Self Tanner | Beauty and Fashion Tech

May 12, 2012

Self Tanning Made Easy

May 12, 2012 By Carleenp Leave a Comment

With summer just around the corner, the perfect accessory to go with that cute bikini and over sized sunglasses is a natural tan. However, UV light from indoor tanning beds are harmful and wreck your skin, while laying out in the sunlight can cause a nasty sunburn. Many salons offer a self tanning service but these can be pricey. The best option for a healthy and natural tan is to apply self-tanner at home.

30 Days of Beauty, Day 11: Get Your Fake Tan On!

There are hundreds of self tanning products to choose from. Lotions are easier to apply but spray cans with a specially built nozzle allow you to rotate the can and apply color to those hard to reach spots. Some products show an immediate kiss of color while others take hours to set in, so decide while shopping if you'd like to see the results as you go. If you are fair-skinned or unsure of how dark you'd like the tan to be, many companies market a gradual tanning lotion that lightly darkens with each use.

To maximize the staying power of a self-tan, take a shower beforehand, shave and exfoliate your skin head to toe. Exfoliation is key to a good self tan, because it removes dead skin and leave a smooth fresh surface for the product. Becky Sturm from StormSister Spatique provides this exfoliation tip on exfoliating for a healthy glow or as a precursor to self-tanning products:

“Exfoliate with an exfoliating bath or shower wash or scrub 3-4 times a
week and use an exfoliating mitt every other shower or bath. Apply body
moisturizer to skin immediately after each shower or bath.

Do this for a week before using self-tanning products for the softest,
smoothest skin for an even application. After the self-tanning process has started, exfoliate body every other day and continue to apply body lotion and tanning gel after each exfoliation.”

To start your color, change into an old bikini or underwear that you don't mind staining. Self tanning can be messy and turn your hands an unsightly dark brown, so make sure to wear gloves or wash your hands with soap immediately afterwards.

Simply start by applying the product to the tops of your feet and work your way upwards. Use a thin layer of the product and lightly rub in, making sure to evenly cover all surface area. When applying tanner to your face, elbows, and knees, mix the product to your favorite lotion as these spots tend to come out darker than the rest. Let the color air-dry for up to a half an hour to ensure that it doesn't smudge. Try to refrain from bathing or shaving for at least 24 hours as your tan will fade with each wash.

Thinking of getting a professional spray tan? Read our article on Getting the Most From Your Spray Tan

Self Tanning Tips and Tricks

From Lisa Acton at Beauty Info Zone: “To keep your self-tanner from staining your clothes or your bedding, just take a big brush and sweep on some body powder. This sets the self-tanner and prevents any laundry 'oops'.”
Emphasize your new tan with the perfect makeup and accessories, Wear a shimmery bronzer and bright eye shadow for a tropical look. Gold and silver jewelry will shine even more brilliantly on tanned skin.
White and brightly colored clothing provide a gorgeous contrast and help your tan stand out.
Don't forget a sunscreen when at the beach or pool; you don't want to ruin that new tan with skin damage or a peeling sunburn.
Self-tanning is also a fun activity for a girl's spa day! Make homemade exfoliants and face masks, then help each other apply self tanner.
Your tan should last anywhere from three days to a week. Do a skin test next time you reapply the product as the color will darken with each use. Simply put on a dab of tanner to a discrete area of skin, wait for the product to develop then assess the results. You may need to wait for your original tan to completely fade if you're not satisfied with the next color.

Favorite Self Tan Products

For an affordable self tan, Laura Yoder: 24-7 Style loves Banana Boat Summer Color Self Tanning Mist, stating: “I was low on cash and couldn't buy my normal "low-end" self tanner. I'm not a huge fan of the scent, but it's not the worst, especially when I'm left with BROWN color. Goes on super easy, no rubbing or streaking at all!”

At the higher end, the following items are popular and recommended:

The entire Xen-Tan line gets rave reviews from customers.

St Tropez Self Tanning Mousse: This light tanning mousse is often listed by many as the best self tanning product.

Clinique Sun Self: This tinted lotion is easy to apply and provides a natural look.

Tomorrow, Day 12, Whiten and Brighten Your Teeth.

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

Filed Under: 30 Days of Beauty, Self Tanners, Skin Care, Sunscreens Tagged With: 30 Days of Beauty, Banana Boat, Clinique, Self Tanner, St Tropez, Xen-Tan

Apr 5, 2012

How To Make The Most of Your Spray Tan

April 5, 2012 By Carleenp Leave a Comment

Airbrush spray tans are a great alternative to sunbathing. Harmful rays from the sun can cause damage to your skin including premature aging and certain types of skin cancer. With proper care, airbrush tans can last up to two weeks. Learn how to prep your skin before the tan and take care of it after the tan for best results.

How Spray Tans Work

In order to properly care for your tan, learn how spray tans work. Many people mistakenly think that an airbrush tan stains the skin. While some tanning solutions have a bronzer that does temporarily stain your skin, they work by reacting with the outermost layer of skin to create the tan.

