Sunless Tanner Tips

When you're tan, you feel better about yourself - Nicole Polizzi

Most of you may not know that for a while I was a spray tan technician. Which means I know a lot of tips on how to make your spray tan and sunless tanning products look their best! And I'm going to share them with you!

Spray Tan Do's and Don'ts:

• DO - Exfoliate: whether you have dry skin or not, you should exfoliate before self tanning. You can use a scrub or a dry brush to slough off dead skin. This will make your tan look better and last a bit longerP.
• DO - Shave: If you shave, or wax, do it before you tan! This is basically another form of exfoliation. PLUS, shaving afterward is going to negatively affect the longevity of your tan, so do it beforehand!
• DON'T - Moisturize: Moisturizer or lotion will form a barrier between your skin and the tanning product, so it won't be very effective. If you do have really dry skin, try moisturizing plenty the day before OR wait 4 or 5 hours between moisturizing and applying your tanning product.
• DO - Apply lotion to hands and feet: Your palms and the bottom of your feet have no melanin, which means they can turn orange from sunless tanners. Apply lotion to palms, bottom of feet and between fingers.
• DON'T - Wear tight clothing: You don't want your product to rub off before it has a chance to work its magic, so wear loose fitting clothing or leave treated areas exposed. 
• DO - Wait: Wait as long as you can before showering, exercising or entering any water. 
• DON'T - Forget to wash your hands: Your palms take tanning product differently than the rest of your skin, so if you apply with your hands, make sure to wash them!
• DO - Invest in an applicator: Sometimes our hands just can't do it right! Try a reusable applicator like the Beachfront Body Applicator from Younique to get a less streaky tan.  
• DON'T - Forget to reapply: Self tanners only last so long. Apply daily until you reach your desired color and then apply every other day to maintain it. Salon spray tans usually last between 7 and 14 days.
• DO - Start from the bottom: When applying a self tanner, start at your calf and work your way up. This will prevent any unwanted smudge marks from bending over. 
• DO - Save the ankles, knees and elbows for last: Since these areas tend to be more dry, just swipe once with any leftover product on your hands/applicator to avoid dark spots. 

Don't forget to check out Younique's new tanning products!

Beachfront Body Bronzer

Beachfront Self-Tanning Spray

Beachfront Self-Tanning Body Lotion

What You Should Know: Tanning Beds and UV rays

If you know me at all, you know I am a HUGE supporter of Sun safety. As a result, I myself am quite pale (which I am okay with). I have very fair skin which is very prone to burning, so I always take precautions when out in the sun.

This has planted the seed for my hatred of tanning beds. That is putting it mildly. People are putting themselves in danger when there are many sunless tanning options! But the worst part is, salons are passing this off as a HEALTHY way to tan!

The only way to prevent that is to spread the truth. So here's a quick lesson about UV rays and tanning beds:

In natural sunlight, there are 3 types of UV rays: UVA, the long rays which penetrate deep into your skin and give you that golden tan, UVB, the short waves responsible for redness and any sunburns that may occur, and UVC, which doesn't penetrate our atmosphere (which is good because it would kill us all). In natural sunlight the amount UVA is much greater than UVB, but in such a way that they still naturally fight against each other. This means each UV ray is cancelling out some of the worse effects of the other. Interestingly enough, in natural sunlight UVB is more likely to cause skin cancer than UVA.

Here's the killer part. In tanning beds, you have an major overabundance of UVA and very minimal UVB to counter any of its effects (to lessen the chances of burning, but still get that tan). In fact, tanning beds emit up to 12 times more UVA than the Sun! As a result, the natural balance is thrown off and effects of the UVA become much more damaging. UVA penetrates deep into the dermis, which damages collagen and elastin which causing wrinkles and premature aging, causes sunspots and the dreaded Big C. The high quantities of UVA in tanning beds is also why those who frequent them are even MORE likely to get skin cancer than those who tan outside (which is STILL dangerous, by the way).

SAFE SUN TIPS:

- Wear sunscreen: Find one that blocks UVA and UVB with a decent SPF. Reapply when you spend    prolonged amounts of time outside or if you sweat or go swimming.
- Cover up: Its hard to do when it's hot, I know! Try a light cardigan and a hat.
- Sunless tanner: If you simply need that glow, try a spray tan or a sunless tanner!
- Limit sun exposure: Especially when the UV Index is high. UV rays are strongest between 10am        and 2pm.
- Drink lots of water: Or any cool beverage to stay hydrated. Avoid alcohol.
- Wear sunglasses: You can burn your eyeballs! Gross, but true.