No Oompa Loompa’s here!

Fortunately, the orange, oompa loompa self-tanning products from the 80’s and 90’s are becoming a distant memory. The newest self-tanning formulas available are elegant and produce great results with the right application.

Follow my tips for a beautiful self-tanning experience:

• Exfoliate the areas of your face or body you plan to tan. Avoid streaking by paying extra attention to elbows, knees and ankles.
• Dry off completely and get out of that steamy bathroom, to reduce streaking.
• Apply self-tanner evenly. A tinted product will help you see where you’re applying.
• Mist-on self-tanners in a spray can are great for hard to reach areas like your back, but I’d suggest a trial run before any special event to get your application method down first.
• Blend, blend, blend around your hairline and on your elbows, knees and ankles.
• After application, wash your hands well; scrub your cuticles and fingernails. Brown fingernails are not your goal!
• Take a dry cotton swab and lightly go over the outline of your brows to blend.
• Wait a full 20 minutes before dressing. Even then, avoid wearing white.
• Your color should develop in 2 or 3 hours.
• Don’t wash your face or shower for at least 3 hours.
• For a deeper tan, try another application within 24 hours, but this time skip exfoliation.
• Avoid using any skincare and body care products containing chemical or physical exfoliants after self-tanning, as the exfoliation will strip the color from your skin.

If you follow these tips, you should have a beautiful self-tan. Tanning in the sun or in a tanning bed is not only dangerous, but an open invitation to age spots, wrinkles and skin cancer. The Only Safe Tan Is A Fake Tan!

Just remember that a tan, chemical or physical, DOES NOT offer protection from the sun. Use an SPF 15 or SPF 30 with UVA/UVB protection every single day, rain or shine. Last but not least, remember you are beautiful just as you are, tanning is optional.