Sunless tanning is the safe alternative to avoid premature wrinkles, sagging skin and skin cancer. Using this method, you have the best of both worlds – a glowing tan without risking your health. Here’s a complete guide to tanning without the sun, from your tanning options to health benefits –it’s all covered here…
The Sunless Spray Tan
The great thing about this is that you can go to a drugstore or department store and pick out the sunless spray tan from $5 to $25, depending on the brand. Don’t forget to pick up a really good exfoliation scrub, which is your first step before you get that radiant glow. Another item to pick up is gloves (to ensure you don’t get the weird-tan hand effect).
A Salon or Spa
You have a few options to consider before getting a sunless spray tan. The Mystic tan has been all the rage, from celebrities like Paris Hilton to Tara Reid. This sunless tan is great because you enter a booth and a machine sprays the tan on. The Mystic tan could fit any lifestyle, saving time and saving your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.
Some great tips to remember before doing this tan…
It is important to shave, exfoliate and moisturize your entire body. If you’re getting the Mystic tan for the first time, see if they have a pamphlet or special instructions to follow to ensure you’ll be looking gorgeous and not streaky when you’re finished. After the tan, you’ll look as if you just took an exotic vacation. Remember not to shower for 4-6 hours after the tan, moisturize your skin often and do not take a dip in salt water because it will affect how long your tan will last.
Another great option with a sunless spray tan that many salons and spas offer is the body bronzer. This is basically a treatment where a professional exfoliates your entire body. Then, you rinse off and they apply the tan to ensure the right color is created and there aren't any spots or streaks that are missed. Professionals also ensure that knees, elbows and other hard to reach areas are the perfect shade for your skin tone. Many spas are offering this because people love to de-stress, while getting a service from a professional.
Why a spray tan and how does it make you tan?
This is a great question. DHA, also known as dihydroxyacetone and the active ingredient in sunless tanning sprays, changes your skin tone from a light pale shade for a darker shade of brown for the perfect sunless tan. It was founded by accident in the 1920’s in Germany and has surely changed sunless tanning forever.
A very important thing to remember…
When you choose this tanning method because you have the health benefits in mind, you are saving your skin from sun damage. However, you need to remember that because you have a tan, you are not protected from the sun. It’s definitely not a base tan. You need to continue to wear sunscreen to protect yourself against harmful UV rays – try at least SPF 30. And, in 20 years when you have less wrinkles around the eyes and on other areas of your face, you will relish in the fact that you can look great with a sunless spray tan, while protecting your skin with SPF.
The benefits of a healthy tan...
Remember, everything is good in moderation and the sun is no different (it does have a healthy dose of Vitamin D). However, baking in the sun is not the answer to looking healthy and that is why the sunless spray tan is so popular. There is an array of health benefits with sunless tanning for those who want to avoid the harmful UV rays of the sun.
1. You save your skin, not only from premature wrinkles, but also from skin cancer.
2. You save time. In less than 10 minutes with the Mystic tan or over an hour with a spa application, you won't miss staying hours in the sun for a satisfactory glow.
3. You'll look natural. Long gone are the days when orange streaked tans came from a bottle. Today, bottled tans actually look bronze without streaks, especially if you applied the tan carefully after you exfoliated your skin.
With these tips in mind, looking great and tan without the sun just got easier.
