If you're in a hurry, spray the tops of your feet with a tanning mist where the sun would hit - just make sure you're standing on a dark towel, unless you fancy bronzing your bathroom floor in the process. Don't forget to do a little clean up after your tanning session!
Tanning hands and feet without streaks or patches is achievable with the right techniques and a bit of patience. By exfoliating and moisturizing, using a tanning mitt, applying the product lightly, and blending correctly, you can achieve a natural-looking, even tan on these tricky areas.
The skin on your soles and palms have thickened stratum corneum in addition to an extra layer not seen elsewhere on your skin called the stratum lucidum. The combined effect of this increased skin thickness is that less UV radiation penetrates the epidermis.
Use a flat hand to smooth the mitt over your hand or foot and make sure to be diligent, going over every little crevice of skin. Evans suggests holding your hand in a claw-like shape so you can easily blend self-tanner in the small spaces between your fingers.
The typical lifespan of a tan
A natural tan typically lasts around 7 to 10 days, though this can vary depending on your skin type and colour.
Once you've finished applying fake tan to the rest of your body, use the left over product on your mitt to tan your feet – we promise, it's enough. Glide the tanning mitt over your feet, making sure you lightly sweep over your toes, the sides of your feet and the backs of your ankles.
Tanning oils are able to offer a “quicker tan” as they stimulate the body to produce more melanin. When these oils are applied to the skin, it activates the melanocytes and causes them to produce melanin at a faster rate. If your skin has a higher concentration of melanin, your body will tan more easily.
When tanning your feet, wear a tanning mitt or latex glove to achieve a streak-free result. Apply a small amount of self-tanner to the mitt or glove and blend it onto your feet using circular motions. Ensure that you cover all areas, including the tops, sides, and in-between the toes.
Choose the Right Time: Sunbathe during the hours when the sun's rays are gentler, typically in the early morning or late afternoon. Rotate Your Legs: While tanning, remember to rotate your legs to ensure even color distribution.
Areas of your body that don't normally tan (like the palms of your hands or soles of the feet) just look dirty if you leave tanner on them.
The skin on most areas of your legs is thicker and harder than the rest of your body and ultraviolet (UV) rays can't easily penetrate it. The skin here is also dryer, resulting in quicker exfoliation of the outer layers. On top of that, dry skin deflects UV light, making the whole tanning process less effective.
When it comes to enhancing a tan, warm-toned nail colors are the go-to choice. These shades, including coral, peach, golden yellow, and bronze, complement the warmth of your skin tone and accentuate your bronzed glow.
The reason the hands and feet can be harder to tan is because the skin texture is generally different than the rest of the body and oftentimes these are drier areas as well. During appoitment these areas will be covered with barrier cream that will protect and hydrate your skin.
After extensive testing, we determined the highest rated self-tanner to be the St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse. It's an airy mousse that's easy to apply and blend and leaves you with a natural-looking glow. You can also customize the depth of color based on how long you leave it on your skin.
Once you've finished applying fake tan to the rest of your body, use the leftover product on your mitt for your feet – we promise, it's enough. Glide the tanning mitt over your feet, making sure you lightly sweep over your toes, the sides of your feet and the backs of your ankles.
Moisturization is also important for foot care, and you should be moisturizing your feet every day. The best way to prevent dry feet is to rub lotion or petroleum jelly on your clean feet at night and put socks over them. In the morning, your feet should be soft and moisturized.
Tanning oils are absolutely not safe, and using tanning oil as a form of sun protection can lead to sun damage, early signs of aging, and skin cancer. "Tanning oils contain very little SPF compared to a product labeled as a sunscreen lotion, which actually provides protection from the sun's rays," says Jaliman.
Tanning, whether from the sun or indoor tanning, damages your skin. UV radiation exposure breaks down collagen and elastin, causing premature wrinkling. Over-stressing your pigment producing cells through repeated UV exposure results in your skin looking blotchy and aged in the long run.