Spring fever not only means breaking out the shorter sleeves and brighter colors, it also means more sunny days ahead. Men and women alike love the healthy glow of sun-kissed skin, but refuse to damage their skin or increase their chances of getting skin cancer by spending long hours in the sun or in a tanning bed. Self-tanning is a great option for those who want the look of freshly tanned skin this spring and summer.

If you’ve ever used a self-tanner, chances are, you’ve experienced a horror story involving streaking or orange palms. Believe me, I’ve been there! While easy to use once you get the hang of them, they are also easy to misapply if you haven’t mastered the right technique.

The number one reason people end up with botched at-home tans is lack of proper skin preparation. You should always moisturize and exfoliate before using a self-tanner, but most people don’t do that until right before they apply the product. This is a common mistake that causes an uneven skin surface that, in turn, causes an uneven tan.

This is a mistake that can easily be avoided by simply preparing your skin by exfoliating every morning in the shower a few days before you apply self-tanner. Use a moisturizer liberally for the days before you self-tan, but not immediately before-hand (it will interfere with the self-tanner’s absorption). Shaving also exfoliates, so it’s OK to do that a day ahead of time too. And wait at least a full day before de-fuzzing again; doing so sooner will shorten the life of your tan.

When applying the tanner, work slowly and rub the product in completely. If you’re prone to streaks, I’d recommend using a lotion. Sun Laboratories makes a great product called Dark Sunsation Self-Tan lotion. It gives you a natual looking tan without orange look or the funky smell. The great thing about this product is that it has a built-in color guide, a dark temporary color that lets you see exactly where youre applying the product–it’s foolproof!

Avoid blotchy spots on drier skin around your ankles, elbows and knuckles by making sure you exfoliate those areas with some extra TLC. Also, be sure to use a rich moisturizer regularly. When applying the tanner, you’ll get the most natural look if you dilute the self-tanner with an equal amount of moisturizer before applying it to your feet, ankles, elbows and knees, as well as to the inside of your arms and under your chin.

If you still wind up with dark blotches, hop into the shower after the tanner has finished developing and scrub the dark blotches gently with a loofah. Then slather on a moisturizer and repeat the proccess in 24 hours.

[via b.net]

Love,

Loren