10 Steps to Apply Self-Tanning Lotions Properly

Today, smart women everywhere who want to achieve a gorgeous bronze glow that once could only be gotten from the sun are now reaching instead for a bottle. It's true - you can now achieve a great tan look without damaging your skin with the sun or tanning beds. The market is flooded with many "tans from a bottle" lotions, but after you've picked a quality lotion how can you put it to it's best use? Here is my tried and true method that allows me to achieve a great glow that is natural-looking without stepping foot in the sun and therefore experiencing aged skin!

1) Make sure you have plenty of time on your hands to complete the process! Count on using at least an hour from start to finish, especially to properly dry the lotion before putting your clothes on. Also make sure you are in a place that you can walk around naked while it dries, because it is essential to allow the skin to air out as long as possible - and this means not sitting or lying down, either!

2) Do the process in a steamy bathroom if possible, and step into a well-ventilated room to assist proper drying. A steamy surroundings allow the pores to stay open and thus absorb the lotion properly, and this aids in an even tan that won't rub off easily. Airing it out allows your skin to hold the lotion and dry properly.

3) Exfoliate well & shave well first. Exfoliating is essential, because your skin constantly sheds dead skin cells all throughout the day. Make sure to reveal a fresh layer of skin that can hold the tanning lotion properly for an extended amount of time before it is naturally shedded by the body.

4) Moisturize rough spots first with another lotion. Rougher spots can do one of two things - either they absorb too much of the lotion and end up darker than the rest of the skin, or they don't absorb at all. Keep in mind, though, that you will not be applying the tanning lotion to spots like the bottoms of your feet. But elbows and knees need extra moisture and the least amount of tanning lotion applied.

5) Put gloves on both hands. It's going to take some time to properly apply the lotion all over your body, so you don't want your palms to end up tanned by the end of the process.

6) Start at the legs and work your way up, leaving feet, hands, and face for last.

7) With gloves still on, apply carefully to tops of feet, stopping and "feathering in" where the colored skin meets the more white part.

8) Apply lotion onto face carefully, not allowing it to get into the eyes. Massage it lightly into hairline, but not too much. While still drying, dab-wipe the hairline to remove excess lotion that will turn your hairline an awful and unnatural orange.

9) Remove right glove and carefully apply and "feather in" lotion onto right hand, allow to dry thoroughly.

10) Put glove back onto the right hand once the lotion dries, remove left glove, and apply and "feather in" the lotion into your left hand.