DIY Fake Tan???

esmy

I want to have a go at doing an all over fake tan (with the help of DD for the bits I can't reach!) I've only done my legs before so would welcome any tips/ advice on how to get a good result.

stormcloudgathering

OK, you need to exfoliate properly and moisturise too.
Make sure that you have no perfume, deodorant, body gels or the like on your skin.
Make sure that any hair removal has been carried out at least 24 hours in advance.
Wear gloves!
Take your time over it - don't be doing it in a hurry.
Make sure you apply a barrier cream on your toenails and a quick smear of it over your elbows, knees and ankle bones.
Do not apply it to the soles of your feet.
Buff gently once applied with a clean and dry flannel

Once cured (usually 6 - 8 hours) wash off with warm water only - do not apply shower gel, soap or any other cleansing product.
Moisturise while the skin is still slightly damp - do not rub roughly with a towel to dry yourself, just pat.
After 5 days you can GENTLY exfoliate with a scratchy mitt or body puff.

Do not use any Dove products after your tan, it will strip it!

adelight

Everything that storm cloud gathering said! Exfoliate and moisturize for a few days before you do it but don't moisturize less than a few hours before you apply the fake tan.
It can still go wrong I had a right disaster with st tropez everyday which put me off fake tan forever (I went yellow after the second application! I was like a zebra striped simpson for weeks so it's definitely got some staying power!)

far2812

which fake tan are you using?

esmy

I've had good results on my legs with St Moritz spray and mousse - supposed to be an MSE alternative to St Tropez. Nice colour for me and went on without streaking or going patchy. The mousse was easier to apply, in that it didn't coat everywhere else within 4ft like the spray did!

glowgirl_2

As well as the prep as detailed in post 2 I would suggest you use professional products instead of high street ones, they last longer, give a better result are kinder to your skin and are much cheaper, your looking for the products that they use in spray tans that can be applied at home using a mitt and back applicator (no help needed), the depth of your colour will depend on the strength you use, as a rough guide the Dove, Johnsons one that you apply everyday are about 2% and a spray tan which is quite dark will be about 10-12%, pink toned skins usually need a higher strength to achieve a deeper more uniform colour. I would suggest you start off at about a 6 or 8%, also avoid staying in the shower too long and using too much shower gel, I have yet to find a mosituriser that dosent ruin my colour so I moisturise from within with Evening Primrose Oil and this has made a big difference to how long my colour lasts and looks good, I liike this site http://www.celebritysecrets.co.uk/ for a good choice of strengths and this site http://www.siennasol.co.uk/index.htm is my fav for a good dark quality product also I know its long but if you can have a look at this thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1621869= and ignore the dark colour comments you will find a huge amount of application tips and advice - good luck, happy tanning:)

esmy

Thanks for the advice! Just wanting some colour before my hols so I don't frighten the children. Will use the car sponge thingy - what a great idea - and follow the advice re preparation beforehand. Wish me luck!

esmy

Well I followed all the advice and I now have a lovely healthy looking glow, not ubertanned but enough to get over the first few days of my hols! Thanks everyone. Oh and I recommend the StMoriz mousse - £2.59 from Bodycare - very MSE!