Your face and neck absorb self-tanners better than other body parts, so it’s wise to invest in a type of sunless tanner that’s specifically formulated for the neck and facial areas. These can be a little more pricey than regular self-tanner, but it’s worth the extra expense because you don’t want to run the risk of looking like you’re wearing an orange mask. Even if you do buy the special formula for faces, it’s still important to use it sparingly. Most important of all, blend well everywhere, but especially along the jaw line and into the hairline. If your hair is light, you may want to apply a little bit of petroleum jelly to your hairline to avoid staining.
When you have finished tanning your desired areas, take some ordinary lotion (not sunless tanner) and blend it into your feet and ankles. Do the same with your elbows (and the inner part that bends) and knees (especially the part below the kneecaps), wrists and hands. This lightens the effect of the sunless tanner on the areas that often pose problems, and helps to blend the color more seamlessly into your hands and feet. When you’re finished, wash your hands again. Now it’s time to let yourself dry.
If you have the freedom and privacy to walk around naked for half an hour, by all means, do it! Otherwise, wear your “tanning outfit” for thirty minutes. After that time, you can get dressed, but proceed with caution: anything tight-fitting, such as bras or snug jeans, may affect the development – and later appearance – of your tan. If at all possible, you should wear something loose like a robe or nightgown and avoid getting fully dressed in street clothes for at least an hour. You can do your self-tanning right before bed; just apply it, wait for thirty minutes, put on a nightgown and go to bed. In the morning, you’ll wake up tan.
For at least three hours, avoid any activity that could potentially expose your skin to moisture – anything that will make you sweat, for example. Wait for a full eight hours to bathe again. If you want to achieve a darker color, you can apply more sunless tanning lotion after you bathe. Exfoliate with a commercial exfoliating scrub (or even something from your own kitchen cupboard; corn meal works wonders!) rather than a wash cloth, and apply the second coat of self-tanner. Moisturize your skin every day with regular lotion, and reapply the self-tanner every three days or so.
Tips to remember ...
If you make a mistake, it’s fixable – depending on how big it is. If it’s small, leave well enough alone. If it’s a bigger, more noticeable mistake, moisten a cotton ball or cotton swab with hydrogen peroxide, apply it to the problem area, and then rinse it off. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t; it’s a gamble!
Sunless tanning lotion may darken freckles and moles, so be prepared and don’t be alarmed.
Newer scars and stretch marks may look more prominent with sunless tanner; older scars and stretch marks will be much less noticeable.
Don’t use self-tanner on the bikini area; it can end up just looking dirty. Eww!
The skin on sensitive areas such as the lips and nipples are unaffected by sunless tanners, so blend right on over them. If you try to avoid them, you could end up with unsightly “borders.”