When you shower, make sure to get really clean, shave, and use a loofah and/or body scrub to exfoliate your whole body and remove dead skin. This will leave your skin super-soft and make the self tanner go on smoothly.

3. Moisturize

If you have any dry areas on your body after you shower, use a good body lotion on them. It’s always a good idea to get your knees, ankles, and elbows with a coat of body lotion before you tan.

If you have naturally dry skin, I recommend using body lotion all over before you self-tan. This will help even out the texture of your skin so the tan won’t be uneven.

4. Wear gloves!

One of the worst self-tanning side effects is the dreaded orange palm syndrome. It’s a telltale sign that your tan is fake, and not to mention that it looks ridiculous. Don’t let this happen to you!

Always wear plastic or rubber gloves when you tan, or in a pinch, put plastic bags over your hands and secure them with elastics.

After you’ve applied your tanner to your body, take the gloves off, rub a little bit of tanner on the backs of your hands and quickly go wash your palms off with soap!

4. Apply the self-tanner

After you’ve done all of the above steps, it’s finally time to start applying your tanner.

If you’re using a gel or cream formula, rub it onto your body in a circular motion. Be sure to focus on one part of your body at a time, and unless you’re using an extra-quick dry formula, take your time and make sure you get every spot evenly. Don’t apply too much to your elbows, ankles, or knees.

If you’re using a spray formula, spray yourself all over as evenly as you can, then rub it in lightly. This will prevent you from looking speckled, and create an even tan.

If you use Tan Towels, use two small towels – one for the top half of your body, and one for the bottom half. Be careful not to miss ANY spots. Go over all the same places twice if you have to. Since the formula isn’t tinted, it can be easy to miss places the first time you use them. If a towel dries out, just wet it again with water.