Every day, millions of dead skin cells are sloughed off or worn away from the surface of your skin. In fact, every 35 to 45 days, you have an entirely new epidermis. This is why tans from sunless- or self-tanning lotions will gradually fade — as the dead cells are worn away, so is your tan. For this reason, most of these products suggest that you reapply the sunless- or self-tanner about every three days to maintain your tan.
Although gels, lotions or sprays that contain DHA are said to be the most reliable and useful, there are dozens of other types of products on the market. Tanning accelerators — lotions or pills that usually contain the amino acid tyrosine — claim that they stimulate and increase melanin formation, thereby accelerating the tanning process.
Hot Tips for Proper Application!
Wait AT LEAST 15 minutes before getting dressed (remember that self-tanner can stain clothes). Do not exercise or swim for at least three hours.
If you make a mistake and end up with streaky or dark areas of skin, consider using an exfoliant such as my 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Liquid over those spots. Then, in the morning, manually exfoliate those...