9 mistakes not to make with your self-tanner

As summer approaches, we dream of looking good and displaying delicately tanned skin. For a nice sunless tan, self-tanners are our allies! But you still have to know how to use them well to sport a perfect fake tan. A quick overview of the bad reflexes to ban with the self-tanner.

Do not prepare your skin before applying the self-tanner

This is certainly the most common mistake when the impatience to flaunt a nice tan makes us forget the basics. To display a uniform tan, it is indeed essential to prepare your skin for the application of the self-tanner, in different ways.
First of all, it is advisable to make a good exfoliation before – face and / or body according to the areas of application of the product – in order to eliminate dead skin. Indeed, if the self-tanner is applied to the dead cells about to come off the skin, the latter will quickly leave behind an irregular tan. Quite the opposite of the desired effect!
Likewise, the scrub also helps to achieve an even tan all over the body in another way. Remember that the rougher and drier areas of the body, such as the knees, elbows and heels, tend to react differently from the rest of the body to the self-tanner, and to reveal a darker tan when they are not. well exfoliated beforehand. If you remember to insist with the exfoliant on these parts of your body before application, you will avoid the hassle of fake uneven tan. Also note: exfoliation also helps to display more radiant tanned skin, and therefore a more beautiful fake tan. Finally, last point and not the least: by eliminating dead skin, the scrub also gives you a more lasting tan! In short, you will understand, it is absolutely necessary to erase your skin before tanning it.
But prepping your skin isn’t just about exfoliating it if you’re a hair removal enthusiast. Indeed, it is better to carry out yours 48 hours before applying your self-tanner to prevent your hairs from getting in the way and preventing you from spreading the product well. The self-tanner spreads better on very smooth skin!

Forgetting to do a skin test before first use

As with certain other beauty products, like hair colorings, self-tanners often state on their packaging that it is advisable to do a skin test before the first application. This test, which involves putting the product on a very small area of ​​skin, allows you to know if your skin reacts well to the components of the self-tanner before applying it all over your face and / or your body. A step not to be overlooked to give yourself a nice tan with a light mind and avoid unpleasant surprises!

Choose it too dark for your skin tone

If it is certainly possible to display a dream tan as when returning from vacation thanks to the self-tanner, it is still important to take your skin tone into account when choosing the product so that the illusion offered by it is credible. . Indeed, for a fake tan to remain natural in appearance, it is advisable to choose an intensity of tan consistent with the original color of your skin. A tan that is too dark on a person who usually has very pale skin would not, in fact, be the most undetectable …
The good news is that there are now more and more self-tanning references that offer different levels of tanning for the same product, with brands declining their favorite self-tanners in various intensities to meet the needs of a wider audience. panel of skin tones and always offer more choices in terms of results. Enough to find the ideal self-tanner for your skin color easily, and, why not, test the products that buzz while being sure that they really suit you.

Zap certain areas to the application

When applying self-tanner, we sometimes forget certain areas of the body that are less visible but still tanned naturally. Big mistake if you want to display a tan that looks as believable as possible, because if these parts of the body are certainly less tanned than the rest of the body when they are golden by the sun, they are still a little!
Small checklist areas to remember when you apply your self-tanner: the areas between the fingers and toes, the neck, the back of the ankles, the sides of the bust.
Our advice for properly tanning those areas which naturally display a lighter tan: when you apply your self-tanner to an area, always finish that part of the body with the “little forgotten area” so that it is tanned with the remaining product only. For example, if you apply your self-tanner to your hands or feet, finish with the areas between your fingers and toes each time. Thus, your application takes into account the way in which your skin tans naturally, more or less intensely in places, in the sun. Smart!

Sunbathe different parts of your body in any order

When you tan your skin with self-tanner, it is important to proceed step by step, and especially area by area, to avoid damaging what you have just done and upset the final result by creating unwanted traces. This is why, if you plan to tan your entire body, it is better to start with the lower part of your body and then work your way up to the bust rather than the other way around. Generally, it is even advisable to start with the legs, then the tops of the feet. Then continue with the tanning of the arms and hands before applying self-tanner to the stomach, back, buttocks, bust and neckline. Thus, no need to bend in half to reach an area of ​​the lower body and no more risk of marks! On the face, the important thing is first of all to apply the majority of the product to the cheeks, then to distribute it on the middle zone of the face, the neck and the nape before continuing the application on the forehead, the ears and the nose.

Put too much product at the folds

By trying not to forget any area, it is also possible to tend to put a little too much self-tanner on parts of the body that are not naturally tanned. This is particularly the case in areas such as the back of the knees or the crease in the elbow, which can quickly see clumps of product form when you use too much self-tanner. The big risk: you end up with an intense trace of self-tanner where your skin folds. Not very natural …
So be careful to have a light hand when you put your self-tanner on these parts of the body to avoid the ugly marks that betray your fake tan.

Do not wipe off excess product from the eyebrows and hair roots

When you put on your face self-tanner, you usually think about putting it everywhere to display a radiant complexion without tan irregularities. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to forget that the eyebrows and the roots of the hair tend to capture the formula well which then accumulates in the bristles and the hair, which, once the tan has developed, can create areas where the tan is particularly intense and not very graceful. To overcome this problem without risking an obvious lack by avoiding putting the product on these parts of the face, just blend the product with a clean cotton ball just after applying your self-tanner. Thus, you will get rid of the excess product easily to display a more even tan.

Do not wash your hands after

This is the mistake of self-tan beginners and those in a hurry.But beware of ugly traces that last for days and orange palms which are particularly unsightly! It is indeed essential to wash your hands with soap once the application has been carried out to prevent the product accumulated on the palms of your hands from acting on this area of ​​the body which is normally preserved from tanning.
A tip for cleaning your hands well and avoiding traces of self-tanner: always wash them in cold water because excess product comes off better with cool water than with lukewarm water.
Finally, to avoid having tanned palms, you can also count on useful accessories such as applicator gloves specially designed to apply the self-tanner without getting your hands too dirty.

Forgetting to maintain your tan

One of the most common mistakes with self-tanner is certainly to believe that once the application is completed, there is nothing more you can do to display a radiant tan. However, it remains important to maintain the tan obtained with the first application. If with some products, you just need to properly hydrate your skin daily to preserve its radiance and make your fake tan last as long as possible, with other progressive or modular self-tanners, it is important to repeat the application of the product several times. times (or even to vary the amount of product applied at each use) to be able to display a perfect tan.

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Video by Clemence Chevallet