101 easy tips for a great summer!

SSR Top Self-tan tips and tricks

1. At least two days before, experiment with a portion of your body that no one will see (like your inner wrists or somewhere on your arm) to determine how your skin responds to a particular self-tanner formula. You may want to try several sunless tanning products to see which one works best with your own skin and coloring.
   
   
2. Self-tanning takes time. Allow AT LEAST a half hour, although an hour would be best, for all the work to be done.
   
   
3. Before you start any self-tanning action, be sure to gather your hair in a high ponytail. If you have bangs, wear a hairband to pull your hair back or even better, wear a shower cap. Remove all jewelry.
   
   
4. Take a quick shower and exfoliate thoroughly your skin, either with a washcloth or body scrub. Pay extra attention to your knees, ankles, feet, elbows, and neck. This will help achieve a uniform appearance since self-tanners grab on to dry surface skin cells, and you may have more dead, thickened skin cells in certain area, that would eventually make the tan uneven and blotchy. The better job you do of removing dead skin cells, the better your tan will appear.
   
   
5. After showering and completely drying off, apply a thin layer of lightweight moisturizer over the areas where you will be applying self-tanner. This will help the self-tanner glide on without clinging to dry patches. A little extra moisturizer over ankles, knees, and elbows can prevent those areas from looking patchy.
   
   
6. Your skin must be completely dry to get the best results. Do not apply self-tanner in a steamy, hot bathroom or on a humid, hot day (unless your home is air-conditioned).
   
   
7. Ideally, you should apply the self-tanner while naked, but you can also wear an old bathing suit (one you don’t plan to wear outside) to help determine where you want your tan line to end. Either way, have a plan of where you want to stop and start the color. Remember that self-tanners will stain clothing until they completely absorb into the skin and take effect on the skin cell.
   Note: get help from a friend if you want color on your back. You might want to help each other out and do this together!
   
   
8. Our advice is to apply self-tanners standing in the tub, in case any product hits the floor it can rinsed it away: in this way you will not have to clean up any product from floor or carpeting. This stuff stains!
   
   
9. Wherever you choose to be, stay standing. Self-tan can crease around the back of your legs so avoid sitting as it dries.
   
   
10. Apply self-tanner to one section of your body at a time. We advice to start with your face, then move down your body. Be more concerned about even application than rubbing it all the way in. Avoid areas of your body where you do not want to have color (armpits?)
    
    
11. Apply it very lightly on your face, and then more heavily on the upper cheeks, forehead and bridge of the nose, which will give the effect of a natural sun-kissed complexion.
    
    
12. Massage into the skin in small, circular motions, from the center of the area you're working on to the sides.
    
    
13. To prevent tan palms, you can try using surgical or plastic gloves to apply the self-tanner. This can work well, but can also make application trickier. Another option is to wash your hands every few minutes or after you apply the self-tanner to a section of your body. If you wait too long you will have orange-looking palms. It helps to have a nail brush handy to be sure you get the self tanner off your cuticles and the area between your fingers.
    
    
14. Be aware that different parts of your body "pick up" self-tanner more easily than others. For example, some people find that their legs turn brown more easily than their arms or torso, while others find that their faces and necks change color fastest. Experience will help you determine which is true for you.
    
    
15. Use a damp paper towel to take off any excess tanner on such areas as the neck, knees and elbows.
    
    
16. Be careful around your nose, eyes, ears, hairline, and lips. A cotton swab, makeup sponge, or synthetic makeup brush can help blend a thin, even amount smoothly over those areas. To keep light hair from turning color, apply a layer of conditioner or Vaseline over the hairline.
    
    
17. Avoid the eyelids area, because they usually end up looking awful when using a self-tanner: color collects there and it will appear darker (and you don't want the Panda-effect, do you?)
    
    
18. Wait AT LEAST 20 minutes before getting dressed (remember that self-tanner can stain clothes). Do not shower, exercise or swim for at least three hours. And if possible don't wear white clothing that same day: you risk ring-around-the-collar!
    
    
19. If you make a mistake and end up with streaky or dark areas of skin, consider using an exfoliant such as Fresh Sugarbath Body Polish, Brown Sugar over those spots. Then, in the morning, manually exfoliate those areas with a wet washcloth. This should rub off any uneven stripes.
    
    
20. Take special care with problem areas. As an option for your hands (which can be particularly tricky to get looking natural) apply self-tanner as you would a moisturizer, but then quickly wipe your palms off on a slightly soapy washcloth. Then take a Q-tip dipped in cleanser, eye-makeup remover (one that is not greasy so it doesn’t spread or smear), or nail polish remover and carefully use it to wipe around the nails and cuticle area and between your fingers.
    
    
21. You can also use a makeup sponge to apply self-tanner to the back of your hands, tops of your feet, temples, and hairline. By holding the sponge deftly between two fingers, you only need to worry about preventing this small area from changing color.
    Note: Skin-care products such as AHAs, BHA, topical scrubs, Retin-A, and topical disinfectants can affect the self-tanner’s action on your skin or even eliminate the color by exfoliating the surface skin cells (self-tanners only interact on the surface of skin). It is best not to apply these products the evening you apply a self-tanner. However, if you must do so, wait at least two to three hours before you do.
    
    
22. Reapply self-tanner as you feel the need. Generally it will start fading in about three to four days as the surface layers of skin shed. Remember that the intensity of your self-tan does not depend on the qauntity you use, rather on the number of self-tanning sessions you will have.
    
    
23. To deepen colour, reapply 6/10 houra after initial application: give your sunless tan time to develop before reapplying, no matter what it says on the label, or you could get darker than expected.
    To build a deeper tan gradually, apply once every day until desired level of tan is achieved. To maintain colour, reapply every few days as desired.
    
    
24. Wait at least three hours before swimming, bathing or exercising.
    
    
25. Keep your skin moisturized so you don't get that "snake skin" appearance!
    
    
26. You can also buy SPF products mixed with self-tanners, for example Palmer's Sunless Tanner & Instant Bronzer SPF 15 , this means you can bring them to the beach with you and minimize your tanning time: if you decide to do so keep in mind that you need to safeguard your health, you are not only applying "makeup" to your body.
    
    
27. New spray-on products cut back the amount of time you will need. Spray a little dose on your body, then follow all the steps above. The spray-on self-tanner must be rubbed quite quickly and require less time to be absorbed.

Looking for the Perfect Natural Tan? Safe Tan is the Answer!