How to Become Tan Without the Sun or Tanning Salons

Direct sun is not the only way to sport a tan.

Knowing to stay out of the Sun -- avoiding the rays of the real thing and the UV rays of tanning salons -- is a major step in ensuring healthy skin. Even though pale can be pretty, you don't have to miss out on sporting a tan. In fact, seeking a tan through sunless means can actually benefit your health.

Instructions

1. Eat your vegetables. Carrots, specifically, contain a substance called carotenoids, which are stored under the skin. You can't eat enough carrots to worry about turning carrot-colored, but their gradual increase in presence in your body may lead to your complexion turning slightly darker.

2. Choose a self-tanner suitable for your skin type. Getting up to speed may take a few tries, including prepping your skin by shaving and exfoliating, then experimenting with the different kinds of lotion. Self-tanners come in varieties for the fairest skinned through lotions for people who already have darker skin colors, as well as in bottles, sprays and wipes.

3. Apply bronzer, a specialty cosmetic that makes your face, neck and décolletage appear tanner. Bronzer comes in a variety of styles, including cream and powder. Bronzer vendors range from the inexpensive drugstore staples to mainstays of the cosmetics counters at department stores.

4. Seek out a spray tan professional. Although these wielders of spray tan nozzles are often employed by salons, some work on a freelance basis, out of their own homes or in spas and hotels. Having someone spray tan you is not for the weak of heart -- you'll be completely nude or as stripped down as you prefer, as the person wields the spray gun to apply the tan to your body. The benefit of using professionals is that they know the tricks of their trade and can not only give you an allover tan, but create contours and the appearance of muscles such as six-pack abdominal muscles if desired.

References

• "The Guardian": How Vegetables Can Give You That Golden Glow; Chris Arnot; February 2011
• East Tennessee State University: Can't Tan?: The How-To of Sunless Tanners, for Fair-Skinned Women; Renee Osborne; April 2009
• Washington University in St. Louis: Answers to Common Questions & Debunking Myths
• Makeup USA: Top Tips and Advice -- Bronzer