It's safe to say that skin looks better tan or with a bit of a glow. I know I always feel like I drop 10 pounds and go from chalky, Idaho white (it's a thing) to a beautiful bronzed goddess with some sun-kissed color. But I'm going to be brutal here...tanned skin is damaged skin and the ONLY safe tan is a sunless tan.
Long gone are the days of lathering in baby oil to fry myself to a crisp or worse, spending 30 minutes a day in a tanning bed to get a head to toe tan with zero tan lines. I honestly didn't know the harm I was doing to my skin and wish there was more education around in the early 2000's when I still had baby fresh skin and no clue.
Nowadays you'll find me applying and reapplying sunscreen over every square inch of my body and hunting down my kids, family and clientele to do the same.
But lets get back to that tan...how do we achieve bronzed goddess status if we can't get the sun involved? Meet your new best friend, sunless tanner. There's a ton of great options on the market but my favorite is Luna Bronze. They are an Australia based company that has created a clean, natural, sunless tanning line with zero chemicals, zero orange hue or streaky formula, and only skin-loving ingredients that will go hand-in-hand with your professional grade skincare products.
Follow these easy steps for the perfect sunless tan at home...
Prep, prep, prep!
Use a natural body scrub to exfoliate your skin 1-2x a week to remove dead skin cells and ensure a smooth, flawless tan application. Avoid any oil based products as they can create a barrier between the skin and self-tanner.
Shop body scrubs here.
Application
Once skin is prepped (exfoliated, shaved, etc.) start by moisturizing any dry areas (knees, ankles, tops of feet, elbows, backs of hands) with a hydrating, oil free moisturizer. Using your applicator mitt start by applying your self tanner in long fuild motions from bottom to top. Work quickly and avoid the dry areas initially. Come back to those areas once your applicator mitt is almost free of product and apply a light layer. Keep working your way up the body until fully covered. Enlist your spouse, partner or a friend to apply self tanner to the middle of your back.
Hydrate & Moisturize
Key to a long lasting tan is well hydrated, moisturized skin. Moisturize daily with an oil free moisturizer and keep up on water intake to keep dead skin cells (ie your tan) from flaking away too quickly.
Pro Tips
•Avoid bathing or showering until your tan fully develops (10 - 12 hours)
•Avoid any water drips down the arms immediately after tan application
•Avoid exercising or excessively sweating until after your first shower post-tan
•Avoid the armpit area when applying self tanner
•Wait 1-2 days post-wax to apply self tanner
Ready to get on the sunless tanning bandwagon? Shop the full Luna Bronze Collection below.
xo Tiff
Betsi LaMoure —
I always use Vaseline before self tanning lotion on key areas. I coat my feet with a thin layer, the fronts of my knees, and a quick swipe down my shin bone as these areas seem to take more color than the others. It’s just what works for me (and has for 10+ years).