How to Apply Self Tan – Mistake Free Tips

This post is part of my Summer Beauty Tips Series, a collection of posts for the summer season. You can read the rest of the series here.

Back in high school, my best friend Christine and I would play around with self tanners for gym class (shudder). We would have to wear ghastly uniforms that consisted of extra short shorts – and apparently our fellow classmates thought pasty white legs were not attractive and was unacceptable. (Just so you know – that was a phase and we were young; we don’t care what they say now!)

Anyways, I haven’t used any self tanners since (I embrace the pale!) but with that experience, I think I can write an article on how to use it correctly. Streaks, blotches, embarrassing different colored legs – been there, done that. Here are some tips that I can remember that will help you with any troubles you may face.

(And by the way – good for you that you’re using self-tanner. It’s the safest way to get a tan!)

Prep your skin

Give yourself a good clean, and exfoliate the skin, concentrating on rough spots such as knees and elbows. This will get rid of all dead skin cells and roughness, which can cause uneven color. I remember once I was spraying my legs, and since my knees were drier than my legs, it absorbed more color. Dark knees are not a good look!

Choose your products

Looking around on the (huge) market of self-tanners, there are every type imaginable – sprays, foams, wipes, lotions, etc. High school was 5 years ago, so the only type available that I could find were lotions and sprays. If your using lotions, wear gloves – you’ll get the darkest palms after applying your self tanner and it does not come out easily

Sprays were my favorite. It was the easiest and fastest way to apply, and it would look the most ‘natural’. For example, I could distance the nozzle further away on certain areas so that it wouldn’t be as tan (like back of hands, knees, elbows, etc.)

 — What I recommend 

I personally find the best types of self tanners are the new ones which are body moisturizers with gradual self tanning. I loved those – never had any mistakes with that. You just rub the lotion on like a normal moisturizer, and after a few days you’d get a natural looking tan, and the darker you wanted it, the longer you apply the moisturizer. Also, there’s no worry of which areas you might forget, because the places you might have missed one day, you could’ve covered another day (you don’t apply it to the exact areas each time).

— Product Recommendations

The first Christine and I tried out was the Clinique Self Tan Mousse, Dove Energy Glow moisturizers, and Garnier Spray Tan. Dove Energy Glow was my favorite, highly recommend it. 

Application

Here’s what to do if your applying it to your whole body:

1. Start with the legs – apply your self tanner one leg at a time. Remember – go easy on the knees, ankles, back of knees, and foot. 
2. Next, thighs and buttocks. If it’s a lotion, apply it in circular motions. 
3. Start with your stomach, then chest, shoulders and neck. Be careful and be light handed around the neck area. 
4. For the arms, apply it wrist to elbow, then elbow to shoulder – use the leftover for the elbows, and remember be very light handed (if it’s a spray, spray it further away from you).
5. For the back, try to get help. Apply it from your shoulders down to your bottom. 

For the face, I had to ask Christine, because I never dared to try it on my face! Basically – apply it VERY lightly. A mousse version or gradual self tanner moisturizer is the best. Avoid the eyelids and brows, the blend into the hairline. If it’s a spray self tanner, lie down as if you were suntanning, and ask someone to position the spray at least 2 feet away from your face, and spray lightly. 

More tips:

• Apply self tanner in tight clothing that shows your body you want tan, or a bikini is best. Even better if you’re butt naked. 
• After applying, do not do anything for a least ten minutes, or until it’s completely dry. This is where most of my mistakes happen!
• If you make a mistake, quickly exfoliate! Other than that, there are no miracle fixes, you’d just have to wait ’til it fades. 

I hope I helped! For pro self tanners – please do comment with your tips to help other readers… There is a fair bit of trial and error, but the least error, the better, so I’m sure they’d appreciate anymore added tips.

Images: selftan.co.za, Getty Images

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