Say No to Fake Bake!

Whoever says tanning is horrible for you is wrong…well not completely but you know what I mean. As long as you tan the safe (and natural!) way, what can go wrong? Personally, not only does tanning make me feel better about myself, it makes me happy and has taught me a valuable lesson over the years. And for those that say tanning is easy…they obviously do not understand the effort behind serious tanning. When tanning, just like in life, one must endure. When life gets tough all you want to do is quit because you don't think you can do it. It might seem silly, but tanning has taught me to endure. To follow through and embrace the pain in the moment for a better afterwards. Of course it is always nice to have a break once in a while (such as a cheeky swim!).

So let's get on with it! Here are my tips for achieving the perfect bronze glow on these hot summer days at the pool, the beach, or in your very own backyard!

Step 1: EXFOLIATE + SHAVE
If you want to achieve a smooth, lasting tan the first, most essential step in the process is how you prep your skin before actually laying out. Exfoliate with a body scrub such as the Soap&Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub (my personal favorite!). This will get rid of dead skin and make your skin smoother and easier to tan. Also, shave those legs! Your tan will last much longer if you do before instead of after!

Step 2: MOISTURIZE
In order for your tan to stick and be even you must moisturize! Peeling skin is not something you want to stick under direct sunlight! For a quick and easy moisturize I love the Vaseline Spray & Go lotions. They are super light, dry quick, and leave your skin feeling smooth and soft instead of sticky or "lotiony".

Step 3: TAN !!
Now it's finally time to get under those rays!
The best way to achieve an even, nice looking tan is to use sunscreen. Even if you think you don't need it or it's going to keep you from tanning at all, it's not! Sunscreen will keep harmful rays from burning you, leaving your skin smooth and tan instead of red and blotchy. For me, I use SPF 30 on my body and SPF 70 on my face as I like to get as little sun as possible there.

Next, use a tan enhancer!  Instead of traditional tanning oil, I prefer to use a browning lotion such as Maui Babe Browning Lotion to accelerate the tanning process. Maui Babe is all natural, smells amazing, and leaves your skin feeling great! Its contains coffee, aloe (which keeps you from burning), and oils to leave your skin soft.
* I only suggest this if you have been in the sun a couple times already. If it is your first day out I highly suggest sticking to just sunscreen until you have built up your tan.

Step 4: REPLENISH
After coming out of the sun your skin needs a drink to refresh itself. You can easily use a simple lotion to sooth your skin after tanning but I suggest a combination of two products. 1) Aloe Vera: this natural gel from an aloe plant is amazing at soothing and moisturizing sunburnt skin. Which means it also works for evening out your tan, hydrating your skin, and making your tan last longer. It also dries quickly and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. 2) Lotion: after applying aloe, I love to use a lotion specially formulated for a sun drenched body. My favorite is the Maui Babe After Browning Lotion Tan Enhancer and Healer. This lotion will not only massively hydrate your skin, it will prolong your tan. It is the most amazing lotion I have ever used to maintain my tan. It smells amazing also!

And that's it!

Here are some other tips to remember when enjoying the sunshine:
-   Bring a hat to keep the sun off your face
-   Reapply sunscreen after swimming or excessive sweating, you may not notice it's gone until you get home.
-   Don't forget a lip balm or Chapstick with SPF! Red, puffy, peeling lips are not cute and definitely not fun to deal with. (My favorite is Sun Bum!)
-   Don't just flip over every 30 mins, get up and take a walk on the beach or throw a football. Moving around is the best way to achieve an all over even tan.
- DRINK LOTS OF WATER: This is very important as the sun takes so much out of you. You do not want to become dehydrated and get sun poisoning as this is very dangerous!

Be safe and happy tanning!

☀