The Ultimate Self-Tan Guide for Beginners
I love to self-tan. I am a very, very pale gal, and I feel so much more confident when I’m not ghostly. Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with going au naturel! But for me a tan does wonders for my self-esteem. And unfortunately, part of being white as a sheet means the sun and I are NOT friends. It seems like every time I step out into the sunlight my skin turns some shade of red. And that’s with sunscreen! I have always been jealous of my friends that can lay out for hours in the sun and end up a nice, golden brown. Couldn’t be me.
That’s where a good self-tan comes in! I added self-tanning to my weekly maintenance routine a couple years ago now and I haven’t looked back. It’s taken some trial and error to figure out exactly what works best (and sometimes I’ve ended up a streaky, orange mess) but I’m pretty proud of the results I get now.
If you need some help avoiding looking like an Oompa-Loompa, keep on reading for my tried and true tips!
This page does not contain affiliate links. I will not get a commission if you purchase through the following links. These are simply my personal recommendations
Which Self-Tan is Best?
There are a ton of different self-tanners out there, and it can be overwhelming to figure out which one is best for you. Some tanners are cheap and available at your local drugstore, while others get quite pricey and you need to order them in.
I’ve tried quite a few brands over the last few years, and let me tell you that just because a tanner is expensive does not mean it’s the best! The brand I currently use is $25 and available on Amazon, and it’s easily the best self-tan I’ve ever had.
Here are some of my favourites!
My current favourite self-tan is from b.tan. I ordered this brand kind of by accident, but I ended up loving it and I’ve been re-purchasing ever since! b.tan is a very affordable option, coming in at $24 from Amazon. I find that this is a great, buildable self-tanner that doesn’t make you orange and doesn’t streak easily. It also doesn’t come with a terrible smell (although there is the usual self-tan smell so be aware of that). If you’re starting out with self-tanners and you’re looking for a cheap but easy option, this would be great for you! Plus it comes with a tanning mitt which is a bonus!
St. Tropez is a very popular self-tan and that’s because it’s great! I find that it gives you a pretty dark tan and you don’t end up orange. It’s a bit more expensive at around $53 but if you’re looking for something tried and true this is a great option! The only reason I switched from St. Tropez to b.tan is because St. Tropez wasn’t available on Amazon Prime in Canada for a bit, and I ended up loving the cheaper option with b.tan.
Loving tan is the first foaming self-tan that I tried out, which was definitely a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great tanner- but for a beginner it was not the easiest to work with! It will give you a really good tan that lasts a while, but I found it really hard to work with in those tricky spots like the elbows and knees. I haven’t tried it recently because it’s a bit pricier ($62 for that little guy!) but it’s on my “save for a special occasion” list. If you need something that will get you dark quickly, this tan is for you!
Obviously, this is not an extensive list of all the self-tan options out there. There are other brands like Bondi Sands, Bali Body and Coco & Eve that are high up there in popularity, but I haven’t personally tried them so I don’t want to steer you in that direction. There are also different types of self-tanners like oils or creams that might be preferable to you but the mousse is the easier option in my opinion.
Other Essentials
Getting the right self-tan is only the first step in the process. There are a few other materials you need in order to get the best tan possible!
One of the first items you’ll need is a tanning mitt. Sometimes when you order a self-tanner, it will come with a self-tanning mitt (like b.tan!) If the self-tan you choose doesn’t come with a mitt, you can easily get one off of Amazon for cheap. You want to make sure that you wash out your mitt after every few tans so you don’t have any build-up, and switch it out for a fresh one on a regular basis.
Smooth skin gives you the smoothest tan, so you need a good razor! I find the BIC razors give me the best shave, while I’ve seen other girls recommend using men’s razors since they have an extra blade.
You also want a good exfoliating body scrub as well as an exfoliating mitt to help remove not only dead skin but your leftover tan as well. This is an important step so don’t skip it- exfoliating gives you that nice, streak-free tan! I always regret when I miss this step (usually when my everything shower runs too long and I get light-headed from the hot water lol) so if you know you’re going to be self-tanning, exfoliate!
Finally, you need a thick, creamy moisturizer. You want one that will really soak into those dry areas of your skin like your elbows and knees since this will help your self-tan look better in these places. I like Vaseline, as well as any body butter. You don’t want anything too oily which is why I like to stick to the thicker lotions.
How Often Should You Tan?
How often you self-tan depends on a lot of different factors. Is this a one-time thing for a special event? Are you trying to maintain a tan year-round? A good self-tan can last up to a week, although I find it starts to get patchy around day four or five. I personally self-tan twice a week- once on Sunday and once on either Wednesday or Thursday. This allows me to maintain an even tan, and as long as you keep up with a good exfoliation routine to get rid of the old tanner it shouldn’t get too orange. However, you have to think about your own routine- tanning can take up a good amount of time and if you have a busy schedule it might not be realistic to tan more than once a week. If you have one day a week that’s more of a “maintenance” day for you, I’d recommend sticking your self-tan routine onto that day.
Steps for the Best Self-Tan
Take an “Everything” Shower
The very first step in your self-tan routine needs to be a good shower. You want to make sure you have clean skin free from any dirt or oils so that the tan can soak in. I tend to do an “everything” shower twice a week- hair, shaving, exfoliating, the whole 9 yards. So, these days are also my self-tan days.
