Hey y’all!! I mentioned in last weeks Beauty Essentials || Self Tanner post that I would be sharing my self tanning routine with you all! I have had SO many questions about all of the products I use and how I get it to look. So I decided to dedicate a whole post about it, for reference.

Let me start off by saying that I am in NO WAY a beauty expert!lol. I just get so many dang questions about it, so I must be doing something right, I hope. I have tried ALLLL of the self tanners and I have found the BEST ones! Let’s get started!!

ESSENTIALS
ROUTINE

STEP 1 : EXFOLIATE || I always use one of these wash cloths to exfoliate my skin and this exfoliating scrub. I shave my legs with this razor before applying any self tanner. This will ensure that my tan will go on evenly & look flawless! *Side Note – if you are shaving then applying, always wait about an hour or so. If you don’t the self tanner will just clog your pores and give that dirty effect.*

STEP 2 : WAIT & APPLY TO FACE ONLY || After I shower, shave, exfoliate, etc. I wait about an hour before I apply my self tanner. If you don’t wait, the self tanner will clog your pores and make it look more like dark dots rather than tan. Not cute, so I recommend waiting if you can! Also, during this waiting period I apply my Tan Luxe : The Face (I use the Medium/Dark). The other thing is to go ahead and apply lotion or moisturizer to your hands, wrists, knees and feet. I use regular baby lotion or this moisturizer. These are your really dry areas so you don’t want them to get too dark.

STEP 3 : USE MITT & APPLY || I use the Loving Tan Mousse and Loving Tan Mitt. (I use the 2 Hour Express: Dark and/or 8 Hour: Ultra Dark). I go in this order: back, front, arms, legs. Apply 3-4 pumps and just put it all over and make sure it’s very well blended. I use the product left on the mitt for my feet and hands.

STEP 4 : HANG OUT & DRY || I know this step sounds a little bit silly but after you finish if you can just hang out in a towel or nothing for a few minutes and let it really dry. (Loving Tan dries fast but I still do this to ensure that I don’t transfer or lose tan). Another thing is that I do EVERYTHING that I need to with water BEFORE I start so that I don’t mess up the tan that I just did. Then I wait about an hour or so before I lay in bed, I usually just lay a towel on the coach and work on my computer until then. This helps prevent any creasing in your tan and just gives it more time to dry.

STEP 5: RINSE || I always wait at least 24 hours to rinse my tan off. I give it as long as possible to develop. This is an important step in my opinion, my first shower after I self tan is ALWAYS a quick one. Also, I never wash my hair this step or you will lose SO SO much tan because of all the soap. Then once I get done, I PAT myself dry, don’t rub. I promise this isn’t as much as it sounds like.lol. I’ve just found the best way to ensure a long lasting tan!

STEP 6: MOISTURIZE & MAINTAIN || If you really want your tan to last then I HIGHLY recommend moisturizing every day, again I typically just use plain ol baby lotion! Also, any areas that I feel like lost any color, I will add the Isle of Paradise Body Butter until I completely redo my tan!

GO BACK TO STEP ONE || Now when you’re ready to remove and start over, go back to step one and start the whole process over again!

This sounds VERY lengthy and also intimidating, but I assure you it’s just another weekly thing after you get the hang out it. Practice makes perfect! It’s just part of my routine now and takes no time!

As far as working out, I do everyday and my tan still lasts for a good while. As long as I follow all the steps, especially moisturizing. I only fully exfoliate and tan once a week. It’s all about how well you keep up with it.

I really hoped this helped! Hopefully I’ve answered any and all questions that you had. If not, please let me know, comment or DM on Instagram! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing! 

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