GOLDEN GLOW: The Pale Gal's Guide to Self-Tanning

The Pale Gal’s Guide to the Perfect Faux Tan

I’ve spent years trying to perfect my self-tanning routine. After countless hours baking in the sun or in a tanning bed, I realized that I really needed to take better care of my skin for the long term. The first time I tried self-tanner was at a 7th grade pool party and my hands were COMPLETELY dark orange because I didn’t wash my hands afterwards like a real rookie. A girl mocked me endlessly and I was mortified to ever touch the stuff again—hence the commitment to harmful tanning.

This post is in no way meant to imply that skin is only beautiful when it has a golden glow and therefore we all must achieve it. I had to accept my naturally pale skin a long time ago and also realize that it’s ok to accept it, while also enjoying the use of self-tanner. Once I did this, the process became much more fun and less stressful about trying to strive for an idyllic outcome!

I’ve tried every product and tip out there—here is the routine I’ve managed to nail down and be extremely happy with.

A quick round of key takeaways about this routine and some of my experiences:

I don’t like to do this routine right before bed, I find I’m more likely to transfer color to my sheets. My cutoff time is about 6pm.
The self-tanner I’ve chosen to use is the one that I think works best for me. Currently, it’s sold out of Sephora online, but I went to my local store and they had it stocked. I’ve also enjoyed this brand in the past, and have heard amazing things about this brand. *None of this is sponsored by any products featured in this post.
A dry brush really does a world of difference—trust me.
Don’t forget to lotion the extra dry areas before applying tanner!
You can use a mitt to save your hands if you’re worried, but I feel like I have more control applying it with my hands and using the mitt to lightly go over.
This brand is an amazing quick + instant tan before an event, but be sure to leave ample time beforehand for drying/setting—I find that it transfers fairly easily!
The main thing I’ve had to remember after years of self-tanning: no one really notices or cares if you have imperfections. So don’t stress!

SHOP THE POST

STEP ONE

BEFORE you shower, brush your entire body with the dry brush in sweeping motions towards your heart. (A massage therapist told me this was the proper way!) This brushing before showering step helps with exfoliating; a key component to a great faux tan. Pay extra attention to knees, elbows, and heels.

STEP TWO

While in the shower, shave as normal. Prefer to shave after? That’s fine, too. If you’re rushed and forego shaving cream (like me), I’ve read that tea tree oil after you hop out of the shower helps with razor burn!

STEP THREE

After you’ve dried off, apply a small amount of lotion to areas on your skin that tend to be extra dry. For me, I’ve noticed the places that overly soak in self-tanner are:

Tops of ankles
Knees
Bellybutton (weird, right?)
Between toes
Crook of underarm

I love this brand of self-tanner, particularly because one of my main gripes with faux tanning is the overwhelming aroma. With these drops, I can pair them with a wonderfully smelling lotion to *help* counteract that.

STEP FOUR

Pump one or two pumps of lotion into your hand (or mitt, if you prefer). Next, put the desired amount of drops directly onto the lotion. *For reference, I am a pale little ghost and I put 6 drops (of the dark color) per 2 pumps of lotion. This type of self-tanner will not go on dark, it will develop over several hours.

Mix these two together thoroughly in your hands and start applying. I usually group together areas:

Leg/Ankle/Foot
Thigh/Tushy
Stomach/Chest/Neck
Shoulder/Arm
Back (Solo? Attach your applicator mitt with a hair tie to a long scrubber brush! This may take practice.)

Each grouping will take that same formula: 2 pumps lotion + desired # of drops.

*For your face, I recommend purchasing a self-tanner specifically designed for it. My face tends to breakout when I use otherwise. If you want to try it, I would do half the drop amount used on your body + dime sized amount of face moisturizer.

STEP FIVE

After you’ve applied your tanner, use your mitt and lightly go over the entire body. This helps smooth out any excess tanner and soften any harsh lines.

Next, wash your hands with soap + warm water. Make sure to pay attention to your nail beds, between fingers, and the crook of your wrists.

Dry your hands and place a small drop of lotion to the back of one of your hands. Next, drop ONE drop of self-tanner onto the lotion. Rub the backs of your hands together, backs of fingers, sides of your hands, and the wrist line with only the backs of your hands, alternating between the two. This helps your palms from looking orange, but keeps your hands the same color as your body!