Friday, December 19, 2008

All About Spray Tans

By Jo Sampson

Tanning booths have become the number one way for people to keep that year round tanned look. We should all now be aware of the dangers of too much sun (skin cancer) and a number of alternatives are showing success in the market to counteract these health issues.

The fastest growing artificial method is spray tanning which is generally carried out at a beauty salon. Although bronzing agents have been around for many years, they tend to leave streak marks unless professionally applied.

Just to provide an even more convenient service, manufacturers have introduced spray tanning equipment that can be used in the home too. While there are different ways to provide an alternative tan, the way to achieve it and make it longer lasting lies with spray tanning technology.

Initially you need to exfoliate which will eliminate all the dead skin cells from your body. If you apply a tan agent to dead skin it will just fall off and leave light spots in its place.

To complete the preparation, the skin needs to be moist and ready to accept the tan so a good skin moisturizer will need to be applied all over. Always, always, always wear disposable surgical gloves when applying a self tanning cream etc. To avoid any other application mistakes that could give away the fact that the tan is not real, make sure those fingers, feet, elbows and knees are only given the lightest of coats as they have a habit of coming out darker.

Also, apply lighter coats of tanning agent on the joints of your fingers, your knees, and your elbows as these areas will appear darker if you do not and the same applies to your feet. The only possible problem that can occur when spray tanning is used is some streaking caused by excess fluid, so an old towel you no longer need should be used to remove it.

Don't wiggle around a lot after applying the self tanning agent, remaining as motionless as possible will help to ensure an even tan. Consider what you are going to wear once you have applied the fake tan as it tends to stain objects, in particular clothing. If possible always choose clothing that is darker and preferably something that is old and won't matter if a stain is left on it.

Obviously darker clothing is the best option so the staining will not be as visible, and if possible, something that you will not worry about if it gets damaged. Applying an artificial tan successfully means there are a few rules to follow which should ensure it looks as genuine as possible. - 16492

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