There’s nothing like a cold and brutal winter to remind me that the snow and I have a lot in common, we are both very white. I live for a golden tan and seeing that laying out in the sun is not only horrible for your skin but impossible in the winter, self-tanners have become my best friend. I have tried a bunch, some that I love and others that I will never purchase again! Like everything, there are some pros and cons to using self-tanners. My goal has been to find products that shrink the con list. Things like the color, smell, and streaky application.
I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to 3 products that I use over and over. I love each one for different reasons. The one thing that each of these products have in common is that they are all mousses. I learned quickly that mousses spread much more evenly than lotions.
The first and what I consider to be the OG is St. Tropez tanning mousse. I love the color this product gives me! It is an olive green base and so I am definitely not orange looking after using it. It also is incredibly forgiving when applying which was what drew me to it. No matter how sloppy I am applying it when I shower it all just comes together without any streaks and it also fades away beautifully without any splotchy spots. It doesn’t have a very strong smell which is also a plus and as long as you maintain the tan by applying lotion it can last for about 10 days. The one downside of this mousse is that it feels sticky while waiting for it to dry. Most self-tanners have a bit of stickiness that goes away but I feel like this one lingers around until it’s time to shower.
The next self-tanner, Skinerals was one I used throughout my pregnancy. My online bestie introduced me to it and it’s really great! Very low odor and great color. I will say that when it fades it isn’t the smoothest fade but knowing that it’s organic makes me feel better about using it!
The third self-tanner, Loving Tan is another favorite. This one has more of a reddish tint to it rather than olive but give you a really nice dark tan! It dries very quickly, doesn’t smell and comes in a 2hr express version too! This one also fades a little splotchy on areas that are dry so make sure you lather up on the lotion!
Speaking of lotion I thought I would share how I apply my tanner. The first thing I do is exfoliate in the shower to remove all my dry skin. Once I’m out I lather my whole body in lotion. I either use coconut oil or my favorite body lotion found HERE.
To apply the mousse I use kabuki brushes. I have always found that the mitt that comes with the mousses don’t work for me. I use a large kabuki for my body and a small one for my face.
I pump the mousse directly on the brush and then buff it into my skin. There is no right or wrong way to apply it with mousse which is what I love. Sometimes I go in a forward and back motion and sometimes I rub it in circular motions. Either way it always gets the job done!
When tanning my hands I always make sure to clench so that I can get into the cracks of my knuckles. This is an important tip because if you keep your hands flat when applying the mousse you will have white lines between all your knuckles so make sure you clench!
As far as the back goes this is where it gets a bit tricky. During the winter I just say &#% it and leave it pasty white because who is going to see it amiright? But in the warmer months I usually ask the hubs to do my back for me. If you don’t have anyone to do your back you can always try the towel method which is taking a strip of towel and going back and forth with the product on it. I have heard that this works for many people but I also think that a towel will eat up a lot of your product so I would recommend stretching as far as you can!
I always tan at night before bed and then shower it off in the morning! And always make sure you keep your skin hydrated and moisturized in order to keep your tan maintained!