Achieving a healthy glow without ever stepping foot in the sun has become quite the popular beauty trend in recent years, and self-tanning has become the go-to method for achieving a sun-kissed look without the UV risk. At-home self-tanning enables you to customize your tan, avoid streaks and turn yourself into a golden sun-goddess all while greatly reducing the risk of skin cancer.
Self-tanning may seem complicated and intimidating but with the right preparation and knowledge, you can avoid streaky or splotchy self-tanning disasters. From exfoliating and moisturizing, to choosing the right product for your skin type and application techniques, we have you covered with these essential tips for achieving a natural, flawless tan from the comfort of your own home.
Choosing the Right Self-Tanning Product
The most important step to achieving an even, non-streaky tan is choosing the right self-tanning product for your skin type. The type of product you pick will mainly depend on the color intensity you are looking for as well as your skin type – for example, if you have oily skin, you may want to pick a mousse or aerosol spray. If you have dry skin, it’s best to go for a lotion or cream based self-tanner. It’s also important to choose a self-tanner that is suited to your skin tone – light, medium, or dark. Additionally, if you want a natural tan, you will want to avoid choosing a self-tanner with colored guide that can leave dark spots or stains on your skin.
The most important step to achieving an even, non-streaky tan is choosing the right self-tanning product for your skin type.
Preparing Your Skin
Proper skin preparation is key to ensuring that your sunless tan looks as natural and flawless as possible. Before applying your tanner, it’s essential to gently exfoliate the skin with a sugar or salt scrub to remove any dead cells and to help your self-tanner absorb more evenly. Pat the skin dry afterwards and apply a moisturizer (without mineral oils and alcohol) to areas such as elbows, knees, and ankles to avoid pigment build up.
Proper skin preparation is key to ensuring that your sunless tan looks as natural and flawless as possible.
Applying Your Self-Tanner
Once your skin is properly prepped and your product is ready, it’s time to begin the application. Read the directions that come with the tanner and make sure you understand which areas of your body you will apply the product to and how. Always wear gloves and start with the area where you want the least sun-kissed look and work your way up. Also, apply your tanner 1-2 times a day and gradually keep increasing the application if you want a deeper color, or if you are getting a spray tan, increase the number of applications per session to get the level of color you desire.
Always wear gloves and start with the area where you want the least sun-kissed look and work your way up.
Maintaining Your Tan
Maintaining your tan is just as important as applying it. It’s essential to hydrate the skin with a daily moisturizer, especially after showering, to help your tan last longer. Try to stay away from exfoliants, chlorine, and other sun-related activities as they can all fade your tan quickly. Additionally, if your tan begins to fade, you can always keep going to maintain the look you desire.
It’s essential to hydrate the skin with a daily moisturizer, especially after showering, to help your tan last longer.
Once you get the hang of self-tanning, you’ll be able to customize your glow to achieve the look you want without the sun’s risk. By following the above tips and finding the right products for your skin type, you can achieve a natural, flawless tan and look sun-kissed all year round.
