How to Get a (Relatively) Safe Tan
Instructions
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Consider Applying a Self-Tanner
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Fake tanners have gotten a bad rap over the years, and for good reason: They can look fake. These products, however, have gone through significant improvements in recent years. The new brands of self-tanners are virtually streak-proof, and some even come with built-in SPF. Self-tanners do not injure the skin, and you can pick out the exact shade of tan you want. Numerous options are available for self-tanners. You can choose between gels, lotions or sprays. Be careful, though. Just because your skin will be golden doesn't mean you won't burn. So keep applying that sunscreen whenever you go in the sun.
Applying a self-tanner is simple. First, you need to exfoliate. This simply means getting rid of all the dead cells on your body. This will help the tanner go on more evenly. To exfoliate, merely go to a beauty-supply or drugstore and get an exfoliation kit or loofah sponge.
Make sure your body is completely dry before applying the tanner. If there is any moisture, the tanner may come out blotchy. Find a brand that you can see going on (read: the cream itself should be colored, not clear) so you won't miss any areas.
Get a pair of surgical gloves, preferably latex; they'll help keep your hands from getting stained. If you are applying a cream, use upward strokes on the entire body, except the chest area. For the chest, horizontal strokes will help keep the coverage balanced. To avoid dark stripes, use less of the tanner on joints, such as the knees and the elbows.
Wait about 20 to 25 minutes, and you'll look like you've been sunbathing for days.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Man Sunbathing on the beach image by Alice from Fotolia.com
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Comments
View all 6 Comments-
help I need a tan.
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confusing.
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DiscountTickets
Jun 21, 2010
Great way to get a (Relatively) safe tan. -
Richard Ferri
Jun 21, 2010
Thank you so much. I have written about this issues several times for eHow and I must commend your comprehensive approach with the highlight of "there is no such thing a 'safe' tan"! I have spend too many house in my infectious disease practice excising "warts" and such only to know that I what i was doing was removing a melanoma. Melanoma kills. Saddest case of recent memory was a handsome, built 22 year old house painter who just did not never wore a shirt, let alone used any protection. His funeral was just after his 23rd birthday And one for the "truth is stranger than fiction" books his beautifully muscled and tanned corpse look so ghoulish in the open coffin that his boyfriend had it closed.
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big-tony
Apr 12, 2010
"However, the level of protection a person needs is usually based upon her tanning history." One big rule in web design is not to be sexist with your articles. Refer to his/her.. Not just one of them when speaking to the public.
