My self-tanning routine

I try to avoid sun bathing as much as possible and that is why I did my best to find my go-to products for a home self-tan.

I must warn you though; there is a fine (microscopic) line between looking like you spent 2 days in Barbados and resembling Julio-Iglesias-rolled-up-in-Doritos tan. So be careful which products you use and follow carefully the steps to a nice self-tan.

(Last Summer I went and got spray tanned professionally and I must say I did love it. It lasted for ten days and I was really happy with the result.)

Steps

1. Shave / wax a day before (I say a day before because when I wax the same day my pores tend to soak up all the tanning lotion and the polka dot look is not cute at all)
2. Exfoliate the areas you want to tan (DIY idea: 1 cup sugar + 1 cup honey + 1/2 cup water) Do not use any kind of oil-based products because it will ruin the tan process)
3. I use a tan applicator mitt to apply the product all over. Be very careful with your elbows and knees because those are dry areas and they tend to soak up a lot of product. (Tip: put a little moisturizer in those areas before tanning.) My all time favorite self-tan products are St. Tropez but the St. Moriz ones works absolutely fine as well (they are cheaper but the tan doesn’t last as much though).
4. I normally do this at night and let the product sit while I sleep and take a shower in the morning. Be sure to use black loose clothes if you don’t want to stain your sheets. Don’t be alarmed by how crazy the tan looks while it sits on your skip, after a shower it regulates to a nice glow.
5. For the next couple of days use moisturizer every day. Do not to use very hot water and do not scrub because it will scrub away your tan.

I also tried the Lancaster self-tanning gel but I prefer to use it after two days of the other tanners for a small touch up to keep my tan going a little bit more.

If you don’t like the long commitment idea of a complete self-tan then you can use the ones that wash away after one use. The Sally Hansen airbrushed legs ones work marvels: you just spray the area and it is an instant tan for a night out.

🙂