Health and Beauty

By Jennifer James

It's never been easier-or safer-to be a bronzed goddess all year round

While looking tan will most likely never be passé, getting tan the old-fashioned way-that is, basking in the sun for hours on end-certainly is. And with good reason. "A tan is your body's way of defending itself against [the sun's] UVA and UVB rays," explains Howard Sobel, M.D., a dermatologist with a private practice on New York City's Upper East Side. "Just a little color is just a little damage that becomes cumulative over time and goes from just a little damage to a lot of damage, possibly resulting in skin cancer." Other than staying out of the sun entirely, Dr. Sobel's best advice is wearing a SPF 15 sunscreen everyday and a SPF 30 at the beach.

For those of us who have wisely heeded dermatologists' warnings about the sun and, consequently, have become paler by the minute, there is hope: self-tanner. Although all self-tanners work the same way, there are several options when it comes to application. Read on:

Do-It-Yourself: Thanks to recent strides in self-tanner technology (think less orange, less streaky, less smelly formulations), using self-tanner has become an easier and more pleasant experience. Of course, it's important to use them correctly (and, in most cases, within six months of opening). To that end, prep skin by exfoliating your entire body with a light scrub or washcloth (self-tanner goes on more evenly on a smooth surface). Next, use a light moisturizer on extra dry areas, like knees and elbows (dry skin tends to absorb more self-tanner which can lead to an uneven, patchy result). After that, technique is everything: Apply the self-tanner using long sweeping movements, and then go over the area again with wide circular movements. In other words, if you apply self-tanner in streaks, you'll get just that: a stripy, very unnatural looking tan. Fortunately, many self-tanners are now tinted so you can see exactly where you're applying them-and spots you might have inadvertently missed. Avoid any areas, such as the hairline, fingernails and eyebrows, because the product will color them. Tan palms are another telltale sign of a fake tan: Wash hands with warm water and soap immediately after application or, better yet, wear surgical gloves when "tanning." Use a cosmetic sponge (normally used for foundation) to put self-tanner on the back of the hands to the top of the fingers. Wait for the product to dry thoroughly (even "quick dry" formulas require at least 10 minutes) before getting dressed.

Seek professional help: For the self-tanner weary among us, help is available. Salons and spas across the country offer self-tanner application from head to toe, but it's not cheap (prices run upwards of $125). But for those plagued with unsightly zebra-like stripes or stained hands, it's worth every penny. "It's hard to perform a perfectly even application yourself," says Bradford Katchen, M.D., founder of Skincare Lab, a full-service spa in downtown Manhattan where the 60-minute Body Tanning Treatment is one of the most requested offerings, especially in the summer. If you decide to go the spa route, not only will you walk out with an allover golden glow, but you'll likely enjoy the actual process, as well. Most spa tanning treatments include a skin polishing exfoliation and, if you're lucky, the equivalent of a full-body massage (after all, the tanning cream is rubbed into every inch of your body).

Spray away: Touted by beauty magazines and primetime makeover shows nationwide, airbrush tanning is undoubtedly one of the most talked about advancements in self-tanning in recent years. The process, in which self-tanner is misted onto the body, is often faster and more foolproof than the normal manual application (but again, for best results, exfoliating first is recommended). "It is a real revolution in the tanning industry," says Lester Szurko, owner of Fantasy Tan, the company who invented spray-on tanning in 1997. But all spray tans are not created equal. Some salons use an automated airbrushing spray booth, which mists the entire body and face with a self-tanning solution in 60 seconds or less. Fantasy Tan is applied by a trained technician using a hand-held device and can take up to 25 minutes. Fantasy Tan does allow for more precise tanning, especially since the recent introduction of its miniature spray gun for hard-to-reach areas like around the eyes, behind the ears, and along the hairline. But detail work does cost extra: The average Fantasy Tan runs around $35; most salons with automated airbrushing booths offer package deals which lower the price per tan considerably. And for the time crunched or body conscious, the speed and anonymity of a booth may be preferable. In either case, results last 7-10 days depending, of course, on your skin's natural rate of exfoliation.

Color without commitment: Without a doubt, bronzers are the cheapest, fastest and easiest sun-safe way to get some color. Unlike self-tanners, bronzers involve no drying time and can simply be washed off if the application doesn't go as planned (but it is fairly difficult to do it wrong). The key to creating a natural, sun-kissed look is applying bronzer to the areas of the face where the sun naturally hits. "Start at the apples of the cheeks and continue to brush around the hairline, across the bridge of the nose and over the collarbone," says BJ Gillian, a New York City-based celebrity makeup artist who likes Cover Girl Cheekers Bronzer. "Use what color is left on the brush to buff the bronzer in circular motions over the rest of the face, the sides of the neck and across the shoulders."

Jennifer James is a freelance writer for national magazines, newspapers and corporate clients. The former beauty and health director at Teen People, James has written for Shape, Lucky and The Washington Post and has more than five years experience reporting on beauty- and lifestyle-related topics.

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