10 tips for tanning at home

No more streaks, no more oompa loompas, just a killer tan!

There are plenty of tutorials online for getting a decent tan at home using just a bottle of spray-on tan or mousse or moisturiser (ladies, pick your poison). While they are undeniably safer than a real tan, not to mention more realistic for pasty, freckled women like myself, they are just so damn hard to get right! A professional spray tan is a good substitute for a day at the beach — here is an interview with one of our favourite spray tanners about the benefits of professional tans.

Having said that, I’ve been a desperately broke uni student for the past three years and for two of those I religiously maintained my golden glow with at-home applications of fake tan. We are talking dedicated exfoliations and applications once or twice a week every week over the course of two years. After well over one hundred applications I am here to share my learnings with our readers.

1) Your skin needs to be smooth (exfoliate!) and dry unless you want the streakiest, patchiest tan around. The days when I try to apply my tan in a humid bathroom are the days when select parts of my body remain stark white.

2) Most tans will smell. It’s not unbearable, but your clothes will suffer if you’ve tanned in the morning and your bed will suffer if you tan at night. My number one piece of advice is: choose your clothes and sheets wisely and decide if the sacrifice is worth it!

3) Tanning at night is preferable — as long as you’re going to bed alone. Due to the lengthy development time of most at-home tanning solutions I find it easier to tan before I go to bed rather than having to wear dark, loose clothing and no makeup for the entire day. Furthermore, tanning at night means I don’t have to worry so much about the weather because, believe me, rain and humidity are not a tanning girl’s friends.

4) Do moisturise your dry areas, but don’t go overboard on the surrounding skin. I have definitely woken up with pale circles around my knees from sloppy moisturising.

5) If you’re blonde like I am, don’t get it in your hair line. Seriously.

6) If you get fake tan marks on your clothes, you might find makeup removal wipes to be of great service in removing or reducing the blemish. I’ve worn a white bandage dress the day after tanning and makeup wipes really saved the day. They also help reduce excess colour on dry skin if you’re desperate.

7) Being flexible helps if you want to reach your back. I’ve never had a problem but if you don’t think you can reach, ask a friend or partner to give you a hand. For the record, I used to stretch in the mornings with my self-tanning in mind.

8) Don’t be tempted to go darker than is natural for you. Fake tans fade and the fading will be patchy and awful if you’ve gone too many shades above your natural colour.

9) They aren’t joking when they tell you to wash your hands, but make sure you rub a little bit of fake tan, mixed with a moisturiser if possible, on the backs of your hands and all the way up your wrist when you’re done. The knuckles and between your fingers are the areas to watch.

10) Find the brand that works for you because everybody’s skin reacts differently to the tanning chemicals. Different types of self-tanner are preferred by different people. I love the Garnier Ambre Solaire self-tanning milk for both price and quality but the Klementine girls are fans of Le Tan self-tanning mousse or spray, Dove gradual moisturising tan and Nutrimetics SunDays self-tanner.

I hated fake tan when I was in school and embraced my deathly white skin wholeheartedly, but for me, fake tanning is the right choice. It helps me feel more groomed, seem more toned and look healthier. The complete overhaul in my makeup and wardrobe palette was worth it to me, but it’s a lot of work to maintain a tan over the long term.

Whether you are a fake tan junkie or just want to look your best for a special occasion, I hope this article helps you avoid some of the pit falls I have experienced in my fake tan trial and errors!

What are your self-tanning tricks? Let us know in the comments!