Skin Prep for Summer

Even though it’s been raining for the past one million days in the Carolinas, I think it’s time to chat about prepping your skin for the sunny days that are (hopefully) ahead!

My 3-step process for successful self tanning:
1. Exfoliate
2. Moisturize
3. Tan
To me, this kind of seems like common sense, but I also understand that self tanning really freaks some people out. If you do it right (and not too often), you can keep a really pretty summer glow even when you don’t have the time to be out in the sun!

My favorite exfoliating scrubs that won’t break the bank are any of the Tree Hut Sugar Scrubs and any of the St. Ives scrubs – both are available at any drugstore! Use one of these in the shower to prep for your tan.

Next step: moisturize. I’m not super picky about what body lotion I use but typically either use something by Aveeno or Vaseline Intensive Care. After I get out of the shower, I make sure that my skin is super moisturized so that my self tanner will go on evenly. Let it soak in for a few minutes before you move on to your tan. I also moisturize my face with my favorite Aveeno Daily Moisturizer.

My trusty self tanner that I’ve used since high school is most definitely the L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Mist. I wear it in Medium and it has never failed me. It has a 360-degree nozzle so it’s easy to spray your back, etc. if you need to. During the summer, I probably use this twice a week to maintain a little bit of a glow. After moisturizing, stand on towel and evenly spray the areas you want to be tanned. Wait at least 5 minutes for it to dry before putting on clothes! I love this product because it is very lightweight and builds really gradually. With this, you don’t have to be worried about “missing a spot” because it blends so nicely and only gives you a slight glow.

My other favorite self tanner is actually a moisturizer + tanner so you can skip the moisturizing step that I explained above! All of the St. Tropez products are definitely worth the money for the results that you get! The Classic Bronzing Lotion is like a high-end version of Jergens – it moisturizes and gives you great color in one easy step!!