admin Whether it’s from time spent basking in the sun or the result of the best self tanner, a bronzed, sunkissed glow in the summertime (or year-round, rather) is always a good look. Even if you don’t have a trip to the tropics planned or can’t find the time for a professional spray tan, you can achieve similar results right at home thanks to a crop of innovations in the market for not only a natural-looking finish, but options inclusive of age, skin tone, and gender. Basically, self tanner is for everyone.
Best Self Tanners
“Self-tan has always been a cloak of confidence for myself, and for my celebrity clients, but for some reason, it was only communicated to consumers as a one-body-shape, one-skin-tone type of beauty product, which has never been the case for me!” explains celebrity tanning expert and founder of Isle of Paradise, Jules Von Hep. With what he calls “post-pandemic fatigue” in mind, he believes we should rely on self tan to help boost confidence by awakening the skin. There’s something about a lit-from-within glow that makes us look alive by nature. “Our skin looks more even and our glow more prominent–and that, in turn, affects our day-to-day mood.”
If you’re new to the world of self tanner or simply are curious how products create that bronzed effect, Hep breaks it down: “The self-tan ingredient (found in many products), DHA (dihydroxyacetone), reacts with our skin giving the illusion that we’ve been away.” From gradual tanning lotions to self-tanning drops, there are plenty of easy-to-apply options offering a subtle face and body glow infused with skin-nourishing ingredients like shea butter, aloe vera, and hyaluronic acid. “The best way to think of self-tan is that it mimics vacation skin without having to go on vacation–essentially, it’s a vacation in a bottle!” says Hep.
How to Achieve a Streak-Free Tan
Certainly though, none of us want to go through the effort of self tanning to reveal streaky, patchy bouts of color. The key to a great tan is all in the preparation—Marc Elrick, founder and CEO of Tan-Luxe, recommends prepping skin 24 hours before application: “Any shaving, exfoliating, and moisturizing should be done the day before to ensure you have the perfect base,” says Elrick. Then when you’re ready to apply your tanner of choice, moisturize dry patches to avoid product buildup and prevent sparse color.
To avoid staining or rubbing off on fabrics, Tan-Luxe recommends allowing products to dry fully first, a process you can speed up with a blow dryer on a cool setting. Hep offers a few extra tips: use an applicator mitt and sweep it along the contours of your body in lengthways motions, set tan with translucent powder, and buff off excess tan on your eyebrows with a clean spoolie.
