I am a huge self tanner person. I love being able to look like I have a great summer glow year round. But it can be kinda tricky to master. Especially if you’re new to self tanners. So I thought I would create a comprehensive blog post on how to perfect your self tan at home.
I’ll go through all the steps I take exactly and what my end results are.
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Exfoliate
The first step into perfecting your self tan at home is to of course exfoliate. Exfoliating helps get rid of any dead skin and will help the self tanner adhere better.
So skipping this step is not an option if you want a perfect tan!
I like to use TULA Skincare’s body exfoliator. It not only improves the look of skin texture and tone, but also helps the skin appear brighter as well.
This exfoliator has a great scent and is a skin cleanser too! So it’s a perfect 2-in-1 product to keep in your daily skincare lineup. Plus, you can use my code “15CHARITY” to get 15% off too!
Shave
After exfoliating, now’s the time to shave! Be sure not to shave first and then exfoliate, because that would be quite painful if you mix up the order!
I like to use a shaving cream or gel to get a nice clean shave on my legs before applying the self tanner.
Apply the Self Tanner
Now’s your time to shine! After shaving and exfoliating, you can now apply the self tanner. I like to use Pink Lily’s Luxury Tan Self Tanner. I use the medium shade during the winter and then the dark shade during the summer.
It is Enriched with hydrating jojoba, macadamia, and coconut oil that will keep your skin hydrated and your tan glowing for days!
The best part about this self tanner is that it is also made with 100% natural DHA, vegan, cruelty free, certified organic, and paraben free as well!
The shade continues to develop over 14 hours and has a nice, light coconut fragrance. Some self tanners I have used in the past have way too much of a chemical scent to them so this one is really refreshing.
To apply the self tanner evenly, you definitely need a tanning mitt. I skimped on this for awhile and I wish I jumped on the tanning mitt wagon sooner!
It definitely helps you apply the self tanner and helps it spread much more evenly than just using your hands alone.
Another great option for a self tanner is Coco & Eve.
I have also used this brand for several years as well and I love them just as much!
How to Tan Hands and Feet
If you’re wondering how to perfect your self tan at home, you are probably questioning how to do your hands and feet too.
If you have any experience self tanning in the past, then you know that sometimes you can get too much on your feet/hands and end up with a much darker shade there than you anticipated.
In order to prevent this, use a foundation brush! Just dap a little self tanner out on a paper towel and then dip the foundation brush into it.
Then, gently apply to your hands and feet using the brush instead of the tanning mitt!
Moisturize
The key to keeping your self tan looking glowy and perfect is to moisturize. Self tanners can be a little on the drying side so if you don’t moisturize frequently, you will notice your skin starting to get a little flaky.
This can easily be avoided by using your favorite moisturizer. I like to use TULA’s Advanced Hydration Body Moisturizer.
This buttery cream instantly hydrates skin, leaving a natural, luminous glow that feels soft & supple—never greasy or sticky. It also has Vitamin C and Yuzu in it which help to improve the look of tone and texture.
And the hyaluronic acid & ceramides deeply moisturize and help improve skin softness as well.
It even has a nice and subtle vanilla coconut scent which goes along great with the self tanner scent as well. Again, you can use my coupon code “15CHARITY” to get 15% off of this moisturizer as well.
They even have a great bundle option too where you can get both the exfoliator and the body moisturizer together and save a little money that way as well!
Enjoy your Tan!
Well, that’s it! 4 easy steps on how to perfect your self tan at home!
I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope it gave you the confidence to try out self tanner at home for yourself.
Do you currently use one or have a favorite? I would love to know below!
That’s such a great tip about using a foundation brush for hands/feet! I always end up using the mitt or my hands and it never looks quite right.
Yes, if you use the mitt, it tends to come out too dark in that area!
Fab tips! I’ve never tried self tanning before but I definitely want to give it a go, I’m ridiculously pale! I never knew you had to exfoliate first, so that’s a really handy tip. Thank you so much for sharing x
You definitely should try it out and see how it goes for you!
Great idea to use the brush. I think my friend was doing it wrong not to perfectly tan her body. This will help a lot. Thank you for sharing!
Loving this post! The tanner you use sounds like it is pretty clean and skin-friendly, compared to other self-tanners I have come across. Finally, your tip for how to do hands and feet is awesome! <3
Yes! It helps using a brush instead of the mitt because it’s too much on your hands and feet if you use the mitt. It tends to look too orange!
These are fab tips for self-tanning! Self-tanning is the one beauty skill I need to keep practicing and this post has helped me so much! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Oh good! I am so glad you found it to be useful then!
Wonderful tips! I am always afraid to mess up so I’ve only gotten spray tans at the salon. I haven’t done it myself. You make it sound easier than I thought. Thank you for breaking it down and explaining how! 🙂
Yes, you should definitely try it out for yourself. It’s not so bad, and it will definitely save you money versus going to the salon to do it!
I actually don’t tan because I’m dark skinned but these are great tips. I love Tula skincare products especially the moisturizer
Yes I love their products too! And I wish I didn’t have to tan, but I am white as a ghost if I don’t lol
Thank you for sharing your tips for using self-tanner. Who doesn’t like a nice glow! 🙂 I love that you’ve included products that are cruelty-free, vegan friendly, organic, and have great ingredients like Vitamin C!
Thank you so much! They definitely are wonderful products for sure!
Oh it’s that time of the year again when m y lily white legs come out to play! Self-tan is a must for me but I am often unhappy with the results. Next time I try the foundation brush trick xx
Lol yes! I am the same way. White as a ghost without my self tanner!!
I’ve never used a self tan (or any tanning at all) so I had no idea it was so involved — I’m sure those who use it will love these tips as I’ve heard it can be a bit tricky to do sometimes!
Yes, it gets much easier the more you do it though!
I don’t actually use tan, but these are such good tips- especially as the weather starts to get warmer and people start to invest in tanning x
Yes, it sure is!
This is so interesting! I have often wondered how to do this as I’ve been a bit scared to try it because I am weary of having an unnatural look but these are great tips for trying it out and having it look nice. I’ll give it a reconsideration! 🙂
You should definitely try it out. It does give you a natural look without looking too orange or anything like that!
Yessss! This is precisely what my self-tan routine looks like throughout the summer. I rarely go outside during the warmer months, so I don’t get much sun. I used to swear by spray tans when I lived in the city, but since our move to the country, I’ve relied solely on self-tanner. That exfoliation before and moisturizing after are the keys, for sure!
Yes, I am the same way. During the winter I get no sun, so I need all the help I can get lol
I’ve never self tanned before but I have been considering lately but was too afraid to try it in case of the scenario where I completely mess it up lol. These are great tips! Never knew it was important to exfoliate first. Thank you for sharing!
Yes, you should definitely try it. It’s not hard and it’s definitely worth it for that easy summertime glow!
This is such a helpful post, thank you so much for sharing it with us. I’m a terrible self-tanner but I’m going to try these steps and see how I get on. Hopefully I don’t look like a Omaha lumpa anymore hahah. Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
Lol good luck to you! It’s really not hard at all once you get the hang of it!
Fab tips! I haven’t fake tanned in SO long but I used to do it religiously. I’ll probably be starting again soon, when the weather gets warmer 🙂 x
Yes, you definitely should! Love having a nice summer glow when the weather warms up!