How to Get a Good Tan

A great way to get a beautiful, healthy tan is by using self tanning lotion. Gone are the days of the orange, streaky fake tan. Self tanning lotion has come a long way in the past few years. It is now possible to get a flawless golden tan without ever stepping foot outside. Just follow these tips and you are on your way to the perfect tan!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Self tanning lotion
• Cosmetic sponge
• 2 washcloths
• Latex gloves

1. Clean and exfoliate your skin. This is a very important first step that you can’t skip if you want a great tan. Self tanning lotion “tans” the outer layer of your skin. By exfoliating you remove the uneven layer of dead skin providing an even, smooth palette for your new “tan” to adhere to. The best way to do this is in the shower with either a washcloth or loofah. Pay close attention to your elbows, knees and feet and hands.

2. Dampen a washcloth and cosmetic sponge for later use. It is best to do this before you start applying your tan to prevent the water from removing some of the self tanning lotion.

3. Moisturize problem areas. Areas with thick skin such as your elbows, knees, feet and hands can tan too darkly. Applying a little moisturizer to those areas before you apply the self tanning lotion can help prevent this.

4. Put on latex gloves. This will prevent orange palms. You can also use yellow kitchen gloves.

5. Apply from feet up. Working from the bottom up will keep you from bending over after you have applied the self tanning lotion which could potentially ruin your tan.

6. Blend into hairline with sponge. After you have applied the self tanning lotion to your face use the dampened cosmetic sponge to blend around your hairline making it appear more natural. Also, don’t forget to tan your ears.

7. Apply to hands with sponge. Now, remove your gloves and apply a little self tanning lotion to your hands blending it on the top side only with the dampened cosmetic sponge.

8. Apply moisturizer to hands, feet, elbows, knees and armpits. This will help prevent places that aren’t naturally very tan from being to dark and also helps blend the self tanning lotion making it appear more natural. You can apply the moisturizer to your entire hands and feet, not just the tops, and blend into your wrists and ankles.

9. Wipe palms and soles of feet with damp washcloth. This will remove any residual tan on your palms or soles of your feet left after moisturizing.

10. Wipe cuticles of fingernails and toenails with dry washcloth. Your cuticles can become very brown if they get self tanning lotion directly on them.

11. You now have a great natural looking tan, but if you would like it darker you can repeat this process two days in a row. However, just shower in the first step, but don’t exfoliate again as you will remove some of the tan you applied the first day. Enjoy your tan!

[cis4car]

on 8/12/2009 good info....thanks 5*