Fact: I am devastatingly pale. My Western European and Scandinavian ancestors were not built for warm, sunny climates, thus leaving me with a year-round ghostly pallor I resent to this day. I fully understand that all-natural skin tones, including the extremely fair, are gorgeous, but I’m a child of the ‘90s and early 2000s. I’ve been programmed to crave a golden glow since the moment I turned on TRL after school. Britney, Lindsay, Paris, Kim—they all looked so cool with their overly tanned skin (even though most of them definitely do not have that type of complexion naturally). So for most of my teenage years, I lived and died by the tanning salon, desperate to show off my caramel mocha complexion, and the tiny Playboy Bunny “sun tattoo” that peeked out of my low-rise Von Dutch jeans. Millennial ladies, you know what I’m talking about.
All that to say, I’ve wised up in the last 20 years. I know how dangerous sun exposure can be, from both a vanity standpoint (wrinkles, dark spots, skin laxity are all exacerbated by UV rays) as well as your health (skin cancer anyone?). I wish I could say all those scary facts and statistics have weaned me off my bronzed skin cravings, but I’m not that rational. I just feel better when I have a slightly sun-kissed complexion and my legs don’t resemble a pasty white poached chicken breast. Self-tanner to the rescue!
I respect the girlies who have incorporated spray tans and bronzing products into their weekly beauty routine for a year-round glow (Marie Claire Beauty Editor Siena Gagliano, looking at you) but I’m still a bit lazy with my body care routine for that level of commitment. But now that the temperatures have risen above freezing and I can show a little skin with my favorite skirts and short-sleeve tops, I’m revisiting my tested and vetted self-tanner routine. Sure, it’s a bit of a time suck but when you nail the application and watch your complexion deepen to a healthy golden glow over the next eight hours… *chef’s kiss.*
Read on for my faux tanning routine to help trick people into thinking you just got back from vacation.
Don’t Skip the Exfoliation
Self-tanner needs to cling to skin that is free from buildup, dead cells, or rough patches to look as seamless as possible. I always make sure to use an exfoliating cleanser in the shower before I shave to get my skin primed for the tan application. Just make sure it’s a product that washes off, otherwise it can mess with the finish of the tanner and make it look blotchy.
This delicious exfoliating cleanser contains both physical and chemical exfoliating ingredients to buff and smooth your skin to perfection. I also adore the Eucalyptus scent to create a little spa oasis in the shower.
Not only do I love this exfoliating bar to treat my heels, arms (to fight keratosis pilaris), and bikini line, but it’s also ideal to smooth your skin pre-tan. My tanner tends to get uneven around my joints, so I pay extra attention to my knees, elbows, and wrists to get the most flawless application possible.
Shave It Off
I don’t mean you have to resemble a dolphin head to toe, but for myself, I like to remove the hair on my shins with a razor in the shower and use a dermaplaning tool on my face to eliminate peach fuzz. Both will help your tanner apply super smoothly.
This has been my go-to razor for years, and I can safely say that it makes flying through my hair removal routine so much easier. The added moisture gel also keeps my skin soft and soothed.
Yes, dermaplaning is just a rebrand for shaving your face with a straight razor, but wow, I am such a convert. It’s so satisfying to remove all that dead skin and peach fuzz in one past, and it leaves your complexion baby bottom soft, ideal for self-tanner.
Add a Lightweight Moisturizer
Some people will claim that a moisturizer messes with their tan but I really like to have a moisturizing layer as a base to ensure my skin doesn’t dry out and make the tanner splotchy. I really go to town on my joints to help the tan look even and avoid depositing too much of the product and ending up with those tell-tale dark patches.
This serum-meets-lotion has the best ever lightweight texture for spring and summer, and it sinks in so quickly to hydrate without a speck of greasiness. My skin is left silky soft and in the perfect condition to go in with self-tanner.
I will say that this is the only body moisturizer I convinced my anti-body moisturizing sister to ever use and she’s obsessed. I am too, especially when I need a lightweight layer to hydrate my skin pre-tanning. The price is also so good for the value.
Time for a Body Tanner
There are so many variations of self-tanner, from mists to foams to lotions, so it’s really dependent on your personal preference. I like a formula that I can see (so I know when I’ve already applied), is easy to spread, and doesn’t have a strong smell. These two formulas are my ride-or-dies.
The immediate color payoff with this mousse might look jarring but it simmers down while it develops over the next few hours. It’s so easy to apply (always use a mitt!) and leaves you with a buttery bronze color that is incredibly natural-looking, even on pale skin. It lasts for about five days if you don’t use any exfoliators in the shower, and doesn’t get too splotchy as it fades.
If you want a more gradual tan (as in you apply more every day or every other day to build up the color, or just rock a very light bronze) this milky lotion is your girl. I experience zero splotchiness with this formula, it sinks in really fast, and has zero smell. I like the toasted caramel color after three applications, but even a single session can give you a nice sun-kissed look.
Oh, and my pro tip for getting your hands and wrists to match your body when you use a mitt? Take a cast-off makeup brush, fluffy but dense, and lightly brush the self-tanner formula on the backs of your hands and in between your fingers once you’re done with the rest of your application and you've washed your hands. Then avoid putting on clothes for at least an hour and stand up to air dry—basically don’t touch anything for as long as possible, and then put on loose-fitting dark clothes to catch any color transfer.
Don't Forget Your Face
Obviously, you don’t want to be walking around with a super bronzed body and a ghostly face. I love face tanners that develop slowly over a few days as I feel like they give you the most natural-looking glow. Just don’t forget to wash your hands after applying them so you don’t end up with tan palms.
I’ve been using these drops for years and they’ve yet to fail me. I add 2-3 drops to my moisturizer after my serums have dried, and one drop to my SPF. The color is so subtle but golden and looks exactly like I just spent a week in Ibiza.
You can never go wrong with St. Tropez for self-tanner. This mist is so easy to apply—I spritz my face after serums and before moisturizer so it clings to my skin without an emollient layer (that helps the color develop faster). It takes about two days of 3-4 spritzes to see that gorgeous golden glow.
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