Many people who live in cold climates resign themselves to losing their tan in the winter. However, as long as you live somewhere with some winter sun, you can achieve a natural tan. If you live somewhere like Alaska where the sun disappears for a large portion of the year, you can achieve a natural tan using the UV lights of a tanning booth. These booths serve as an enjoyable escape from the winter cold.

Study the sun to determine the best times to tan outside. The best time to tan is when the sun is directly overhead and there are few shadows on the ground. During the winter this often equates to 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If it's warm enough in your area, lie and tan for one to two hours on sunny days. If you have a skylight or greenhouse you can lie under these and take in the sun. Before tanning, apply a suntan lotion with a low SPF.

Visit a tanning salon and use the tanning bed. Start by tanning for five to ten minutes on each side and add another five to ten minutes every week until you spend about 30 minutes on each side in the tanning bed. Tan from one to three times a week for best results.

Use a loofa to exfoliate every day. Rub the loofa against your skin when you shower or bathe. Loofas remove dead skin cells which allows new skin cells to tan.