Sunless Tanning Products, The Way To Go

If you are thinking about spending the weekend getting a tan in the sun, then think twice. The fact remains that tanning is not good for your skin. Exposing yourself in the sun, even up to a moderate extent, can put you at an elevated risk of getting skin cancer. However, if you do want the look of tan skin, then there are options. Sunless tanning lotions are everywhere and they are absolutely safe to use.  Just by following a few easy instructions you can get a very natural looking tan.

• How to prepare your skin for self-tanning products?

If your skin is flaky and dry then it will not be able to absorb the tanning product evenly. This can lead to an uneven tan, which is worse than not having a tan at all. Therefore, before you apply, try to make your skin as smooth and as clear as possible.

You can do this by first exfoliating your skin. This will cause the removal of any dead skin as well flakes. After that, you can follow with a moisturizer every day. It may take a few days before you can see your new and good skin to come forth.

• How to get the best tan?

Those days when applying tanning lotion caused your skin to become orange are long gone. Now, you can get a more enhanced and natural looking better tan.

The formula has of course changed over the years, the methods of application are varied.  The texture of the lotions are thicker and some even come in the form of mousses or foams. In addition, they are slow to get activated and fast to get absorbed. All of these factors are enough to give you a natural tan.

First, you will need to picture how the sun tans you. Generally, it is darker on your forearms while lighter underneath. Your armpits will rarely be the same color like your shoulders. Therefore, when applying the lotion, you can apply them slightly darker to those areas, which you think will be darker. This should be very subtle because you do still want to tan evenly. To achieve this, apply evenly and then buff off those areas that you do not want so dark.

This will help the dark tones to blend easily with the lighter ones. This will also include elbows, kneecaps as well as your hairline. Now, one more thing about these areas is that generally, they have rough skin and hence, you should exfoliate well prior to application.

• When should you apply your self-tanner?

It depends on your plans for the day, or night.  There is no specific time you need to stick with when applying your self tanning products.  However, you should remember that they do not have any sunscreen. If you are planning to hit the beach the next day, then apply it the night before. Then you can awake to a natural and beautiful glow and you’ll just need to apply your SPF sunscreen and off you go!  You’ll arrive already looking like a beach-goddess!

Once you achieved your desired tan shade, maintenance should be easy.  However since build-up can occur over weeks and weeks of use,  you may want to do a good exfoliation to start over the proccess every few weeks or so.

If You Must Tan In The Sun

Here comes summer and it brings along with it a lot of sun and also a galore of fads, with getting a tan being at the top of the list. If you are also looking to get that perfect honey-tone shade, and you do not want to use a self-tanning product, make sure you use a good moisturizing formula of tanning lotion, oil or spray.  Keeping your skin moist while in the sun is important.

There are several tanning products available, so you need to find the one that is perfect for your lifestyle and your individual skin type. Knowing your skin type is imperative as it will determine the amount of SPF you need.  The suns rays are harsh and you will need to use a lotion or oil with UVA/UVB protection in it.   I know your goal is to get a tan, but don’t worry, those rays will still penetrate the SPF.  You will be able to obtain a shade or two darker while protecting yourself from skin cancer as much as possible.

Some skin types are prone to burning, peeling, tanning while others are quite sensitive. It depends on whether you are Asian, African, or Caucasian.  Check on the moisturizing ingredients of the product as well. Sun exposure will make the skin dry. Hence, you should know if your tanning oil, lotion or spray will be able to provide enough moisture to your skin.

While it is important that the product you use have a good moisturizing effect, it should not be too sticky or greasy. It should feel light. You should look for products on the market that that have a combination of the following properties.

• Check the usage instructions and follow them properly.  If it says to reapply it every 2 or 3 hours, remember to do so.  Set your cell phone alarm to remind you.  Time can fly by while your having fun in the sunshine.

• Choose the tanning products that offer the best combination of benefits, as well as price.  Some good ones on the market today incorporate antioxidants and anti-aging ingredients into their formulations.  So they are worth paying more for, especially when using on your face.

• If you must get a natural tan, use a higher SPF UVA/UVB to start out with, you can always go for a lower SPF factor later on.  Start out higher and protect from burning when you first start out.

• Do some research and look on the internet for reviews and forums where other people are chatting about and reviewing the products they buy.  You are bound to find someone with the same skin tone as yourself that has a good tanning product they can recommend to you.

So if you simply must tan in the sun, follow these simple tips to find the perfect formulation for you.