Sunless Tanning..Tips for a perfect bronze!

As the summer approaches, we all want to have that fresh from the sun glow but without damaging our skin with harmful UV rays!  Clothing shows much more skin and a little touch of tan really makes us shine.  So what do you do?  You sunless tan!  The new products are not the old "turn your skin orange and streaky" products.  They are easy to apply and look fabulous if you spend the time to do it right.  Follow these steps for a perfect sunless tan!

Exfoliate the skin!  Using an exfoliating product prior to applying the self-tanner will remove dead skin cells, smooth the skin and help your tan last longer.  Spend a little extra time exfoliating where your skin is the thickest - elbows, knees and ankles - as these areas tend to absorb self tanner more readily.

Thoroughly dry the skin.  Excess moisture on the skin will dilute the product and can result in streaks.

Apply the self tanner in sections - i.e. do the legs, then arms, followed by the torso.  Massage the self tanner into your skin in a circular motion.

• Wash your hands with soap and water after application to each section to remove self tanner from the palms of your hands so they do not discolor.
• Blend the self-tanner.  for a natural look, you need to lightly extend the tanner from your wrists to your hands and from your ankles to your feet. 
• Dilute the self-tanner on the knees, ankles and elbows to avoid them absorbing more self-tanner than the rest of the skin.  To dilute, lightly rub with a damp towel or apply a thin layer of lotion on top of the self-tanner.

Air dry!  Wait at least 10 minutes before getting dressed.  For the next three hours, it is best to wear loose clothing and try to avoid sweating.

You still need to use sunscreen.  Self-tanning products do not protect you from UV rays.  A product with SPF 30 or higher than is water resistant is recommended by dermatologists as best.

BCC has all the best Self-Tanners: 
California Tan ~ Fake Bake ~  Hempz ~ LA Tan ~ St. Tropez ~ Norvell Dancing with the Stars