With the scary statistics of skin cancer and everyone’s anti-aging concern, it is no wonder that people are shying away from the harmful UV rays (of the sun and tanning beds), and are looking for better alternatives.

In this article I will be discussing the safe way of getting a healthy tan from the comfort of your home, with the help of a self-tanning cream.

Choosing Your Self-Tanning Lotion

There are a variety of options for you. You might want to check the reviews of the products, and see what other people are saying. However, my advice is that to make the right choice for your skin, you might need to test a few out. We all have different skin undertones – some of us have a golden undertone, while others have a pinkish undertone. What will look good on one won’t be ideal for the other. So, test a few on your arm, let the colour develop and then go to buy the one which suits your colouring more.

In addition, like this you would also be testing if you have any reactions to the ingredients in the self-tanning lotion or maybe you notice that you can’t stand the smell of the lotion. Unfortunately, the smell is an issue with many self-tanning lotions, as it is the main ingredient which is necessary to get the tan; although, formulas have been improved upon and some of them are much better than others.

How to Apply Your Self-Tan At Home

 First exfoliate to remove the dead skin. This will ensure a smooth, even colour.
 Shower to make sure that you don’t have any deodorant or body lotion that might react with the colour in the self-tan.
 Apply nail polish on toe nails and finger nails (even one coat of clear will do), so as not to stain the nails.
 You might want to wear gloves so as not to have a build up of colour on your hands, although with the home self-tan lotions it doesn’t really happen as the colour becomes intense the more you apply, and after finishing you would be washing your hands immediately.
 Apply the self-tanning lotion. It would be the same like you are applying your body lotion, but be more careful so to evenly cover all areas.
 You would need someone to do your back for you.
 Here is a trick to have a tanned-look that looks as close to the real thing as possible. Unfortunately, you can tell that a tan is fake from the buildup of tan on the elbows, knuckles, hands, knees, ankles and feet, or the lack of a tan on the ears and the hairline.
So, first apply the tan all over your body, but avoid the above mentioned areas or go over very lightly. Then, blend one part self-tan and one part body lotion (just make sure that the body lotion is as neutral as possible, so it won’t react with the colour), and apply to these areas, so that the colour will look as natural as possible. Don’t forget the ears, behind the ears, nape, hairline and around the eyes – again use the diluted self-tan for these areas, and blend in.
 When you finish, wash your hands, then get someone to apply a little bit of diluted self-tan (dilute with body lotion not water) onto your hands.
 With the home self-tan, you don’t need to worry about showering after a certain amount of time. Although I would advise leaving it on for at least 4 hours before showering.
 With the home self-tan you would need to repeat the application every day until you are satisfied with the colour.

Some Important Insights

 I find that the best time to do the self-tan is at night – so as not to be wearing any tight fitting clothing, footwear or jewellery, which might affect the result.
 When blending in the hairline, don’t apply the self-tanning lotion to your hair, especially if you have any high-lights.
 Note that perspiration might mark any clothes – so be especially careful when wearing white clothes, or with your bed sheets.
 Any hair removal should be done at least 24 hours before applying the self-tanning lotion.
 Be aware of swimming in pools – as the chemicals in swimming pools can bleach the tan.
 The last advice is that if you have a special occasion, make sure to have a trial run 4 – 6 weeks before the ‘big’ day, in case of any allergies or unexpected results.

How to Maintain Your Tan

 Use a Body Polisher (scrub or exfoliant) every 2 to 3 days as tan fades – to have an even tan fade. Even if you are applying self-tan every day, you need to exfoliate to remove the dead skin cells, so that the tan will look healthy and glowing as opposed to a dull-looking tan.
 Use a Body Moisturizer to prolong the life of the tan. You just have to make sure that the Body Moisturizer is not perfumed, as it might react with the tan.

Enjoy, and remember that practise makes perfect. Plus you will be happy knowing that you have a safe tan, without any risks of skin cancer or sun damage (photo aging) to your skin.

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