With summer just around the corner, we are all starting to plan for days at the beach, lounging by the pool, or activities in the summer sun. The first thing you need for those summer days is sunscreen to protect you from the strong summer rays. Check out the Sunscreens to Protect You From Those Strong Summer Rays post, which includes some of my favorite sunscreens for both myself and my girls. Skin cancer is the most common cancer, with over 5 million cases in the U.S. alone per year. 1 in 5 people will develop skin cancer by the age of 70, don’t become part of that statistic. The next thing we all need to get beach ready is a tan! While many of us love having bronzed skin, it is so important to keep sun exposure to a minimum, so I have gathered up some of the best sunless tanners to give you a natural sun kissed glow without the harmful side effects of the summer sun.
The first thing we need to discuss is how to prepare for your sunless tanner. Start by exfoliating your skin from head to toe in the shower. You want clean dry skin when you apply your self tanner. Next step is to apply an oil free moisturizer to your hands, feet, elbows and knees, the areas where self tanner will develop a little too much. You can use your hands to apply self tanner, but I personally recommend getting a tanning mit like one of the mits I linked below to help apply your tanner.
The first tanner I have to mention is the Jergens Natural Glow Self Tanner Lotion, if you are new to self tanners and nervous about the process this is the perfect lotion for you to get started with. You simply apply the lotion just as you would your moisturizer and it gives you a gradual tan over time. You really cannot mess this one up! If you are looking for an instant tan the Jergens Natural Glow Instant Tan Mousse gives you an instant bronze, at only $13 this mousse applies evenly and dries in about a minute. Another great value self tanner is the $13 Ulta Express Tan Tinted Mousse. Leave on for 1 hour for light tan, 2 hours for a medium tan, or 3 hours for a deep tan. Leave on for your desired shade and then rinse your skin to reveal your glow.
A self tanner that comes highly recommended on Amazon at $30 is the Beauty by Earth Self Tanner, which goes on white so you can see where you have applied the tanner, with a subtle smell and organic ingredients this is a good one to try. One of my personal favorite sunless tanners is the Nuskin Instaglow, which is a buildable tanning gel that can be layered until you get your desired color. I have used this so many times and have not experienced streaking and it gives you a true bronze color not the orange streaky look that some tanners can give you. At a price of $33, this self tanner is odorless and you will see color within 30 minutes. I use the Instaglow on both my face and my body. Another great mousse is the Loving Tan Deluxe Bronzing Mousse, which is offered in medium, dark, and ultra dark shades. This mousse gives you a natural tan within just a few minutes. The description actually says “recommended for experienced self tanners”, so if you are new to self tanning this might not be the best one to try first. This mousse comes in at $40. Another great gradual self tanning lotion is the Tan Luxe Illuminating Tanning Lotion, this lotion goes on smooth and gradually builds color within 1 hour of application, you simply apply as you would your moisturizer. This tanner has very little smell which goes away after showering and you can apply this everyday or on an as needed basis.
I am a big fan of the St. Tropez products. The St.Tropez x Ashley Graham Limited Edition Ultimate Glow Kit is a cream mouse that also comes with an application mit to evenly apply your tanner. It smells like a tropical heaven and evenly applies to your skin to give you a perfect tan. Although it is a more expensive price point at $55 it is truly amazing. The reviews are sooo good for this tanner, and it seems people really love it! Another great product by St. Tropez is the Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist, simply spray it on as you would a setting spray or primer and be on your way. It is so easy to apply and will leave you with the perfect bronzed face, neck and décolleté. As someone with sensitive skin I have used this and it does not cause me to breakout! The last St. Tropez product I recommend is the Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse, at a price point of $44 this tanning mouse can be applied all over and left on for 1 hour for light, 2 hours for medium, or 3 hours for dark and then you wash it off to reveal a beautiful glow, this mouse is 100% clean and vegan.
I hope some of these sunless tanners help you get your glow on this summer and keep you from overexposing your skin to the suns harmful rays!