Self Tanner 101

Having trouble getting to the beach every weekend? Who isn't, and craving that bright tan is something most women want but simply cannot achieve all year round. Wanting to be tan and wanting healthy and glowing skin are too different things. Tanning in artificial booths can be dangerous and an expensive habit all in one. How can you achieve a tan without going anywhere or spending a fortune? Welcome to self tanner 101...

You may be thinking of self tanner as a product that younger people use or one that turns you a nice shade of pumpkin. While both of those can be truthful, it doesn't have to be. For instance, when done right self tanner products can make your skin look beautiful and make you appear younger in the process. It is not recommended to smother yourself in it as you can turn your skin several shades of orange or brown. There are a few tricks to the trade when using the products and you can be amazed at some of the results!

~Always wash and exfoliate your skin before you apply the tanner. Your skin needs to be soft and smooth before it can be changing the pigment. You have dead skin cells on the skin surface at all times and this needs to be washed away before it can be treated with tanning products to have a clean surface.

~Use gloves! Some use their hands, but it has been shown to be a wise idea to use a set of rubber gloves versus applying it using your hands. When you apply with your hands, you never can get all of the product off by washing them and then you result in having orange palms, or dark brown lines in between your fingers, very attractive! Use the gloves and when it is time to color your hands with the tanner, you can use a sponge that you would use for any basic foundation application. This can be much easier and the end result is perfect.

~Let it dry. Some women jump right back into their clothes and then they suffer from stains on their clothing. Allow ten to fifteen minutes, even stay by a fan if you can until it is all dry. The same theory applies to going to bed at night. Use a darker pillow sheet at first until you know the product will not stain fabrics.

~Less is more. Wait a day or two and see if you life the shade your skin has turned. If you feel it is too dark or not enough, then adjust your applications. Put less on next time or add some more, and you can always buy tanners that are for certain types of skin as well. they make ones for lighter skin shades and ones for darker ones.