Sunless tanning lotion is a way to get a bronzed skin color without having to expose your skin to potentially harmful UV radiation. These lotions also do not require sun to color the skin, meaning you can enjoy your tan all year. Bad experiences with sunless tanning are usually the result of improper application or preparation. Learning to properly apply your tanning lotion will result in a much more even and realistic tan.
Exfoliate
Tanning lotions work by being absorbed into your skin and coloring the skin cells. Dry skin absorbs lotion more readily than hydrated skin. If you have dry, dead skin cells on the surface of your skin, these cells will absorb more pigment than the surrounding cells. This is why some people experience patches of darker coloration after applying the lotion. Exfoliation will remove patches of dead skin so that the tan looks more even and natural. To exfoliate, clean your skin with an abrasive surface, such as a washcloth.
Protect Your Hands
Our palms contain much less melanin--the natural pigment responsible for tanning--than the rest of the skin on our bodies. For this reason, our palms do not tan in the sun. However, sunless tanning lotion applies color indiscriminately; it will tan whatever area of your skin you apply it to. Leaving lotion on your palms will make them appear orange and unnatural, an obvious giveaway. To protect your hands, wear disposable gloves while applying lotion. Alternatively, look for a lotion that is sprayed on rather than massaged into the skin. If neither is a possibility, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after applying lotion. Make sure to scrub around the nails, as lotion tends to settle in these areas.
Be Wary At Joints
Areas of thick skin, such as our elbows and knees, do not tan as darkly as other areas of our body. This is because the thicker skin obscures much of the melanin that exists deeper in our dermis. However, because sunless tanning lotions do not discriminate based on the type of skin, the lotions will tan these areas as darkly as any other area. Additionally, since the elbows and knees tend to have dryer skin, these areas absorb more of the lotion's pigment. This can leave an unnatural and "dirty" look at the joints. You do not need to avoid your knees or elbows completely, but apply any lotion more thinly and tentatively. You can always add more lotion later, but it is very difficult to remove the color once you have added it.
Go Slow
Though it may be tempting to purchase the darkest self tanner and bathe yourself in lotion to receive a deep bronze tan as quickly as possible, approach sunless tanning slowly. Start with a light tanner, and apply a thin coating no more than once every two or three days. Though modern sunless tanners do not produce the orange coloration common in older lotions, excessive application will make your skin darker than would otherwise occur naturally. This makes your skin appear unrealistic and will tip others off to your sunless tanning. Rather than trying to get as dark as you want to go in a single application, gradually darken your skin over several applications until you reach the color you want.
