A Guide to Sunless Tanners

I'm sure many of you may have been turned off to sunless tanners after seeing tabloid pictures of your favorite celebrities with orange colored tans. While it is true that there are a lot of bad self tanners out there, there are also some very good ones. Skin care technology has improved significantly in this area over the last several years and this has led to the creation of excellent new sunless tanning creams, lotions, and sprays. For the most part, you can now purchase a tanning product that will deliver a very natural looking fake tan. There are still some products out there you will want to avoid and you still have to follow a few basic rules to get the results you are looking for.

The first thing you have to remember when applying any sunless tanner is that it is important to make sure that it is applied evenly. Do this by gently rubbing it in using a circular motion to make sure that your coverage is thorough. There are some tanners that are more forgiving than others and those are the ones that I would typically recommend for someone new to sunless tanning. Next, start out by applying less than you would think you need. It is always better to have to add a second coat later if you want to be a little bit darker. If you go too dark to begin with, you're going to be stuck with that color for at least several days. Finally, remember to wash your hands with soap and warm water immediately after applying your product. Forgetting to wash your hands is the number one mistake people make with self tanners. I know you don't want to end up with brown palms for a week!

Now that we've covered some basic application tips, I'll offer a few suggestions on how to select a good sunless tanner. When I'm looking for a tanning product, I like to choose something that is forgiving, dries quickly, doesn't leave streaks, and doesn't have a chemical smell. My personal favorite sunless tanner is the Adonia Bronzing Glow and Serum by Adonia Organics. It is a natural product made with organic ingredients and it always gives me a great looking tan. Keep in mind when shopping for a tanning product that they are not all created equally. The very cheap over the counter tanners are often made from low quality ingredients and at times can be more likely to leave behind an orange finish. It has been my experience that the best self tanners usually fall somewhere between $35 and $65 in cost. The majority of these come in either a 30 or 60 day supply which means you are getting a good, high quality tan for under $1 per day in most cases. That's a pretty good value in my book.

Getting great results with a sunless tanner is easy when you follow these simple tips. Remember that tanning beds have been shown to significantly increase your risk for skin cancer which makes self tanning products a much healthier alternative. Give it a try this season and keep that gorgeous glow all year round!