If you want to look like you've been on vacation without taking a trip, you'll need methods to make your skin look sun-kissed and dark. Rather than committing a weekend trip to a tropical locale, there are ways to darken your skin without hitting the tanning bed. Using a mixture of sunless tanning products and a few expert beauty tips, you can make your skin look dark in the comfort of your home.
Become a sun-bathing beauty. Exfoliate to prepare the skin for a suntan. Using a small loofah or brush, scrub the skin gently to help remove any dead skin cells. Choose a sunscreen for the skin that has a minimum sun protection factor of 30. To make your skin look dark, Science Base recommends you sunbathe at midday.
Use sunless tanning creams to darken skin. Exfoliate skin and apply a thin layer of moisturizer to the skin. The moisturizer will help the tanning product go over the skin more evenly. Apply the sunless tanner to the front, back and sides of your legs, arms, back, chest and neck. Rub the tanning cream or lotion into your body using small circles to evenly blend the product into your skin.
Get a tea-bag tan. If you have milky white skin, go a little darker with a black tea tan. Reader's Digest advises you to brew two cups of black tea. After the tea cools, pour it into a spay bottle. Apply the tea to dry skin; let air-dry. Repeat until you obtain your desired skin tone.
Darken your skin with a mist spray tanning product. Prep skin by exfoliating with a loofah and a gentle body scrub. Towel-dry your damp skin. Apply a thin layer of moisturizer to the skin. Close your eyes and hold your breath while your mist your face with the tanning spray can. Hold the spray can at least five inches from your face while you spray your face and the other parts of your body.
Apply a bronzing powder to your face. To give your skin a temporary sun-kissed glow, sprinkle a little bronzing powder over a dollop of moisturizing cream in the palm of your hand. Rub both hands together to mix the two products. Smooth and blend on your body for a dark glow that looks natural. Glamour's website suggests that "anyone with fair or medium skin should choose a bronzer that has a yellow-brown formula."
Tip
Use the bronzing powder and sunless tanning products to cover patchy skin pigmentation or give your skin a healthy glow in the winter months.
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Writer Bio
Mimi Abney is a lifestyle writer specializing in online content for women. Her work has appeared in NewsOK.com and "Keepsake Magazine," among other publications. With over 15 years of writing and editing experience for the web and print, Abney is also a contributor to online health, beauty and fashion publications. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from Spelman College.