The Best Self-Tanners for Bronzing Your Body
When it comes to getting glowy in the summer, there’s no competition between baking in the sun and self-tanning; in our eyes, the latter will always win. It takes less time, fades away over time, and above all: it’s safer! Even with sunscreen, extended sun exposure leaves us vulnerable to skin disorders and disease, especially since we rarely reapply it throughout the day.
MORE: Everything You Need to Know About Spray Tanning in the Winter
Spray tanning or using a self-tanner allows you to harness all the benefits of a traditional sun sesh, and more often than not, the formulas are also chock-full of ingredients that nourish the skin in addition to tinting it. Bronzing the face can be tricky depending on the skin type category you fall under, but the body isn’t so intimidating, as long as you’re cognizant of the differences in application.
“For your body, you want to make sure you have exfoliated and shaved, and if you have waxed, wait about 24 hours before applying, just so that your hair follicles/pores have time to settle,” says Sophie Evans, skin-finishing expert for St. Tropez.
MORE: The 13 Best Self-Tanners for Your Face
For the face, make sure that all makeup is removed and you’ve lightly exfoliated. Evans also recommends steering away from retinol creams and using in conjunction with a light layer of moisturizer and/or eye serum instead.
“A lot of people ask if you can use body self-tanners on the face, and the answer is yes, but you would combine with other skin-care products,” she says. “Self-tans designed for the face have premium anti-aging ingredients and are formulated perfectly for the delicate face area. The face has a tendency to develop a little darker due to a higher pH level in the facial area, so self-tans designed for the face are formulated a little lighter.”
Since we’ve already shared the best self-tanners for the face, ahead are 10 body-specific options that’ll give you color without the streaking and icky transfer.
