Your bathroom is the best place to use as your sunless tanning headquarters. You’ll need a bathtub or a shower, a rough cotton washcloth or exfoliating scrub (more about scrubs later), a sink, and a headband and hair tie to keep your hair back from your face. It’s optional, but a clock or timer can also be helpful.
Take a bath or a shower.
Stay in the warm water for a few minutes to soften up the skin, and then use the washcloth to gently rub over your skin in a circular motion to remove any dead cells. You can also use a commercial exfoliating cream for this, but read the label carefully – you don’t want an oil-based cream, because it can create a barrier on your skin that will hinder the absorption of the self-tanner. While you are exfoliating, pay extra attention to your knees, ankles, elbows, shins, and the tops of your feet. If your skin is even remotely sensitive, don’t shave; the self-tanner may irritate if you do.
After you’ve bathed, give yourself a few minutes to make sure that the bathroom, and yourself, are completely dry. You don’t want the bathroom to be steamy and you don’t want any moisture on your body either – not even sweat, so relocate to a cooler room while you’re waiting for the bathroom to air out. Apply regular moisturizing lotion to any place on your body with fine lines or textures in the skin: your hands, wrists, ankles, feet, elbows, neck, and face. Give it a few minutes to soak in. Put on your bathing suit or snug-fitting outfit.