Natural Looking Tans From Using Sunless Tanning Lotion

You don’t have to wait until summer, or travel to a sunny coastal destination, to get that tan glow. And better yet, you can lessen your exposure to damaging sun rays too, while still looking healthily bronzed, with the use of a sunless tanning lotion. With so many products available these days, you can take your pick.

Whether you prefer scented or unscented, a particular brand name or a generic, the choice is yours. Perhaps you’re looking for one with special moisturizers or soothing aloe vera. Maybe you’d like one with a higher sunscreen content for the extra protection. You can find brands that offer spray-on or the traditional rub on lotions. The choices can seem truly endless.

It doesn’t take long to notice results. Usually within a few hours of first applying it, you’re skin will look darker. You control how dark you get by the amount of product you use, and how often you use it. If your skin is normally sensitive, you might play it safe by testing a small area. Not only can you protect against an allergic reaction, but you can see if you like the coloring effect in a small area before you apply it all over.

It’s important to apply the lotion evenly to avoid streaking. Some suggest sponging it on for the most even application. Remember that it will absorb into the palms of your hands, too, so if you’re rubbing it in with your hands you may want to wear gloves. Palms don’t naturally tan from the sun, so it will appear quite unnatural if they are tanned from the lotion. The same goes for the underarm areas.

There are special products available specifically for the face. Because the face has more exposure to the sun normally, it may darken quicker than other parts of the body that are usually more concealed. Also, special moisturizers are in facial products which can help smooth out the lines and wrinkles.

Use caution if you wear a bathing suit of other clothing when you apply your tan, because the ingredient that darkens your skin will also stain your fabric. In effect, you are temporarily dying your skin. The dye adheres to dead skin cells, so it’s important to wash and exfoliate before applying the lotion to remove excess dead cells from the usual dry skin areas of the body. Otherwise, they will absorb more of the darkening ingredient, resulting in uneven coloring.

When the first sunless tanning products came out on the market several years ago, the results were often laughable. People who used them stood out, not because they looked as if they just came from a holiday on the beaches in the South of France, but because they appeared freakishly orange. The products have evolved and improved drastically since the early days, with far more natural-looking results.

Paying more for a sunless tanning lotion won’t mean that you end up with a better result. There are some inexpensively priced products on the market that have shown excellent results, so be sure to do your research and shop around.

Get exclusive inside info on how to get a natural looking tan with sunless tanning lotion now in our guide to all you should know about self tanner .