STYLE

With the sun shooting off super harmful rays, it’s best to steer clear. But we still love the look of a golden glow. Follow our self-tanning tricks and you’ll instantly become a bronze beauty without even stepping on the beach!

Prepare Your Skin

To rub off all those dead skin cells, exfoliate your skin with a loofah, pumice brush, or exfoliating skin wash about 3 to 4 days before you plan on using the tanner. On those days that you exfoliate, slather on an oil-free lotion right after. When the day has finally come to apply the self-tanner, moisturize the night before, exfoliate in the shower that morning, and then leave the skin just how it is. Your body should be fresh from the exfoliation or else your tan may come out uneven or streaky, and nobody wants that! As for shaving, that’s fine to do right before the big moment, but wait at least a day to shave again or some of the color might come right off.

Ask for Help

You may need a helping hand from a friend or family member to get to those hard-to-reach places, like your back or the backs of your thighs. Too embarrassed to ask someone? Just think about how much more embarrassed you’d be if you ended up with a funky tan!

Avoid Orange Palms

Wear gloves or wash your hands directly after applying because orange palms are a dead giveaway that you’ve been hittin’ up the self-tanner. You can use latex gloves like the ones that doctors wear, but when you take them off, be sure to dab a bit of self-tanner directly on the backs and your hands and rub ‘em together. If you’re going glove-less, don’t forget to wash your hands immediately after applying to avoid streaky or stained palms.

Let the “Sun” Soak In

To make sure your tan lasts for a long time, wait at least 4-6 hours before taking a shower or getting your skin wet. The longer you wait to rinse, the better absorbed the self-tanner will be, but don’t think that means you need to stop showering! If you find that the tan’s a little darker than you would have hoped, shower sooner to rinse some of it off. It’ll make you appear just a little sun-kissed instead of looking like you spent the whole day in a lounge chair.

Remember, self-tanners do not replace sunscreen so you still need to apply it frequently whenever you’re out in the sun. Here’s our all-time fave tanner:

Fake Bake Sunless Self-Tanning lotion, $15, amazon.com

 

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