The Perfect Tan

First off: I’M BACK. This semester was by far my hardest semester of college, hence the unplanned 2 1/2 month hiatus. It’s over now (thankfully) so I’m switching my focus back here! Now on to the good stuff.

So, it’s June. And if you’re in Texas, chances are your skin hasn’t seen the sun in a good month. How on earth do you convince yourself it’s actually summer with all this rain? Two words: self. tanner. St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse (pictured above) is by far my favorite. It has a green undertone, so it won’t make you look orange at all and it dries SO FAST. So how do you get the perfect tan? Just follow these four easy steps.

One. Exfoliate! Trust me, you don’t want to skip this. Don’t come crying to me if you do and a week later you’re scaly and your arms are 2 different skin colors. Exfoliating will help make sure your tan is even and help it last longer. Also, a loofah alone is not enough. Get yourself a heavy duty scrub and be rid of all the dead skin you possibly can. I recommend exfoliating about a day before you plan to apply your self tanner, this way your skin cells can rebuild just enough for perfect application.

Two. Apply your tanner. Clean skin is a must- this means no lotions and no deodorant. Deodorant can sometimes make the self tan turn green. I don’t know about you, but green pits are not my jam. If you’re using a mousse like the St. Tropez one, be sure to purchase the mitt that goes with it. This will ensure even and easy application, and you won’t have any over-tanned hand mishaps. For tanning lotions, I just use my bare hands and wash them immediately after.

Three. Rinse off. Most self tanners you’ll want to rinse off a set amount of time later. Some are okay to rinse off after a few hours, but only if the bottle specifies this (try the express bronzing mousse if you wanna shower earlier!) For most other products you’ll want to wait 8-12 hours before getting your skin wet again. If you feel sticky at all during this time, brush your skin with baby powder and a powder brush to keep the stickiness at bay. When you shower, use a shower gel without any exfoliation (no washcloths, loofahs, exfoliation beads in the wash) and PAT your skin dry with your towel. Rubbing your skin with a towel after showering exfoliates your skin, hence taking off your tan that you’ve so carefully applied.

Four. Moisturize frequently. This is so important! You have to keep your skin moisturized if you want your tan to last. The best lotions to use are those that are unscented and have very low (preferably none) alcohol contents. I really like Eucerin for post-tanning. I also love Jergens gradual tanning daily moisturizer in medium to tan. Alcohol is higher up on the ingredients in this one, but it also is gradually maintaining your tan as you moisturize. Even though I don’t exactly fit the bill for “medium to tan” skin, I like that this one gives more color than the “light to medium” formula.

 And there you have it! Following these steps will help give you a beautiful, lasting tan that will trick everyone into thinking you just spent a week at the beach. Do you have a favorite tanning product? Let me know!