My today’s beauty blog is going to be about something I believe a lot of us use, or at least think about trying out – tanning products. If you pick your shade right and be careful not to overdo it, these things can make you look like a tropical beauty regardless of the time of the year. So, let’s see what is there to know about them.
You don’t want to end up paying big money for the products that doesn’t suit your needs, right? So, let’s see you options. There are 3 ways to get your gorgeous Carribean tan: 1. tanning beds, 2.spray tan or airbrush and 3.sunless lotions. So, if you have opted for a tanning bed, you’re going to need a specific lotion designed to protect your skin from burning during indoor tanning. Your regular sunscreen is not going to cut it so definitely invest some more and get a lotion that’s going to nourish your skin and prevent damages. Now, let’s go through some facts about sunless tanning methods…
Contrary to many beliefs, these aren’t just two different terms used for the same thing. Both of these involve applying tanning mixture, however, the method, price and quality differs significantly. You see, if you opt for regular spray tan, you will certainly save a bit because, in most tanning salons, this process goes like this: you go inside the tanning booth, the jets spray the tanning solution all over you and that’s pretty much it. Now, with airbrushing, the spraying is done by a live person, a professional using the airbrush tool. The tanning solution is the same but the procedure is much more precise, plus, you can ask him/her to accent your bust or abs. Yup, it’s true. IT’s these tricks that help celebrities appear so unbelievably perfect.
Spray tanning and airbrushing is safe, at least according to FDA. You see, the tanning mixture is nothing more than just paint. It actually contains a form of sugar that reacts with dead skin cells on the surface and turns them brown. You should, however, reconsider you decision if you have any respiratory problems or skin conditions and especially if you’re suffering from frequent allergies.
Ask around before you decide to spend your hard-earned money on a revolutionary, overpriced lotion – the price often reflects the prestige of the brand and has nothing to do with the quality of the actual product. But, let’s say the product is great – it worked for your best friend and it should work for you too. Right? Wrong! Different skin types react differently so, if you think that pricy thing may be just perfect for you, ask for some samples and test it first.
It you have decided that the quickest and the easiest way to get gorgeous tan is to use sunless lotion or book a spray tan, do give it a test drive before the big event. Not all skin types react the same way and you may end up having dark spots, looking like you haven’t showered for 2 years or, even worst, turning orange.
Okay, let’s be honest – there is a reason a fake tan is called fake. So, don’t expect you’ll look like you’ve just came back from a glam tropical resort because you’ll just get disappointed. You see, sunless tanning is supposed to “paint” your skin so, depending on the product and skin type, results can be anywhere from orange, grayish to bronze.
If all you need is a light, bronzy shade, try one of those bodylotions for gradual tanning. I have to suggest Nivea, Dove and Johnson’s gradual sunless tanning lotions – they are quite inexpensive and you can control the color by applying it only once, two days in a row or three days in a row. Now, you can certainly use them longer than that, but I used all three of them plus 2 Avon and 1 Dior spray and here’s my tip: Applying the lotion three days in a row will give the best results but don’t continue to apply the lotion longer than that. Your skin won’t get any darker, you can just turn orange or spotty. Take a break for 3-4 days until the dark “paint” completely comes off and then repeat the process, if needed. Sprays are a much better option, though, because they dry almost instantly and there’s no need to spend half of the day practicing your nudist skills.
Don’t waste your money on these because they won’t enhance your body’s ability to tan. You see, your tan is determined by the number of melatocytes, cells that produce melanin. There’s no way you can increase the number of these cells either – it all depends from your genes. So, what’s in those pills then? Well, dangerous chemicals, pigments or…. completely nothing!
Do you use any of these tanning methods and, in case you don’t, would you even give them a shot? Do you think there might be some risks involved? Health risks, I mean, like something they still haven’t figured out? I honestly hope not.