Evans recommends using the same self-tanning mousse for your body, that you do for your hands and feet. (Our editors love the L'Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Water Mousse.) After self-tanning your body, she recommends adding a pea-sized amount of moisturizer to the leftover residue on your mitt.
Ensure your skin is well moisturised always. Every time you get out of the shower or swim, apply lotion. If you have dry patches, then the tan will stick to these and go much darker. Good skin prep - get your skin well hydrated a week before and continue to moisturise during your tan.
Use a tanning mitt or latex glove
Apply a small amount of self-tanner to the mitt or glove and blend it onto your feet using circular motions.
Yes, just like other parts of the body, hands and feet can become sun-tanned. However, because the skin on the hands and feet is frequently thicker and may contain less melanin, the pigment responsible for tanning, they might not brown as easily or quickly as locations with more skin exposure.
Annoyingly, fake tan clings to dry skin, which then causes a patchy and uneven tan. So, to make your faux-glow look more natural, make sure that you hydrate any dry areas (think elbows, ankles, feet, palms, knuckles and cuticles) before applying your tan.
4 Essentials for What to Wear to a Spray Tan Session
Tight, close-toed shoes are a no-no when it comes to spray tans. The pressure and rubbing on your feet can cause streaks and remove freshly applied solution. To avoid the smudge, choose loose, open-toed sandals like flip flops or slip-ons without a heel.
Skin Preparation: Shaving isn't just about hair removal; it's a form of exfoliation. By shaving a day before applying self-tanner, you ensure that your skin is smooth and free of any dead cells. This smooth surface allows the self-tanner to go on evenly and helps it adhere better to your skin.
According to Evans, the hands and feet are sensitive to self-tanner because these areas absorb and develop color faster than the rest of the body. Before you begin, make sure to moisturize these areas, as it will help to dilute the self-tanner and avoid a streaky application.
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!
If there is little or no circulation to the feet you may notice feet turning black, especially in the elderly. If this occurs, gangrene can set in which can lead to possible amputation if it is not treated. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate assessment and treatment.
Socks. If you don't have any rubber gloves handy, you can also use a sock for self-tanner application. Go with a thicker sock that doesn't have a match and use it to give your skin a healthy tan glow. Slipper socks may be a great option for a self-tanner applicator because of their thickness.
Using Oils & Exfoliators
Grab abody scrub, body polish or exfoliator, mix with bath or body oil then gently apply. Do this slowly and repeat as needed - it can take a few applications depending on how much fade you want.
If you wax your legs or use a hair removal cream, you'll need to make sure you schedule around your self-tan carefully. According to Evans, both wax and hair removal cream can remove self-tanner, so plan any hair removal at least 24 hours in advance of your tanning session to ensure the legs tan properly.
Apply Moisturizer Before Tanner
After exfoliating your body, continue the prepping process by applying a moisturizer. You shouldn't apply self-tanner without moisturizing first, because skipping out on this prep step could potentially leave you with patchy color — this goes for your face and the rest of your body.
To avoid staining your hands, always apply self tanner with a tanning mitt. Gels and mousses should be dispensed directly onto the mitt then swept over the skin, while mists should be spritzed onto the skin then blended with the mitt.
Avoid OILS on the skin!
Oil can break down the colour of self-tanner by loosening the dead skin cells that have been dyed brown by fake tan. When these dead skin cells start to crack and flake off, it can result in a patchy or uneven tan, often referred to as a "tiger bread" tan.
For self tanning your feet, our Self Tanning Mist is perfect, as you can achieve a super light coverage that will blend seamlessly into the rest of your tan. Make sure to stand on a dark towel while applying, or you might risk tanning your bathroom floor too!
For instant tan removal, turmeric can be your go-to pick and when paired with corn flour, it helps in de-tanning. In a bowl, take 1 tablespoon corn flour, 1 teaspoon turmeric and the same amount of honey to whip a paste. Apply it all over the feet and wash it off with cold water after 30 minutes.
"DHA has been shown to cause an increase in free radicals in the skin," says Chere Lucas Anthony, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Boca Raton, Fla. "This can contribute to skin aging as the free radicals break down collagen and elastin in the skin, which leads to wrinkling and skin aging."
You can use Vaseline among many other uses for tanning the skin, as it helps whether it is using a tanning machine, or self-tanner. Applying it to areas that tend to dry out helps those areas absorb the tanning product evenly.
It is important not to wear tight clothing after applying fake tan as this can cause your tan to rub off or cause marks. This can make self-tanning in the morning more difficult as you must wear dark, loose clothing to avoid any transfer and you can't use deodorant or perfume.
Keeping the skin cool prior to tanning can help reduce strawberry legs as warmth can open the pores.
Tanning lotions are fantastic for gliding across smooth skin but can be trickier to blend into a hairy chest, legs and arms. We recommend you opt for a tanning spray or mousse instead because the lighter texture is easier to buff into the skin even when applied over hairy areas.