Faking the summer tan

Winter is here and that means snow, hot chocolate, soups, fireplaces and urghhh - white skin! Who of us doesn't wish for the summer time glow all year long. Of course a nice holiday near the beach will give us just that. For the rest of the winter we only have two options. One option of course is to fake and bake at a local tanning salon. This can be a difficult choice for moms. Whether it be lack of time, money or maybe even a babysitter. There are many health concerns regarding the use of tanning beds and many opt for another option. One of the safest and most cost effective ways to tan is to use a self tanner.  Self tanner works by dying the top layer of your skin. Here are a few tips to get the best results.
To use self tanner on your face:

• Pull your hair back.
• Cleanse and exfoliate your skin.
• If you don't have a separate self tanner for your face, then you can blend a few drops of self tanner with equal amounts of moisturizer. Apply on your face and neck.
• Wash hands thoroughly.

To use self tanner on your body:

• Cleanse and exfoliate your entire body with a body scrub or loofah. Pay close attention to your knees and elbows (dry skin will absorb more of the tanner) 
• Make sure your skin is dry. 
• Moisturize and allow to absorb. (I find putting extra moisturizer on knees and elbows help with streaking)
• Apply tanner all over body. Make sure to spread evenly over your skin.
• Use moisturizer wherever you did not apply the tanner, like your hands and feet, then rub it into the self-tanned areas.
• Wait at least 10 min. before getting dressed.  Read labels for drying time. 
• Wash hands thoroughly.

If you follow these tips you should come out with a streak free tan. If you still end up with a dreaded streak try my homemade recipe to remove. Salt, vinegar, lemon juice and warm/hot water. Dip a face cloth and gently scrub the area to remove the tanner.

Happy self tanning!