Skin looks best when it’s smooth, glowing and radiant — but stress, weather and other factors can leave your skin dry and dull. To get your glow on you need to eat right, exfoliate regularly and get a little help from sunless tanner and other beauty products.
Step 1: Get plenty of antioxidants
What you eat has a big impact on your skin. Make sure your diet is rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin C, to tone and nourish your skin, encourage collagen production and protect your skin from sun damage. Berries are the perfect low-calorie, high-nutrient snack for glowing skin. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water to flush out toxins and keep your skin clear and beautiful.
Step 2: Exfoliate regularly
Exfoliate regularly in the shower to slough away dead skin cells and improve circulation. Use a loofah, body brush, exfoliating gloves or a textured washcloth. Don’t use oil-based scrubs if you are going to be applying tanning products right away because the oil will cause the tanner to slide right off your skin.
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Step 3: Apply self-tanner limb by limb
Don’t lie out in the sun to get glowing skin; instead, use self-tanning products. “Start from the bottom up,” says Tamar Vezirian of Gotham Glow. “Be careful not to put too much self-tanner on drier areas of the body, such as knees, elbows and feet, as those areas tend to develop darker.”
“Wait at least 20 to 30 minutes before getting dressed. The best time to do self-tanner is at night. That way, you can apply, wait 20 to 30 minutes, go to bed and let the self-tanner develop. Make sure in that time you don’t sweat or have any water touch you,” explains Vezirian.
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Step 4: Use new products
“People tend to use old tanners from last season,” says Kimara Ahnert, makeup artist and owner of the Kimara Ahnert Makeup & Skincare Studio in New York City. “As a general rule, self-tanning products do not carry a long shelf life and can actually start to degrade after six months. This can make them have a foul odor and can even produce unfavorable results or irritate the skin because of the chemicals.”
Quick tip
Get salon-quality results with inexpensive sunless tanner at home with a little preparation and know-how. When applying self-tanner, use long, smooth strokes to avoid streaks and blotches.
Step 5: Avoid looking orange
“Experiment to find the perfect shade and the right amount of product,” Ahnert says. “Unless your natural skin tone is very dark, start off with a self-tanner that has a lower concentration of DHA (meaning one that’s labeled ‘fair’ or ‘medium,’ not ‘dark’ or ‘deep’), and give yourself two or three applications, spread out over a few days. If you’re already looking a little off color, gently scrub the product off in the shower, or go for a swim in a pool. The chlorine will accelerate the fading process.”
Step 6: Moisturize regularly
“Moisturize, moisturize and moisturize for a long-lasting tan,” recommends Ahnert. Apply moisturizer from head to toe as soon as you get out of the shower in the morning, and then again before bedtime.
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Step 7: Fake it with body shimmer
Body shimmer and other products can help you get your glow on, too. “Apply a dusting of highlighter, bronzer or body shimmer where the sun hits naturally — cheekbones, décolletage, middle of the chest, above the lip, etc.,” says Vezirian.
For more sunless tanning tips, check this out:
How to prepare skin for sunless tanners
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