There are a lot of great things about having tanned summer skin. Your skin looks healthier and glowing. You look slimmer and more athletic. And cellulite and "ugly" spots on your skin are harder to see. It can be a great way to feel better about yourself in that little dress (or, for guys, that tight t-shirt) or in your swimsuit at the beach. But we all know that there are risks to playing under the sun without protection. Getting a tan just isn't worth getting cancer or being covered in deep brown wrinkles by the time you hit age 50.
So a lot of people --yours truly included-- look to self-tanners when summertime comes around. For both women and men, self-tanning can be a great way to get a kissed-by-the-sun look without risking a raging case of skin cancer. Unfortunately, though, it's also an easy way to get a "kissed by a pumpkin" look if you make a mistake.
While self tanners work great if you use them right, when you don't the results can be disastrous. Want to look tanned and happy in your internet dating profile this summer, but experienced a bad self tan too many times to risk trying it again? Then you just need a little help applying your sunless tanner correctly. Read on for the tips for getting the best possible result from your sunless tanner... without going streaky and orange.
Exfoliate.
Whether you plan to spend twenty bucks at your local spray-tan booth or do it at home, the most important step to getting a good sunless tan happens before you ever get in the car or pick up a bottle. It's the exfoliation you do at home. With a soft cloth and the right exfoliant, you can get rid of all that dead and dry skin that creates streaky and uneven color on your body. You can even save money by making your own exfoliant at home. A simple mix of 3 parts olive oil and 1 part sugar makes the perfect pre-tan scrub. Just be sure to wash the oil off thoroughly when you're done.
Protect those vulnerable spots.
One of the worst parts of sunless tanning is ending up with orangey-brown cuticles, knees, hands, elbows, etc. The best way to protect these areas from absorbing too much color? Simply apply a little bit of moisturizer to these areas before you get started. And just to be safe, wash your hands immediately after finished, and use a Q-tip in your belly button to make sure no product has gathered there.
Choose the Right Products.
To prevent an orange tone to your skin and to ensure a more even application, it's also important to pick the right products. For instance, when using a cream tanner, a tinted version is better than a colorless one, as it will help you to see where you've applied and where you haven't. And for ease of application, aerosol sprays can be very convenient, as well. The best way to apply them? Hop naked into the shower and apply your spray tan there, where you can easily rinse off the walls around you when you're done.
Go Gradual.
The orangey look that you get with some sunless tanners doesn't just come from the product you use; it can also be a result of going too dark too fast. Be sure to take your tan to the depth that you want gradually. If you try to go deep-summer dark all at once on day in February, your tan will look anything but natural.
Care for Your Skin.
Irritated and sensitive skin doesn't react well to sunless tanners. To keep you skin safe, be sure not to shave your legs for at least a few hours before applying self tanner. Especially if you tend to have sensitive skin.
Spot-clean with Peroxide.
No matter how careful you are about applying your sunless tanner, it's possible you'll make mistakes. Applied a self-tanner and embarrassed to go on a date with that hot guy you met at an internet dating site with a big brown streak across your arm? With some self tanners (but unfortunately, not all of them) you can get rid of any dark spots or unevenness with hydrogen peroxide. Just apply it to a cotton swap and rub it into the skin where you've applied too much. If you've used the right kind of tanner, it should help to reduce the appearance of dark spots.
Irishlass81
27 / Female
Comments: 5
Posted on July 22, 2009, 2:19 am
Can still tell fake tan apart from real tan, if you're pale - sometime's its better just to be happy with your skintone rather than making yourself look like an oompa loompa. No amount of exfoliation or moisturising will make fake tan look good, it looks fake, it wears off and your left with patches. For the amount of effort it takes, It doesn't look good on anyone.
