Sexy Tan-How to Apply Self Tanners

 

1. Scrub Your Skin
The golden rule of self-tanning is to exfoliate your entire body first. Skip this crucial step and you risk uneven, blotchy results. Pay extra attention to really dry spots like your elbows and knees.

2. Enhance Your Base
If your body is crypt-keeper pale, use a gradual self-tanner. “Ingredients in the cream react with the skin’s amino acids to produce natural-looking brown pigments,” says NYC dermatologist Jeannette Graf. Your tone should peak in five to seven days. At that point, start applying the lotion every other day to maintain your gleam.

3. Get Instant Results
If you want a tanned look this second, your best bet is a bronzing oil that you can swipe on before going out. The effects only stick around until your next shower though. For something with more staying power, try a tinted mousse or a towelette with sunless tanner (which are less streaky than lotions and creams). Both stain your skin a golden hue, and the color lasts about a week.

4. Put on the Gloves
Before applying any tanner, pull on Latex (if you’re not allergic) gloves. “That way, your palms won’t soak up any color meant for your body,” says spa owner Cindy Barshop. If you don’t have gloves, wash your hands with soap when you’re done. Put a dab of tanner on the top of each hand and rub them together so they’re not completely pale.

5. Use Broad Strokes
Make sure your body isn’t greasy from any residual body cream, which can block the tanner from absorbing fully. Then spread the product on with uniform swipes in all directions. For knees and elbows, dilute the tanner with moisturizer. These dry spots absorb more color and can turn darker than the rest of your body. Also, skip spots where the sun don’t shine, like your heels and soles, says Susie Hatton of Chocolate Sun tanning salon in Santa Monica, California.

6. Tone Down Any Streaks
If you end up with a few orange smudges, don’t panic. A quick shower should fade them away. “If not, add a cup of milk to a bath,” says Hatton. “The lactic acids help take down the color.” If ankles, knees, or elbows are your only problem, buff away mess-ups with the fine side of a well-worn emery board or lighten them up with a bit of cream facial bleach left on for two to three minutes, says Dr. Gra

Revive Your Glow
Chances are, you still have some summer beauty loot on your shelf. Here’s how to use it for a wintry sun-kissed effect.
Summer pick: Self-tanning lotion
Winter trick: Apply every other day so your glow is naturally soft and realistic.
Summer pick: Bronzer
Winter trick: Don’t rub it all over your face. Just hit the top spots where the sun would normally hit: forehead, nose, apples of cheeks, chin.
Summer pick: Peachy blush
Winter trick: Brush it down the front of your legs and in your cleavage. It warms up your skin just enough without looking streaky or stark when you’re paler than usual.

Read more: Sunless Tan - How to Apply Sunless Tanner Lotion - Cosmopolitan