Now, there are a few things that are important to do during your shower to set yourself up for the best self-tan possible. The first is of course to shave. Like I said before, getting a good razor makes all the difference in your shaving routine, and you want to make sure you have a good shave for the most successful self-tan. Sometimes I only tan specific spots of my body, so obviously if you’re only tanning your arms you don’t need to shave your legs (cause tbh that can be quite the workout!) but underarms are an important area not to forget since your tan can look streaky or too dark in this area. If you’re hitting a full-body tan, make sure you get your knees, ankles and even your toes!
When it comes to shaving, I usually do this on the same day as my self-tan. I’ve seen plenty of people talk about doing your self-tan the day after you’ve shaved, but in all honesty I’ve done both and I don’t notice a difference. If you’re seeing poor results though, maybe keep this in mind and try to shave the night before.
Next, you want to exfoliate. After you do your shaving routine, I grab a good exfoliating mitt and a body scrub and rub down my whole body. I concentrate my exfoliating on those harder-to-tan areas like the knees, elbows and armpits, and I also focus on my inner arms and chest as I tend to see more streaking in those areas. You’ll be left with smooth, baby-soft skin when you’re done!
Lather on the Moisturizer
This is such an important step! I used to just slap my self-tan on after a shower and would always have dark elbows and knees when I was done- which is not cute! You want to take a thick moisturizer to the following areas: Your neck, armpits, hands, elbows, knees and ankles. As I’ve already mentioned, these areas are usually the driest and tend to be where your self-tan really doesn’t soak into your skin well. Adding that extra barrier of moisturizer will help avoid that dark buildup that makes you look like an Oompa Loompa.
Section Your Body
I start off by sectioning my body into different parts, and each part gets 2 pumps of self-tan. This ensures you have an even amount all over, instead of trying to spread out a small amount of tan over a larger area and ending up with a streaky mess. I also always start from the bottom and work my way up.
The first area is my legs, and each leg has 3 sections. My calf, ankle and foot are included in the first section- this gets 2 pumps. The outside of my thigh, under my knee, and that side of my butt are another section. The third section is my inner thigh, the back of my leg and then blending my knee and the rest of my thigh together to make sure there are no patches. Then, you repeat on the other leg!
The next section I do is my back. I split this into my upper and lower back, again each getting two pumps of self tan. This section of tanning is hard- if you’re like me and not exactly flexible, you may miss some big patches that you can’t reach. A helpful tip I learned was to slide a clothes hanger into your tanning mitt and use that to help you reach those difficult areas! This has been a life saver and has really given me a better all-over tan. My stomach is the next section, and then each arm and my chest.
Leave it On!
How long you leave your tan on depends on how deep you want your tan to be (and how much time you have!) I always sleep in my tan and I have never found that I wake up looking too orange. Don’t be afraid to keep it on past what the bottle recommends unless you’ve purchased some crazy, over-the-top self-tanner.
If you’re going for a lighter look, definitely stick to the instructions on your self-tan bottle. There are some great, “3 hours or less” self-tanners out there that will get you bronzed up quickly. However, I find that the longer I keep my tan on before washing it off, the longer it lasts.
Sleeping in your self-tan can be a bit of a mission, so make sure you protect your bedding and avoid white sheets! Pop on a hoodie and some sweat pants while you’re sleeping to ensure none of your tanner rubs off on your sheets and leaves a patchy mess on your skin.
Moisturize to Maintain
The best way to maintain your self-tan is to moisturize often! Keeping your skin hydrated will not only help your tan last longer, it will help you avoid the dry, patchy mess than can happen to a self-tan after a couple of days of wear. As you can probably tell, moisturizer is your best friend during this entire routine, so don’t skimp!
Tanning Your Face
Tanning your face can be tricky. On the one hand, if you’re like me and have sensitive skin self-tan usually breaks me out if I put it on my face. On the other hand, if you don’t tan your face and you’re not planning on wearing foundation to match things up, you’re gonna look a little… odd. I’ve tried both, and while personally it’s better for me to stick with a non-tanned face I’ve still been able to try out some great self-tanners for your face.
The first option is to stick with the self-tan you’ve already been using all over your body. This works great if you’re lucky enough to have skin that won’t break out. You’ll get a nice, even tan and you won’t have to worry about matching up your face to the rest of your body. I would still recommend using a separate mitt for your face.
You can also get a specific self-tanner for your face. These usually come in the form of self-tan drops that you can mix in with your regular moisturizer, or a cream that has already been pre-mixed. Both options work great, but I personally prefer the drops so you can have greater control over how tan your face gets. My personal recommendations are the L’Oréal Sublime Bronze Drops, the St Tropez Self-Tan Drops, or the Isle of Paradise Drops.
Tanning Your Hands
Another tricky area to tan is your hands. This area is one of the first obvious signs of a bad fake tan, and you have to be quite careful to ensure you don’t get stuck with bad tan hands.
My tried and true tip is to make sure you coat your hands evenly- get in all the nooks and crannies, between every finger, all the way up your wrist- and then don’t leave it on for too long! While I tend to sleep in my self-tan, I always make sure to thoroughly wash my hands before going to bed. This leaves me with a nice, gradual tan on my hands without looking like a blotchy mess!
Do you have any more tips for an amazing self-tan? Let me know!
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