HOW TO PREP YOUR SKIN FOR A PERFECT SELF TAN

Want the glow from lounging on the beach in St. Tropez but are scared of tanning lotion? Using tanning lotion at home can seem intimidating and hard. It easily becomes patchy, too dark, too light, uneven, too orange, or sticks to the wrinkles of your skin. How does one ensure a perfectly smooth, golden, tan? Let me tell you about how I ensure that my tan looks good every single time.

 Some Things To Think About Before You Tan 

Knowing the undertones of your skin and the coloring you want for your tan is essential before you tan. You want to be sure you select the right tanner for you! Your skin may have different reactions to the product so always be sure to do a spot test before you start. You need to know if you tan more golden or more brown because you will want to replicate that with your product. Also important to note is the undertones of your skin. There are lots of ways to figure out which type of undertones you have, here is a great place to start. 

After you know all about your skin, you will want to select a product that’s perfect for you! For example, I like to use a tanner with purple undertones. This counteracts yellow and orange undertones in my skin to give me a natural-looking rich, warm tan. Easy! Need help deciding which to get? Our absolute favorite tanner is this Glow Lotion from Payot!! It is the perfect gradual tanner that gives the most beautiful warm glow to the skin! It is very light but buildable, so it is ideal for any shade you want. We are so excited to announce that this product will be in our summer box! 

The Process 

Now that you have the perfect product to tan with, let’s talk about the actual prep you need to do before you tan. It is a super simple three-step process that will take your tan to the next level! All you need to do is exfoliate, moisturize, tan, and then clean up! 

Let’s break it down a little more 

1. Exfoliate 

Your tan will stick to the dry spots on your body. So by exfoliating your skin, you are removing all the dead skin cells that your tan will want to grab on to. This ensures an even, gorgeous tan!

Pay special attention to places where you are usually the driest. Don’t forget the elbows, knees, and hands. You want to exfoliate about 24hrs before you want to tan! Then you will have an even canvas that’s not too slick. Here are my favorite tools and products that are perfect for exfoliating your body! 

My Fav Exfoilators

2. Moisturize

The next step needs to happen about an hour before you want to tan. Grab your favorite lotion and slather it on! Moisturing is key to a good tan because you are prepping your skin for the product. Your skin will drink up the extra hydration and be primed and ready to go!

Moisturizers That You Need

3. Tanning 

You will want to have a tanning mitt on hand – any brand will do! It should be a clean, soft, spongy material. Don’t have one? You can use your hands for lotion-based tans (like Payot Glow Lotion) but be sure to pick one up before using foam or oil tans.

Rub the tanning lotion into the skin in circular motions, spreading the product evenly across your whole body. I like to do each body part as a section and then switch (left arm then right arm, left leg then right leg, etc).

With the Payot Body Sun, I recommend doing one coat and seeing how it looks the next day. Because it is a gradual tan, the color will develop over the course of 24hrs. If you want more color then add another layer! 

4. Clean up!

Last step but still so important. You will have a build-up of the product on your hands (whether or not you used a mitt) so make sure you clean the product off your hands. Don’t forget in between the fingers! Tanner has a tricky way of getting into the nooks and crannies of your hands.

Now all you have to do is wait! Make sure to wear loose clothing and not to get any of your skin wet. I usually tan at night and go to bed with it on. Then you get to wake up in the morning with a fresh, gorgeous tan! Have any tips and tricks for your tan? Comment below or tag us on Instagram @ouiplease! 

xox, 

Britt 

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