How to get a natural looking tan

It’s tanning SZN! But you know we don’t like tanning beds. And that’s where a good fake tan comes in. Personally I like to have a glow year-round, but it’s something I do even more during the summer months.

There are a few tricks that you must know before getting that good faux glow though. Because we’ve all seen some bad fake tans, right? Like Oompa Loompa orange skin, extra dark palms, patchy-ness + more.

Let me say that I have experienced ALL of the above. And that is why I’m writing here today about the tips and tricks to practice to get your best, even, natural AND non-toxic glow.

Let’s get right into it:

PREP

1. At least 8 hours before you use a tanning lotion or mousse, shave everything you need to shave. This is to avoid having your hair follicles show up darker than the rest of your skin when you apply the self-tanner. They need time to close back up after you’ve cut the hair down.
2. After shaving, exfoliate your entire body with a dry brush or with a shower scrub. I LOVE this one from Nécessaire.
3. Do not apply fragrance, deodorant, or lotion (yet) to your body.

Quick break from the steps to talk about the tanning mousse that I recently started using and absolutely LOVE. Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tinted Tan Mousse. I’ve been going through the process of replacing toxic beauty products with non-toxic alternatives which I recently did with my tanning products – not naming names here but when I typed in the self-tanner that I was using before into Think Dirty (you need this app if you want to make sure your bath, body, and cosmetic products are clean) – it came up as VERY DIRTY as in TOXIC. Think Dirty offers up a list of clean alternatives and that is how I found Vita Liberata. This mousse is streak free, lasts for 2 weeks on me, and it does not smell.

So, once you’re ready to start the tanning process:

1. Stand on a towel to protect your floor and the bottom of your feet
2. Take off all jewelry
3. Apply a barrier cream (lotion) on areas where your skin is thicker, like your knees, ankles, elbows, etc.
4. Start at the tops of your feet and work your way up your body using a tanning glove. I love this one and I wash it often.
5. When tanning your hands, form a bear/claw-scare pose with your hands to apply the self tanner so that it doesn’t miss your knuckles. I’ve walked around with tan hands with white knuckles before and it ain’t cute.

If you’ve heard about washing your hands right after your tanning sesh, don’t do it. You’ll end up with white hands and a tan body. LOL. Wait at least an hour if you can.

POST

1. If you start getting too tan, just shower. That will stop the tan from developing any further.
2. I try not to shave afterwards for as long as possible. No exfoliation either. Not even a loofah! You want that tan to last.

That’s it! Let me know if a video on this process might be helpful?

Here’s to the perfect golden glow!

xo, Lynn

 The Body Dry Brush Medium • Dr. Barbara Sturm • $35 

 Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Self Tan Mousse - Medium • Vita Liberata • $54 

 The Body Exfoliator • Nécessaire • $30