Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer so what better time to get a head start on a safe summer glow. The keyword here is safe. It’s possible to get that sun-kissed look without risk of sun damage and skin cancer. Here are a few of our favorite options and tips on making a faux glow work for you, whether you’re going for a subtle shimmer or a full-on golden goddess:
Bronzing Powders: Great for the face and easier to control than liquid tanners, bronzing powders are available with matte or shimmery finishes. With a light hand, focus on the areas that would naturally get more sun, like across the bridge of the nose, the chin, the cheeks and the temples. Build up the bronzer until you’ve reached the color intensity that you’re after. Opt for matte powders during the day and shimmery at night. We’ve fallen in love with Keys KPro HD Tinted Powder. Its formulation gives us chemical free beauty with a tiny bit of sparkle that takes our nighttime and party looks a notch up.
Tanning moisturizers: Doing double duty by providing hydration for the skin as well as giving a back-from-holiday look, tanning moisturizers contain the same skin-darkening ingredient as self-tanners, dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a sugar that reacts with dead skin cells that sit on top of your skin and causes them to change color. However, the smaller amount of DHA in the moisturizers means that it may take up to a week for any noticeable change to take place. Daily application is a must to get and keep the color going. And just like instant self-tanners, it’s a good idea to aim for an even application and to wash your hands afterwards.
Instant self tanners: If you’re after a quick result, self –tanners are the way to go. With formulations running the gamut from gels and creams to mousses and sprays, self-tanners are instant and tend to darken a few hours after application. Our customers’ top pick? Neostrata’s Natural Insta-Tan Self Tanner. To avoid the pitfall of streaky uneven results, here are a few tips that our local expert (and friendly staffer) suggests:
- Don’t shave or wax for at least 24 hours prior to applying the self-tanner. Hair removal opens up the follicles into which the self-tanning liquid can settle, giving you a slightly dotted appearance.
- Exfoliate the skin. The goal is to have an even layer of skin cells for the self tanning formula to work with. To get a smooth, streak-free result, apply the self-tanner right after exfoliating the skin. Use a sugar based scrub like Burt’s Bees Cranberry and Pomegranate Sugar Scrub. With all the bad news these days about sugar, this is one sugar-based product that I have no qualms recommending.
- Add a bit of moisturizer on the elbows and knees prior to applying the self-tanner so that less gets absorbed in those areas. The drier the skin, the more self-tanner will be absorbed.
- Work on one section of the body at a time, starting with the feet and working your way up. Get a friend if needed to help you out with the back.
- If you still get streaky results, despite your best intentions, soak a cotton ball or pad in undiluted lemon juice and wipe over the streaky areas. The citric acid in lemon juice will help to smooth away unevenly applied tanner by sloughing off skin cells that have been overly tanned.
Don’t forget that most self-tanning products don’t contain any sun protection, so using a stable broad-spectrum sunscreen is still a must.
Sun-kissed just got a bit safer.
