What should you use?

Self tanners are available as lotions, creams and sprays, because even a pretend tan gets a product menu. Most contain dihydroxyacetone, usually called DHA, which reacts with dead cells on the skin's surface to produce darker colour. The colour usually lasts several days. Follow your product's label for application instructions.2

How to apply self tanner evenly

  1. 1Exfoliate first with a washcloth to remove dead skin cells. Spend a little more time on your elbows, knees and ankles, where the skin is thickest.
  2. 2Dry your skin completely before applying the tanner. Dry skin helps the product go on evenly.
  3. 3Apply the tanner in sections for even coverage, rather than giving the entire job to one heroic smear. Work through your arms, legs and torso, massaging the product in with circular movements.
  4. 4Wash your hands with soap and water after each section to avoid orange palms.
  5. 5Blend lightly from your wrists onto your hands and from your ankles onto your feet.
  6. 6Dilute the colour over your knees, ankles and elbows, which absorb more tanner. Lightly rub these areas with a damp towel, or apply a thin layer of lotion over the tanner.
  7. 7Wait at least 10 minutes before getting dressed. Wear loose clothing and avoid sweating for the next three hours.
3

Can you use it on your face or get a spray tan?

Keep DHA away from your lips, nose, eyes and the surrounding eye area. Do not inhale or swallow it. Before a spray tan, ask how the salon protects your eyes and surrounding skin, nose, mouth and ears, and prevents you from inhaling the mist. Choose another salon if any of those protections are missing. At home, follow the label carefully and keep the product out of your eyes, nose and mouth.2

Do you still need sunscreen?

Yes. Use a water resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and broad spectrum protection, meaning protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Apply it every day to skin not covered by clothing if you will be outside, including cloudy days. Apply sunscreen to dry skin 15 minutes before going outdoors. Reapply about every two hours outdoors and after swimming or sweating, following the bottle's directions. Seek shade and wear protective clothing too; sunscreen alone cannot fully protect you.13

Do not use tanning pills. They are unsafe, and none are FDA approved. Some contain canthaxanthin, which can cause liver damage, hives and harmful deposits in the eyes when consumed in large amounts.2

What causes your skin to darken?

Your natural skin colour is primarily inherited. Melanin, the pigment made by specialised skin cells, is its main determining factor. Sunlight increases melanin production and can cause tanning, freckles and brown spots. Unlike a self tan, this involves a change in your skin's pigment.4

Too much melanin makes skin darker. Pregnancy and conditions such as Addison's disease can cause darkening. Dark patches, called hyperpigmentation, can also follow acne, cuts or burns, or develop with certain medicines and hormone changes. Unplanned darkening is a different problem from wanting a temporary cosmetic tan.56

Book a medical appointment for persistent, unexplained darkening or any sore or lesion that changes shape, size or colour. Darkened skin that is painful, itchy, hot, red or leaking blood or pus also needs medical assessment.67

Where this answer comes from

  1. 1Sunscreen FAQsaad.org
  2. 2Tanning Productsfda.gov
  3. 3How to apply self-tanneraad.org
  4. 4Hair and skin colourdermnetnz.org
  5. 5Skin Pigmentation Disordersmedlineplus.gov
  6. 6Hyperpigmentation: What it is, Causes, & Treatmentmy.clevelandclinic.org
  7. 7Abnormally dark or light skin: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopediamedlineplus.gov