Self- Tanning for Beginners: easy guide to getting bronzed summer skin
Tan, bronzed skin for warm weather is a must have essential for many people alike. However, the idea of laying out under the scalding hot sun with tanning oil, frying my skin, in order to achieve this look so far beyond me. For if you know me, you know how protective I am of my skin. During the past few years that I've been subscribed to certain YouTubers, I've noticed a spike in self- tan routines floating around the internet. I never thought it was actually doable, let alone affordable, for a gal like me on a small budget. But this past semester at school, I found that most of my roommates, in fact, used this method as well.
Products I Use:
After some research on what each one of them likes (and what seemed to be popular online) I set forth for my first attempt at at- home self tanning. (Disclaimer: this excludes two summers worth of applying Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizing lotion that was supposed to gradually tan my skin, smelt horrendous, and turned me orange after a few weeks... win some, lose some, oh well lol). I decided to get a product that was less expensive but still contained really good reviews. After a trip to Sally's Beauty Supply, I purchased the first product i'm going to talk about.
I like the Tanwise one hour sunless lotion because you have the option to choose between a dark and medium shade. Since it was my first go around at an actual self- tanning lotion, I went with the lighter shade. I'm happy I chose this lotion first because it also has a color guide in it so you can see where you've already applied the product. I found this easy to rub in on properly prepared skin, but harder on dry skin. With this product, I apply it at night, then rinse off the base in the morning with super cold water to prevent all of the color from trailing off. The best part is, it's only $11!!
After feeling like I was becoming more experienced with the Tanwise one hour lotion, I decided to go back to Sally's and purchase a darker color as well as the self- tanning face gel. By mistake, I ended up getting the regular Tanwise sunless tanning lotion but I'm SO glad I did. (This product is also offered in more than one shade). Since I am more experienced at applying tanner now, I wasn't too worried about the fact that this lotion doesn't have a color guide. In fact, I enjoy having the tan be gradual because you can see when it's time to wash it off by how dark the color has gotten, therefore, giving you the opportunity to determine if you want to wait a few more hours for it to process further or not.
Another amazing thing about this product is that there's a deep olive green undertone which REALLY combats the orange color that many people dread to have. Because there's nothing worse than a fake tan gone wrong, amiright ladies? (NOTE: while the one hour tanning lotion has a green undertone, it is a bit softer than this sunless tanning lotion).
Sad to say, but I've only used the self- tanning face gel once so I feel like I don't have enough experience in order to determine if I love this product or not. From the one time I used it, I could tell that it's better to put on your face's skin than the body tanning lotion as it is more of a gel consistency so it doesn't cling to certain areas on your face, creating a much more even look. After a few washes on my face, however, I could tell it was coming off more quickly than the rest of my body's tan. But, I feel as if that's only a natural thing to occur.
HOW I TAN:
1. The first thing I do when preparing my skin for a fake tan is to exfoliate in a hot shower or bath a few nights in advance. While I know some people enjoy using a loofa or an exfoliating scrub, I highly recommend picking up a pair of exfoliating gloves as they are reusable and really give you the ability to scrub your skin raw of dead skin and old, patchy tanner. I do this for at least two nights to make sure I get off EVERYTHING. I purchased mine at Sally's, but they're available in so many other stores, such as Ulta, Walmart, CVS, etc. For an example of what I mean, click here.
2. A night or two before I want to tan, I go ahead and shave everywhere I feel that needs a shave. This could include legs, pits, or anywhere else you shave on your body that you'll be applying tanner to. The reason why I do this in advanced is because a: the hot water from bathing opens your pores. I try avoid having open pores when tanning to prevent little brown dots all over my body. This occurs because the tanning product will stick inside your pores. and b: because I think if there's a little bit of hair growing back when it's time to actually tan, the product has something to grip to, preventing it from washing off the next day in the shower (that's just my theory, I could be completely wrong, but for some reason I just go with it haha). After shaving, I moisturize my legs to prevent dry patches from occurring on tanning day.
3. On the day that I want to self tan, I wash my hair and everything else to ensure a clean, prepped surface. I don't tan right after the shower because I want to give my skin the opportunity to dry off, close up, and my hair to dry to prevent the water from streaking down the tan. The reason I wash my hair on this night is because the next day, I want to limit the amount of soap and water touching the fresh tan to ensure longevity. Sometimes tanner tends to stick to certain places such as the knees, ankles, and wrist. So if you'd like, go ahead and apply moisturizer to those areas to help prevent the color from strongly adhering. When I first started tanning, I used latex gloves that I had leftover from anatomy class. While these worked perfectly fine for beginners, I find that tanning mitts actually do apply the product a lot smoother and evenly. I purchased my tanning glove from Ulta for only $5, another great steal! To wash the glove, I just use unscented soap and warm water, then allow to dry. Disclaimer: DON'T wash the glove before you've washed off the processed tan!
4. After applying the tan all over, make sure to wear loose, dark clothing to not only prevent them from getting dyed but to prevent your tan from rubbing off as well. With the Tanwise products, I notice that if I happen to get it on white socks or my bath mat, it did wash out. Maybe I've gotten lucky, but I would still be cautious. Since I recommend sleeping in your tan, I also recommend using covers that you don't necessarily mind risking getting dirty. As you can see in the picture at the top, I have a white duvet cover (!) so I use either my dark purple sheets, or a dark gray blanket to keep me warm at night.
5. Lastly, it's time to quickly rinse off your tan's base. When drawing a shower to wash off the tan, it's VERY important that you use COLD water. I do this because in my experience (and also what I've been told to do through YouTubers) hot water causes the tan to run off. Meanwhile, cold water just rinses off the base while ensuring the actual tan's color to stay on. This may be hard to get yourself to tolerate, but at least you're only rinsing off the base for a few seconds, nothing more. When you notice the water at the bottom of the shower turn from colored back to clear, you know it's time to get out. When you're drying off, be sure to PAT yourself dry. TIP: moisturizing your body throughout the tan helps keep it on longer.
There you have it, friends. Five outlined steps to creating an effortless, healthy looking tan. Enjoy all that 2017 has to offer this summer season, but don't forget that what you do to your skin today, will be noticeable down the line. If you do spend time under the sun, be sure to apply a hardy SPF. Trust me, you'll be thankful you did.
-xx, Ashley