Sunless Tanning Basics

Q: I want to use a sunless tanner this summer, but my skin always seems to end up orange and streaky - help! Do you have any tips?

A: You don’t have to toast in the sun to achieve the beautiful tan. Sunless tanning has been steadily gaining popularity as new and innovative products enter the market to offer safe, natural-looking, golden tans. Sunless tanning products can help you to achieve a luscious golden tan, while sparing your skin from ravaging UV rays.

Many Hollywood stars and celebrities head indoors for shimmery bronze skin, too. “I think tan makes you look thinner,” admits Jessica Simpson. But whether they are spending $30 per session of bottled bronzing – like Christina Aguilera – or splurge reported $1,000 per month for booth spray-on salons, like Paris Hilton, you can enjoy the same sun-kissed results without investing too much.

A new generation of spray-on sunless tanners offers the luscious look of a professional airbrush tan right at home.

A number of recent innovations in the sunless tanning category are helping to make orange, streaky skin a thing of the past. New easy-to-use formulations are designed to provide beautiful-looking, even tans without the mess.

Applied like an airbrush spray, spray-on tanning sunless sprays cover the body in a fine light mist with no rubbing required providing a perfect all-over tan that dries in less than five minutes. The innovative one-touch continuous spray feature provides even coverage because it works at any angle to effectively tan even hard-to-reach places.

Here are some goof-proof tips for achieving that perfectly bronzed, flawless tan:

1. Exfoliate. Begin by exfoliating your skin, paying special attention to your elbows, knees and other rough spots. Smooth skin helps make the application of a self-tanner uniform, and prevents streaking or blotching.

Recommended products: Philosophy Gingerbread Man, Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub.

2. Moisturize.
If skin is dry and dehydrated the self-tanner will deposit in these areas and may appear uneven. This is especially true for the face which is constantly exposed to the summer sun.

Face self-tanning has become easier with innovative products that combine self-tanner, sunblock and moisturizer in one. These lotions should be applied with a delicate touch, similar to the way you apply concealer avoiding the eyelids and ensuring that the lotion does not come in contact directly with the eyes.

By using self-tanners and sunblocks regularly you will protect your skin from the signs of premature aging caused by sun exposure and you will be able to achieve a beautiful bronze glow.

Recommended products: Neutrogena Build-a-Tan Face SPF 15, Dr. Brandt Skincare Bronze Barrier Face SPF 30.

3. Apply with care.
Start with your feet and work your way up. Using a sunless tanning spray, such as Neutrogena MicroMist Tanning Sunless Spray, helps to tan those hard-to-reach areas for even coverage. Another highly recommended product – Minesol Bronze.

4. Dry for five minutes.
Allow about five minutes for the tanner to dry. A beautiful tan should develop within a few hours and will last for days. The medium tint produces a tan that is two shades darker than your skin tone, ensuring a natural-looking, golden tan that will fade gracefully. You can determine how deep or dark a tan you want and layer the tan, but within the day or two.

The result: a beautiful tan without the damaging effects of the sun's rays.

Julie Gabriel, based on Neutrogena News.

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