How To Properly Apply Self Tanner

Everyone has seen that one person who obviously has self tanner on and it looks a little funny. You can usually tell because not all areas of the body are evenly coated, some might not even be covered at all. Or the worst, it turned out kind of orange. If you are looking for that summer glow and are more of a DIY person, then here are some steps to show you how to apply self tanner and have it looking great.



1. First start by exfoliating your entire body. This will remove any dead skin, so you have an even slate to start with. If you have any dry areas such as knees or elbows, apply a moisturizer after exfoliation. You want you skin to be moisturized so the tanner takes properly. Drier skin has a harder time fully taking the color.

2. If you are using a gradual tanner, stick to once or twice a week. Using it too often will make it turn weird colors and its meant to darken over time not immediately.

3. Don't shave after you used self tanner. Shaving removes hair but it also tends to remove the top layer of skin. Doing this will leave you patchy. Shave a few hours before apply the tanner and then wait 48 hours or so till you shave again. This gives the product plenty of time to fully soak in.



4. Using too much. If you are applying a full tanner, you can do it every 10-14 days. Anything more than that is too often and will leave you either too dark or turn you orange.

5. When getting coverage on your hands and feet, apply it to the hands and smooth it to the fingers and same for the feet. This will give a more even coverage.

6. To get the most natural looking results, use gloves.

7. To keep your hands from washing off, avoid washing your hands for at least 1 hour after applying tanner. The longer you can wait, the better.

8. Always do a patch test first. This will allow you to see what color it turns to so you can decide if the color is right for you.

9. Make sure you rub moisturizer into your hairline. If you don't, one of two things will happen. You will either have a dark circle around your hairline or a light circle where nothing it. Just use a little lotion to keep this from happening.

10. Never skip an area. This will make it obvious that your tan is fake. Make sure you cover your ears, upper lip, hands, feet and neck. Use a mirror to double check your coverage.

11. Avoid using the same products on your face and your body. They make different formula's because the body ones tend to be heavier and will clog your pores and the face ones are lighter to help prevent that.

12. Don't sweat your tan off. Nothing looks worse then watching your tan slowly sweat and run down your body. To keep your tan strong, apply baby powder to your armpits, chest and any other areas your sweat a lot in. This will help you avoid a streaky, blotchy, mess of a color.

13. Always moisturize daily. Keeping your skin moist is the key to making your tan look fresh and to keep it lasting longer.

Its summer time so try out this tips next time you apply your self tanner! I am sure you will notice a big difference in how it goes on and looks.


~aphrodite