Dihydroxyacetone, also called DHA, is the active ingredient in sunless tanning products. This product reacts with the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin to produce a natural glow. This means the tan will be natural just like tanning in the sun, but without harmful UV rays. Most sunless tanning solutions are made from organic ingredients, so there is a very low risk of harming the body.

It takes several hours for the tan to develop. Results can be seen in a few hours, but it can take up to 12 hours for the skin to reach its darkest shade. If the tanning solution contains a bronzer, this will temporarily darken the skin while the natural tan develops, and the bronzer will wash off in a shower.

Before Getting A Spray Tan

Since the DHA reacts with the dead skin cells, it's essential to exfoliate the entire body before a tan. Failure to exfoliate means these tanned skin cells will fall off shortly after the tan, so the tan will not last as long or the skin will tan unevenly. Look for a gentle exfoliator made for the entire body. For sensitive skin, look for a formula made especially for sensitive skin. Here is a list of scrubs: Body Scrubs at Beauty.com.

For best results, exfoliate as close to the appointment as possible. Since you won't be able to shower for several hours after the tan, it is best to do this in the shower. Wash with your regular soap, and use an gentle scrub all over your body in the shower. Be sure to scrub elbows, knees ankles and other patches of thicker skin.

At the salon, use a gentle lotion on knees, ankles, palms of the hand and elbows. This helps dilute the tanning solution so less gets applied to these areas. Do not use any other type of lotion before the tan or the tan could streak. The salon should provide you with this. Otherwise, or just in case, bring your favorite general lotion from home.

During The Tan

Spray tans are usually done in a salon with an airbrush or a spray tanning machine. If you are modest, seek out a machine tan or an airbrush tan by a member of the same sex. With either method, it is advisable to use a gloved hand to smooth the solution evenly over your body. If you do not use a glove, your palms will get very tan.

The salon should provide foot wear for tanning patrons. These special slippers are sticky, so they stick to the bottom of the foot without straps. If the salon does not provide these, be careful walking in the overspray as the bottoms of the foot can become overly dark.

After The Tan

It's important to let the tanning solution dry completely before dressing. Avoid sitting or lying down until the solution is dry. Dressing or sitting down too soon can result in blotchy or uneven tanning.

Do not exfoliate your skin or use an exfoliating mask on your face. These will remove the dead skin cells that are tan and cause your tan to fade prematurely.
When the tan does start to fade, it may fade unevenly. If this happens, use an exfoliator as needed to even the tan.

Do not shower or take a bath for at least 12 hours after the tan. If you want a subtle tan, however, ask the airbrush technician when to shower to stop the reaction.

Looking for self tanning? Take a look at this list of tanners at Beauty.com.

Filed Under: Self Tanners Tagged With: Self Tanner, Spray Tan

Jun 3, 2009

Fake Bake Sunless Tanning

June 3, 2009 By Carleenp Leave a Comment

Fake Bake is a line of sunless tanning products that is a favorite of various celebrities such as Kelly Ripa and Britney Spears. I gave three products a try with generally good results. These are overall quite good self tanners, but they do require using them at night and allowing for full drying before bed because of the color indicator in the product. Also, as with use of any self tanner, be sure to exfoliate well before applying in order to avoid streaks!

Fake Bake Self Tanner lotion gave the deepest tan. It also is the darkest in terms of the color indicator (which is organic BTW). At first, the dark brown color of the product surprised me, but the use of a color indicator adds a lot in terms of avoiding streaking because you can actually see where the product is going for more even application. Do wear gloves with this one! Just doing a test swatch without gloves left my hands pretty brown!

Fake Bake’s lotion dries quickly (less than 10 minutes when I used it) and does not rub off on sheets. The color indicator generally washes off in the shower the next day after the product has allowed the skin color to develop. I ended up with a good look from the lotion, although it was darker than I normally go with self tanners (I’m naturally pretty darn pale).

Similar to the standard lotion is Fake Bake Sunless And Skinny. This interesting tanner contains firming ingredients to help your skin look more tone and help hide cellulite. I got a similar looking tan from this one as I did from the lotion.

My favorite was the Fake Bake Self Tanning Mousse. This product had the lightest color indicator. In fact, it can be a bit hard to see as you rub it in, but it doesn’t go entirely invisible like many other tanning mousses, which is why I liked it so much. I find that mousse spreads more evenly than lotions, giving the best odds for a streak free tan. The addition of a bit of color indicator in Fake’ Bake’s version was even more helpful. I also got a bit lighter tan from the mousse, which is my preference. I like to start light and build up. Overall, I ended up with a nice streak free light tan from the mousse.

In the end, as long as you don’t mind the color indicator, this is a nice line of products. I like having the indicator, because I think it helps prevent streaks, but some folks prefer invisible lotions so that they can apply and go out the door.

Looking for a kit with several products? Check out the Fake Bake Tanning Kit.