, covering every square inch of the face, just make sure it sinks in all the way and that you have gotten it everywhere.
5.) Now for the hands. You already washed the palms, now you need to make sure the back of your hands are tan to make this whole tan convincing and natural. Take the makeup pad and put just a very small dab on it, and apply it to the backs of the hands, blending well down in between the fingers.
6.) When you are all done applying, one of my favorite tricks is to stand in front of our 4 foot tall fan (on a stand) and let it blow on me for a minute or two. This makes all of the tanner sink in, and seals in your application. You see, oxygen is what interacts with the special chemical in self tanner, so the less dressed and the more air you have on your skin when it first starts developing in the next two hours, the better your tan will be.
Having a great sunless tan requires the correct application technique, patience, and using self tanners for a while so that you get it down to your own little science. It used to be a huge pain for me, but now that I’m used to it and know how to apply self tanner I know exactly how long it will take me and what to do to prevent it form looking streaky or unnatural.
Self tanners are a great invention, they allow us to look tan, healthy and sexy any time of the year, without exposing ourselves to harmful UV rays over and over again.
If you want to see what I think the best self tanners are, see reviews of the best self tanners and browse through them.
