Hi friends! I'm really excited about today's post! I've been pretty pale my entire life and in high school/early college I thought it was appropriate to go tanning in a tanning bed fairly often (SO NOT WORTH IT PEOPLE) since I was too scared to try spray tans and self tans from some of my friends horror stories.
Eventually, I realized tanning beds are SO bad for you and stopped going BUT I was still pale AF and liked how I looked better tan (that's not just me right??), so I was on the search for the perfect self tan routine. It took a few trial and errors, but I think I finally have it down pat! Keep on reading to find out the products I've been using :)
I've done this self tan routine about 6-7 times (once every 2 weeks or so) and I've been looooving the results. Most of these products are affordable and easily accessible which has been great and I have been able to achieve nicely bronzed skin in 8 hours without stepping foot outside of my house.
My Self Tanning Routine
Step 1: Jergens Natural Glow Color Primer In Shower Scrub: I was really excited when I first heard about this product a few weeks back! I always knew it was important to prep your skin by exfoliating before self tanning so when I saw a product specifically meant for that at the drugstore, I had to have it! I use this on my entire body (minus my face, I just exfoliate that with my Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub) in the shower before I know I'm going to self tan. This isn't super abrasive, so it doesn't irritate my skin but my skin feels sooooo soft and ready to go afterwards, I love it!
Step 2: L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Serum in Medium Natural Tan: Once I'm out of the shower and completely dried off, I quickly moisturize my knees, ankles and elbows to prevent cracking. Then, I add 2-3 pumps of the tanning serum on a tanning mitt (like this) and begin to rub the product on my body in circular motions. It's important to turn your arms and legs in every possible direction when doing this to make sure you're distributing the product evenly. I've been pretty good at making this not streaky, but not gonna lie the first time I used this my legs were so streaky, so be sure to be thorough in blending!
Step 3: BareMinerals Faux Tan Face: So I literally just found out this product is discontinued while searching for the link to put in here so that's just great! -_- I really love how this product doesn't break me out since it's specifically designed for your face. I will leave a link down below to their Faux Tan Body below as the formulas are likely similar. Anyways, I apply this using a tanning mitt as well, rubbing the product in circular motions until fully blended out.
Step 4: Since I usually self tan at night, I just go to sleep and shower as soon as I get up! The smell is a little strong, so I usually end up showering twice in the AM (once before I go to the gym and again after) and then we're all bronzed! If I was to self tan during the day, I'd probably wait 7-8 hours before washing it off to make sure it has time to set in.
Step 5: Jergens Natural Flow Tan Extender Daily Moisturizer: Once I'm all self tanned, I'm sure to apply this tan extender once a day. I really do feel like it makes a difference in how long my tan lasts.
And there you have it! As a note, I don't usually build up my tan, I just wait for it all to fade and start over so I'm not sure how these products look while when built upon, but they all suggest doing so, so I'm sure it'd be fine! Using these products make me look naturally tan and really help prolong the color.
Let me know if you try any of these products and if you have any recos for another face tanner :/ Thanks for reading!!
Products Mentioned
- Jergens Natural Glow Color Primer In Shower Scrub - CVS, $11.49
- L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Serum in Medium Natural Tan - CVS, $10.99
- BareMinerals Faux Tan - Sephora, $26
- Jergens Natural Flow Tan Extender Daily Moisturizer - CVS, $10.99
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