Getting Rid of a Fake Tan Easily

When you don't have access to a tanning salon or tanning bulbs, sometimes the best option for getting a golden glow is sunless tanning lotion. Sunless tanners come with inherent issues though. If you aren’t careful you can turn more orange than tan and sunless tanners are known to streak. Should you find yourself with a bad sunless tan, fear not however, as there are some simple ways to getting yourself looking good once more with minimal effort!

1. Remove a poorly applied self tanner is to exfoliate your skin. The exfoliation process is one in which you remove the dead skin cells. Since your top layer of skin is the one that was affected by the sunless tanner application, you can remove much of the lotion along with the dead skin. Look for something that will give you a good, deep exfoliation - a nylon puff won't do in this case!
2. Make certain you follow up with a moisturizer to prevent your skin from drying out.
3. Shaving will also help remove some of the tanning lotion. Scraping the razor across your skin removes that top layer of skin and some of the tanning lotion.
4. Spend some time soaking in a hot soapy bathtub. Sure you can take a shower, but soaking in a tub of hot water eats away at the self tanning lotion. If you follow the soak up with a round of exfoliating, you can more easily remove the tanning lotion. 
5. Mineral oil wreaks havoc on self tanning lotion as it breaks down the colors in the lotion and quickly fades it out. Put the mineral oil on a clean washcloth, rub it in and then use your loofah or nylon scrubber to remove it.
6. Fresh lemon will also fade the dyes from a self tanner and help it go away more quickly. You can use lemon by simply rubbing it right onto the affected area. Because lemon has a natural bleaching agent, it will break down the tanning lotion and get your skin tanner free. 
7. Pick up a self-tanning lotion remover from your local department store. These are lotions specifically made to remove the incorrectly applied tanner.

How to Extend Your Summer Glow

It’s been a long summer, and now that you finally have that perfect golden glow, it’s time for scarves and sweaters! Just because it is autumn, however, doesn’t mean you can’t make your tan last as long as you can. Several products are on the market to help you extend your bronzed skin, and with a few tips to remember, you too can keep your skin glowing.

The first step is to be sure to keep your skin healthy and cared for. Tan responsibly, provide your skin with the essential nutrition it needs, and be sure to hydrate! Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and the condition of your skin is an important part to your general nutrition and health. That is why hydrated skin tans faster and holds a tan longer, which is why moisturizing with tanning lotions (specifically formulated for these reasons) can increase your results under the tanning bulbs by as much as sixty percent.

When choosing a tanning lotion, look for key ingredients, such as CoQ10, green tea extract, and hemp seed oil. These will help keep your skin hydrated! To get faster tanning results, choose a lotion with an accelerator, as these lotions are designed to increase the tanning potential of your skin by delivering necessary nutrients and vitamins to your skin.

Be sure your lotion has oils to help hydrate and condition as well as vitamins, particularly A and E. All of these are essential to help your skin be conditioned and hydrated and, in turn, will help prolong the life of your tan. Vitamin C, in particular, is important for this because it is an antioxidant that repairs and reduces UV damage caused by tanning bulbs or natural sunlight. Herbal extracts are also important as they’ll protect the skin from forming lines and wrinkles while providing antioxidants to attack free radicals.

           

Be sure you are using such products along with tanning to help extend that glow naturally into the fall. Choose products containing caramel, hennal, cocoa extracts, and walnuts to help boost your tan, and also look for one with the nutrients your skin needs.

How to Choose the Best Moisturizer

For those who spend copious amounts of time under tanning bulbs or in the sun, applying moisturizer is a way of life. And indeed it doesn’t matter what the weather is – summer or winter – your skin needs to be moisturized year-round. But what is the secret to finding the perfect moisturizer for your skin care routine? It all comes down to knowing your skin type.

Different types of skin have different types of needs when it comes to being moisturized. You will need to check the the bottles when shopping to be sure you are avoiding certain additives, depending on what skin type you are. Here are a few basic guidelines to follow when shopping, though remember, everyone's skin is different!

For those with dry skin you may want to apply a hydrating serum then follow that with a moisturizing lotion or cream.

Oily skinned folks will want a lighter weight, oil-free moisturizer. Don’t buy into the myth that oily skin doesn’t require moisturizers. If you have an oily face, you may end up producing even more oil as a way for your skin to compensate for unbalanced hydration.

Ingredients count when you’re purchasing a moisturizer! Look for ones that have few ingredients. Remember that the higher concentration of ingredients are listed first; water is an important hydrator and if you want your moisturizer to do its job it needs to have a high concentration of water. After water, your moisturizer needs to be full of ingredients that add moisturizing boosting benefits, such things as: aloe, olive or jojoba oil and shea butter. To prevent any kind of skin irritation look for a moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (this means it won’t clog your pores) and for one that is fragrance free.

Just as you change your wardrobe with the seasons, you will want to change your moisturizer and skin care routine with the change in weather. In the winter, go with a heavier moisturizer as the cold air and low humidity zaps your skins’ moisture even more than the summer heat. In the summer, lighten it up and look for oil-free formulas.

Keeping your skin moisturized not only encourages health but can also make your tan last longer as well. So set into winter with hydrated, healthy skin!

Tips for Healthy Summer Skin

Summer is making its way across the country and if you've been cooped up, waiting for the sun, now is the time to get outside! Before you head out into the sun, however, make certain you take care of your skin to assure that it isn't ruined by the summer sun.

Here are our top tips for healthy summer skin:

• Before you leave the house, make certain you have covered your skin in a strong SPF. Even if you're going to be spending your day driving around in a car, you need to protect your exposed skin. The sun's rays on unprotected skin can lead to premature aging or skin cancer.
• Don't forget to protect your lips with a moisturizing lip balm with a SPF of at least 25. Lips are extremely sensitive to the sun and can easily become chapped or sunburned.
• Wear your sunglasses. If you don't want to wear sunglasses, protect your eyes from the sun with a wide brimmed hat. If your eyes are unprotected, it can not only lead to wrinkles and crow's feet but cataracts. In addition to protecting your eyes, a wide-brimmed hat will also protect your sensitive ears.
• Stay hydrated. It's great to wear moisturizers, but you also need to hydrate your body so you don't become dehydrated. If you're outside and sweating, dehydration can happen rapidly. Caffeinated drinks can also lead to dehydration so stick with water.
• For sun-kissed skin, some individuals opt to visit a tanning salon and take advantage of the tanning bulbs to get themselves a "base tan." Others choose self tanning lotions to address pale skin before they hit the beach.
• Check your medicine. Many medications - prescription and over the counter - can cause sun sensitivity issues.
• Choose your sunning times wisely. The sun is at its most intense during the hours of noon to 4 pm. Spend your time outside during the morning or early evening hours. You will still reap the benefits of the sun without drying out your skin.
• Sunburn happens. No matter how well you've applied sun protection lotion you can still suffer a sunburn. If this happens make certain you apply moisturizer liberally to prevent peeling skin and repair the damage.
• If you're an avid swimmer, make certain you shower as soon as you get out of the water, especially if you're in salt water or a chlorinated swimming pool. You'll want to clean the chlorine off your skin because chlorine can dry your skin out.

Common sense - and a liberal coating of moisturizer and sun screen - will let you enjoy the sun without fear of skin damage.