Typically you’ll get anywhere from five to ten days of darkness with the optimal color before it wears off. However you can attempt to extend this by using a moisturizer so your skin’s top layer doesn’t shed away so fast.

Yet, at some point you may want to try using a self tanner, which also uses DHA so it’s the same application as getting a spray tan. And while applying it yourself might seem like a daunting task due to the countless products and fear of becoming orange there’s only a few steps required to getting it right the first time.

To start you’ll want to do the same things as you would if you were going to the tanning bed or getting a spray tan. Remember to clean and exfoliate your skin at least the day before to ensure you’ve removed any skin that’s flaking off. By doing so you’ll eliminate the risk of having streaks, not to mention as we already covered, your tan will last much longer.

Perhaps the biggest point to take from this is to make sure you hit all the rough areas on the body such as the: elbows, knees, ankles and feet. As well, always remember to try your first self tanner product on a small area of your body, to ensure it will end up with the correct appearance. Sure you might have to wait 24 hours to complete the first test, but at least you’ll save yourself from the embarrassment after you’ve applied it to your face or entire body.

Once you’ve picked the right self tanning product and can confirm it works on a small area of the body, you’ll want to cover everything this time. With a gentle and slow motion rub the spray, gel, or cream into your skin.

Don’t rush or try to push it into your skin as deep as possible, relax and it will all get absorbed as you message it into your skin. As well, don’t worry if you cover the same spot more than once, that’s perfectly fine and won’t affect anything. And if by chance you happen to have a lot of hair on your body or neglected to shave, make sure you spend enough time getting everything absorbed evenly in those areas.