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If nearly translucent skin was en vogue, I would be the bell of the ball. Unfortunately for me, and my fair skinned fellow maidens, tan is in, and going nowhere. So, for the pale skinned of us who want to be tan goddesses, what’s the best technique? I have tried them all, and this is the best at home tanning for fair skin tones.
Tanning at home with lotions is a better and healthier option, especially for those of us with fair skin. It isn’t 1950, so of course you know that tanning beds wreck havoc on our health. But, in the past it’s been hard to get a perfect color tanning at home. We all remember that moment of horror, the right of passage that is being in middle school, your mom finally caves and says you can try out that tan in a bottle lotion from the local drugstore, you read all the directions, put it on perfectly, and wake up the next day bright orange and streaky.
Cue the oompa loompa song.
Gone are those days. Today, there are much higher quality products on the market that give you a nice, even, tan glow. And, don’t make you look like an oompa loompa.
Tanning Prep
The first step is to exfoliate. And, I really mean exfoliate. The better you exfoliate, the better your tan will wear. I thought I knew how to exfoliate, but let me tell you, I was not doing a good enough job until I found this exfoliating scrub pad. I use it in the shower, and you can see the dead skin sloughing off. It’s both disgusting and fascinating. After, your skin will be baby bottom smooth. I then use a moisturizing body wash so my skin is hydrated and happy.
Self Tan
I have tried a lot of self tanners over the years. From the cheap to the expensive. If you have questions on one, shoot me a message, because chances are, I’ve tried it. I’ll share with you my two favorites. The first, if my all time favorite, St Tropez Self Tan Express Advanced Bronzing Mousse . It gives you a perfect dark tan glow in a short amount of time, and doesn’t stain sheets at all.
You are suppose do 1 hour for a light tan, 2 hours for medium, or 3 hours for a dark tan. Don’t waste your time trying it out for 1 or 2 hours. Leave it on for 3 or more hours to get the perfect lovely tan.
If you want a budget option, my favorite penny pincher option is St Moriz in Dark. At $15 you can’t beat the price. It doesn’t have the staying power of St Tropez, and you will need to reapply more often. But, the color is lovely.
Once you have dried off from the shower, use a tanning mitt to get even color. Use 1 or 2 pumps at a time, working in small sections, going in circular motions. Both of these tanning mouses have a small amount of color in the mouse as a guide so you can easily see where you have applied and haven’t. This color guide is what will rinse off in the shower. If you have a buddy, have them help you with your back. If you don’t use this back mitt so you can do your own.
Here is the real trick, for spots that you generally are tricky to apply and get dark and orange (think hands, feet, wrists, ankles, knees and elbows), don’t apply any tanning mousse directly. Instead apply on the rest of your body, and then once that has all been wiped off, there will be a small amount left on the mitt, use that small amount to work into those spots to get an even tan all around.
Once you’ve waited 3 hours, hop back in the shower for a quick rinse off.
Prolong Your Tan
This step is the game changer.
I find that with St Tropez, my tan is lovely for about a week before getting a little wonky. I don’t always want to reapply every 5-7 days. So, to prolong the life of my tan, I use Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water Spray. This super quick and easy step can give me 10 days between having to reapply the tanning mousse. Every 3-4 days, I take literally take 3 minutes, I hop in my shower (dry, don’t turn the shower on), spray the tanning water everywhere, and rub it all in with the tanning mitt. I do this in the shower because otherwise it will be messy and you’ll get over spray in your bathroom.
Why do I use the Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water Spray to prolong my tan instead of using it as the base tan? I think the water spray gives a lovely color over top of the St Tropez,and helps keep it even, but I can’t get the color all the way there on its own from the water spray itself.
Reapply Your Tan
When my tan starts looking a little too splotchy, I start again with a deep exfoliation.
And that’s all folks! This is what keeps my skin looking tan and glowing from at home tanning without damaging my skin from the sun.
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