Being from the south, I am no stranger to the sunshine (and the occasional sunburn). In high school my girls and I used to slather on the oil and soak up the rays. Some preferred the tanning bed to stay tan all year round. Since then, I’ve spent the latter part of my twenties trying to develop good sun protection habits and adding SPF in my daily makeup regimen or finding ways to take care of my skin. If you love a good summer glow, but hate the dangers of sun exposure then this review & tips are for you! I’m sharing my best tips on applying self tanner along with before and after photos of the tanner I’m loving lately!
We are officially kissing summer goodbye, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep that gorgeous glow all year long. Here I am in natural light with my self tanner in the shade “dark.” I was so pale before these photos, so it really helped give me some color. As you can see it is very natural and compliments my skin tone and makes me as dark as my daughter, who tans very easily.
After using several different self-tanners and drugstore options, I wanted to find one that would be good for my skin & give me a more natural looking tan. After researching and reading a ton of reviews, I found Tanceuticals and knew I wanted to put it to the test. Their ingredients are botanically based and I love that it is actually good for my skin and doesn’t clog my pores or break me out. Here’s a review of the products I tried & tips to help application go smoothly to achieve a summer glow. I use this face cc cream in “dark,” as well as either this cream in “dark” or this mousse in “ultra dark” depending on the desired shade I am wanting!
While vitamin D is great for you, too much time in the sun can result in severe skin damage – and eventually even skin cancer. In addition, the sun can also make your skin become more wrinkly and leathery over time.
So – rather than doing that, put these 5 tips to the test and get your tan on (damage free, and cost-friendly)!
Tip 1: Exfoliate and Shave
You’ll want a clean complexion and exfoliated skin in order to really absorb the self tanner. Be sure to find a good exfoliator for your body that will remove the dead skin and leave your complexion deeply clean. I love using this one to exfoliate my face. You’ll want to shave before applying the self-tanner as well.
Tip 2: Put on Before Bed
I like to apply the tanner and let it soak into skin then slip into jammies & let the tan develop overnight. This way you are being careful not to get wet or sweaty after application which can make you look splotchy in some places.
Tip 3: Apply a Moisturizer to Dry Areas
For dry areas like your ankles, knees and elbows, I recommend applying a small amount of lotion before applying the self tanner so that it goes on smoothly and doesn’t settle into these areas and make them too dark.
Tip 4: Use a Mitt or Scrub Hands Afterwards
Whether you use a mitt or just want to apply with your hands is your personal preference. I use my hands and just make sure to exfoliate my hands (especially the palms) a few times after applying the tanner by scrubbing to make sure there is no tanner on the inside of my hands.
Tip 4: Have someone rub it on your back
I usually recruit my husband to help apply it on my upper back to make sure it is totally blended in and applied evenly.
Tip 5: Moisturize
Prolong your tan by using a good moisturizer daily. This will make your tan last so much longer.
Review of the Tanceutical self-tanner products
I am very impressed with the self tanner products I tried from Tanceuticals. I particularly loved the face tanner cc cream and the mousse in “Ultra Dark.” Both body tanners worked great on my skin tone and delivered a healthy looking summer glow and natural sun-kissed bronze. I love the cream self tanner for moisturization and color, but I tend to grab the mousse more often since it has the color guide and immediate bronzer for when I need some color quickly.
Below are the different shades they offer and the before and after pictures with the different products. What I really appreciate is that the color is natural looking and not orangey or streaky like most other self tanners on the market. I’m super impressed with the quality of their ingredients and that they are actually good for your skin! Sometimes the face tanners I’ve tried in the past will make me break out, but I haven’t had that trouble with the Tanceuticals cc cream.
So there you have it! How to achieve a good summer glow all year long with a self tanner that is great for my pale skinned girls. Hope this was helpful on your quest to keep that summer tan. Let me know if you try these products, I’d love to hear what you think.
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Thank you to Tanceuticals for collaborating with me on this post! As always, all selections and opinions are mine.
Hi! How often do you reapply? Thanks!